HB1603: Schools, middle and secondary; requires local school boards to establish uniform grading policy.

HOUSE BILL NO. 1603
Offered January 14, 2009
Prefiled October 27, 2008
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 1 of Title 22.1 a section numbered 22.1-7.1, relating to the establishment of a uniform grading policy by all local school boards in the Commonwealth.
Patron-- Poisson

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 1 of Title 22.1 a section numbered 22.1-7.1 as follows:

§ 22.1-7.1. Middle and secondary school uniform grading system.

Beginning with the entering sixth grade and ninth grade classes of the 2009-2010 school year, local school boards shall establish policies that interpret end-of-course grades used for students in public schools in grades 6-12 as follows:

1. Grade "A" equals 90 percent through 100 percent, has a grade point average value of four, and is defined as "outstanding progress";

2. Grade "B" equals 80 percent through 89 percent, has a grade point average value of three, and is defined as "above average progress";

3. Grade "C" equals 70 percent through 79 percent, has a grade point average value of two, and is defined as "average progress";

4. Grade "D" equals 60 percent through 69 percent, has a grade point average value of one, and is defined as "lowest acceptable progress";

5. Grade "F" equals zero percent through 59 percent, has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as "failure"; and

6. Grade "I" is defined as incomplete.

Local school boards may in their discretion assign to each of the foregoing grade point average values an additional weight of .50 for each honors course a student completes and an additional 1.0 for each completed advance placement or International Baccalaureate course.