Thousands of students are returning to school in the Chicago area for the first day of the 2024-25 school year, but this year will bring some changes.
Illinois' second-largest school district, District U-46, began its first day back on Tuesday.
The district has over 35,000 students and covers parts of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties, with schools in communities like Elgin, Bartlett, Hanover Park and South Elgin.
The district said this year's emphasis centers on "consistent, timely attendance for students and the role it plays in academic growth, success, and achievement."
But it also noted there would be a grading change for students.
"In an effort to be responsive to feedback from students, teachers, parents, and our post-secondary partners, we have an updated grading and assessment system starting with the 2024-2025 school year," U-46 announced on its website.
As part of the change, grades will now be "a combination of a student’s demonstration of mastery through summative, formative, and intentional practice work."
That means final grades will be calculate using the following weights, according to the district:
- 70% - Summative Assessment Scores: Mid / End of the unit measure of student proficiency. Students have 1 reassessment attempt for each summative assessment in a unit and the reassessment attempt must be completed before the end of the next unit. There may be relearning requirements that must be completed before the reassessment attempt.
- 20% - Formative Assessment Scores: Work that prepares students either in content or in form for the summative assessment. This work must include feedback for students on their results. Formative assessment can be reassessed within the unit but not after the unit summative. Late work will be accepted up until the end of the unit with no penalty.
- 10% - Intentional Practice Scores: Classwork that supports students in learning the content. Teacher feedback on student progress is required for this work. Intentional practice work is not reassessed and late work is accepted up until the end of the unit with no penalty. At the end of the unit (when the end of unit summative is submitted), any unsubmitted work will receive a score of zero.
Students were greeted on several campuses Tuesday with an exciting display.
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At Larkin High School, for example, cheerleaders and a drum line welcomed many at the front doors to the building.
