Grading System

A.       MJBHA Upper School grading system operates on a quarterly basis. Report cards are issued at the conclusion of each quarter. Grades for these report cards are based upon various criteria including but not limited to exams, papers, projects, quizzes, and class participation. Teachers have the discretion to factor in the student’s homework, general classroom deportment as well as overall effort in determining a student’s grade.

B.       The report card and the transcript report letter grades for each course. Many teachers do use numerical values on graded exercises, and as such a conversion scale becomes necessary. The following are the letter equivalents for numerical grades:

C.       Semester grades are calculated using the following approximate weights:

Quarter 1 – 40%         Quarter 2 – 40%         Midterm Exam – 20%

The pattern repeats for the second half of the year, using the same approximate weights:

Quarter 3 – 40%         Quarter 4 – 40%         Final Exam – 20%

MJBHA Upper School apportions credits based on half-year units, even for courses that meet over the length of the year, and as such there is no single end-of-year grade. In the event that contingencies prevent midterms or final exams from taking place, the administration will work in conjunction with the staff to reapportion the 20% weight that would have been applied to the midterm/final to other assessments, or to the quarter grades themselves.

D.       Report cards are not the only opportunity to review students’ progress; there are two parent-teacher conferences scheduled on the school calendar, and parents may regularly e-mail faculty throughout the school year. Beyond the use of the e-mail and voice mail systems to reach teachers, parents may request a conference with members of the staff. Consistent with the MJBHA emphasis on the partnership between school and home, faculty members will make timely and reasonable effort to notify parents of any apparent problem or of any significant change in a student’s performance. Teachers will also seek to catch students at their best and inform parents of outstanding effort and high-caliber results.  

E.        Certain classes offered by the MJBHA Upper School are designated as Honors. Faculty and department chairs make recommendations to place students in these advanced classes, and students are invited to discuss with their instructors and department chairs if such placement is appropriate. The administration, department chairs, and staff together share the responsibility for determining class assignments, with the administration and guidance team responsible for reviewing and deciding upon placement changes. Placement in Honors and AP sections are decided based upon criteria that include the specific recommendation of the previous year’s instructor, a student’s demonstrated ability to think abstractly, work independently both in class and at home, participate thoughtfully in classroom discussions, manage a heavier workload and perform consistently well on assessments.

F.        Colleges today look at both the weighted and unweighted GPA (Grade Point Average) reported by the school. The MJBHA Upper School does report a weighted GPA to colleges. Honors level course grades will be granted a .25 quality point per semester, and if the course is an AP class, the grade will be granted a .50 quality point per semester. These quality points will be apportioned to all grades earned in these courses.

G.       Students who earn a failing grade or who have an overall average of C or lower may become ineligible to participate in sports and extra-curricular activities.