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North Carolina students will only receive letter grades if all pupils have access to the curriculum, which is largely taught remotely as a means to continue academic studies during the COVID-19 health crisis.
The decision came in a memo from the state Department of Public Instruction on April 2, the News & Observer reported.
“It is SBE [State Board of Education] policy that no grades be given if learning is not accessible for all students involved in the class; this does not include extenuating circumstances like illness of a student or refusal of a student to complete work," the memo stated, according to the News & Observer.
For grades to be issued, the state set these requirements for remote learning in K-11 grades:
- Remote learning must be accessible to all students for which the learning is intended and is responsive to diverse learning groups;
- It must maintain constant communication between staff and students;
- It must address curriculum and instruction needs as part of appropriate standards;
- It must include evidence of student learning;
- It must consider the whole child as well as the home learning environment.
For students who don’t have access to computers, some school districts are providing a computer, according to the publication. The Department of Public Instruction applauded those actions, however, suggested other options, like one-on-one instruction over the phone, Zoom classes, or assignments via email. Pen and paper assignments are also an option that could be graded.
The North Carolina State Board of Education voted that if seniors were passing their courses as of March 13 – the last day of in-school instruction — they would pass all their classes, but, that doesn’t mean they can stop doing their school work. They’ll graduate at the end of the year if they qualify. Students will not be forced to repeat their grade level due to the school closures, as social media posts spread on April 1.
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