Kolbe Academy recommends the use of a gradebook to help parents with record keeping. Teachers’ planners and gradebooks are available at most office/teacher supply stores, or you can create your own in Microsoft Excel or a similar program. The following model could be a good starting point: 

 

 

	Subject	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Tests	Total %
	Week 1

 

 

To use this template (or when using a gradebook), fill in the daily grades for homework, other exercises, and tests for each week. Two of the most common methods are: 

 

1. Weighting Tests and Daily Grades Evenly 

 

• Calculate a number grade for each assignment, test, etc. in each subject. 

• For each subject, add all the grades for the week together and divide by the total number of assignments (see Example 1 in the charts below). 

 

2. Weighting Tests and Daily Grades Proportionately 

 

• Calculate a number grade for each assignment, test, etc. in each subject. 

• For each subject, add all the grades for the daily assignments for the week together. 

• For tests or special projects, add the grade in twice.

• Divide by the total number of assignments (see Example 2 in the charts below).

• This method can be used in reverse to weight daily work more heavily, if you so choose. 
   

	Subject	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Tests	Total %
Example 1	Religion	95	85	92	87	86	90	535 ÷ 6 = 89% Grades weighted evenly
Example 2	Math	86	91	96	89	90	92(2)	636 ÷ 7 = 91% Grades weighted proportionately

 

 

You can continue down or across the page for each week. At the end of the grading period, total up each week’s average and divide by the number of weeks. You can add in the tests by either method above and then divide accordingly and convert the percentage to a letter grade for the Grade Submission Form, as follows: 

 

 

	WEEK 1
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Exam
	Subject										Total % and Grade
Example 1	Religion	89	85	92	87	86	80	90	91	90	790 ÷ 9 = 88% = B Exam weighted same as weekly grades.
Example 2	Math	91	91	96	89	90	85	97	88	98(2)	923 ÷ 10 = 92% = A-  Exam weighted proportionately to the weekly grades.

 

 

Parents may weight grades in any manner they choose. This is a matter of personal preference and may vary depending on the subject. No one way is “the right way” and different methods may be used for the same student for different subjects. Parents are often concerned that their grades may not be “accurate.” It is important to remember that grades are somewhat subjective and vary from school to school and even from teacher to teacher. Grades should be both a scale that parents can use to measure student performance and a motivational tool that provides clear, consistent standards for students. 

 

Here are a few examples of possible weighting:

EXAMPLE 1:
Homework & Quizzes - 30%           

Papers & Projects - 30%           

Unit Tests - 25%            

Final Exams - 15%    

 

EXAMPLE 2:

Homework - 15%
Discussions - 20%
Quizzes - 25%
Exams - 40%
 

EXAMPLE 3:
Homework - 30%

Discussions - 5%
Papers - 25%
Quizzes - 10%

Tests - 20%
Final Exam - 10%