Grading

Your grade is based on three factors:

  • Mastery of basic computer science skills and concepts
  • Ability to apply those skill and concepts to new problems
  • Engagement in the course

Course Evaluation Criteria: Total Points with Weight

Students will be evaluated using a variety of assignments and assessments. Throughout the year, graded work will be classified as “Formative” and “Summative”. Because of the weight system, individual scores can have a significant impact early in the grading period. As more scores are added, the grade will balance out.

Summative assessments count for 75% of the base grade.

Formative assignments count for 25% of the base grade. Generally speaking, work in this category reflects a student’s learning process. This category is about the process and how a student “does school.”

Each course will consist of four (4) to eight (8) units of study. The basic skills you will learn in each unit are given in a list of Learning Targets. You can find the list of Learning Targets on the TowerNet topic page for that unit. Each unit will consist of one test (100pt summative), one quiz (50pt summative), one engagement score (10pt formative), and some number of other formative assesments ranging from 5-30 points.

Individual grades never get rounded up, but your final grade for the course may be rounded up - but never to a 100%.

Engagement

You are expected to engage fully in your classroom and learning experience. Not only does this affect your grade, but you may not be recommended for future courses if you do not engage in your classroom and learning experience in your current course.

Whenever points are deducted from your engagement grade, we will have a brief discussion so that you know how to improve.

Tokens

Tokens are a “currency” in the course that you can use to purchase exceptions to the course guidelines, especially the rules for late and mastery work. Each student begins the course with TWO (2) tokens, and tokens can purchase any of the following:

  • FOUR (4) token will allow you to do mastery work even if you do not arrange that work on time
  • TWO (2) tokens will bump your engagement score for one of the units by 10%

Any student who reports an error on the class website that leads to a change on the site will earn between 0.25 and 1 token.

Opportunities to earn more tokens may be made available during the semester.

Final Exam

Advanced courses include a semester-level assessment (final exam or project - teacher’s decision). Your final grade in any of these courses will be calculated as follows - base grade (assessments during the semester): 80%, exam or project: 20%.

The intro course does not include a semester-level assessment. Your final grade in this course will be equal to your base grade.