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Grading Scale
Four-Point Grading Scale
Oak Harbor High School transitionied to a new grading system in the 2024-2025 school year that more accurately represents your child's understanding and progress.
Our new four-point scale is designed to provide a clearer and more meaningful reflection of what students know and can do. This change is intended to help students better understand their strengths and areas for growth, ultimately supporting their success.
By moving away from the traditional 100-point scale, we are simplifying grades to focus on true comprehension and mastery of the material. Although the grading scale is changing, letter grades (A, B, C, etc.) will still be used, ensuring consistency while offering a more accurate picture of your child's academic achievements.
The Role of Grades
Student grades are one source of information for families about their child's learning. Like all evaluation tools, they should be considered within the broader scope of a child's overall progress. In that framework, grades can be:
- A tool to evaluate student schoolwork.
- A means of communicating about a student’s performance and potential for further success.
- A source of motivation to students for continued learning and improvement.
- A means of organizing a lesson, a unit, or a semester in that grades mark transitions in a course and bring closure to it.
- A feedback mechanism to provide students with feedback on their own learning, clarifying for them what they understand, what they don’t understand, and where they can improve.
- Feedback to teachers on their students’ learning with information that can inform future teaching decisions
Grading Timelines
Families can expect student grades to be issued at the end of every trimester. Today, instead of waiting for mid-term reports or student-teacher conferences, parents can keep tabs on their children's progress and their problems by checking online.
Family Access / Skyward
Family Access, a real-time online system allowing parents to keep up with their children's work at school, is available in full at the high school, North Whidbey Middle School, and Oak Harbor Intermediate School.
This system is available to parents no matter if they are at home, on the road, or deployed halfway around the world. Family Access is secure, requiring parents to log in and provide a designated access code. There is one log-in name and access code for each member of the family, allowing parents access to all of their children in grades 6-12.
The system allows parents to:
- check absences and tardiness;
- see each student's schedule;
- learn how each class will be graded;
- check on assignments turned in, including scores and grades;
- access homework assignments and due dates;
- learn what assignments are missing.
In addition, parents can see the contact numbers and emergency numbers on file for their children. Contact your school if you need to update the information that is in Skyward or have login issues.
Questions & Answers
Oak Harbor High School will continue to use information gathered from the form below to update the Frequently Asked Questions section of this webpage.
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With the shift to a four-point grading scale in 2024-2025, we replaced our current 100-point scale. This will simplify grades and makes assessing student performance more straightforward and descriptive for students, teachers and families.
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Research shows that traditional grading practices (the 100-point scale) can be inaccurate, biased, and demotivating for some students. The new grading practice will shift from earning points to learning & mastering content, which strengthens the relationship between teachers, families and students. The new four-point grading scale better describes the student’s mastery of content and clearly communicates when a student is not participating with their learning.
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No, colleges will still receive OHHS student transcripts with letter grades as well as the GPA. It is widely understood that this is an approach that removes bias and supports rigorous learning standards.
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No. As shown on the new four-point grading scale, students will earn a 0 or 1 if they have not provided enough evidence of understanding the course content, which may include not turning in work, absences or lack of engagement in class.
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Yes, it currently aligns with School Board Policy 2420P.
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No, but it is a step in the direction on aligning grading practices to state standards across all of Oak Harbor Public Schools, as described in the newly adopted Strategic Plan.