The Wolfpack Way 1

Raleigh Middle School

Eighth Grade Social Studies Syllabus
Ms. Kelsey Hoover
Overall Grading Scale
According to the Wake County Grading System, each student will be assigned a letter grade on
his/her report card that corresponds to the numerical value earned in each class. The
corresponding values are listed below:
A
B
C
D
F
FF

93-100
85-92
77-84
70-76
Less than 70
Failed for violation
of attendance
policy.

Classroom Grading Policies

In Ms. Hoovers classroom, each students overall grade will be calculated from the scores of
tests, projects, and quizzes. Listed below are the designated amounts assigned to each
assignment. Applying a particular weight to a category of assignments simply means that some
work done in the classroom will account for a larger portion of the overall grade. In order to
compensate for the difficulty and/or importance of an assignment, the grade will be calculated
with a larger percentage thus reflecting the significance of each category.
Tests
Projects
Quizzes

40%
35%
25%

Tests:
Assignments that fall under the Tests category will include mastery checks once each section
of the unit is completed. The students will only be tested on material that has been reviewed,
explained, and taught throughout the year in Ms. Hoovers classroom.

The Wolfpack Way 2

Projects:
Assignments that fall under the Projects category will include activities that are interactive and
engaging such as creative representations, collaborative work, and technological tasks
concerning the understanding of social studies.
Quizzes:
Assignments that fall under the Quizzes category will include written essays and papers.
Although the course is centered on social studies material, writing is a critical subject that should
be included in each subject. Each written assignment will vary in length and focus however will
be used to practice writing while exercising the material covered in Ms. Hoovers classroom.

Homework/Participation
Although homework and participation does not factor into the overall grade, each student will be
responsible and required to complete each assignment and contribute to each class session.
Homework/Participation is not calculated into the final grade because the student should only be
graded based upon what he/she has leaned. However, to hold each student accountable, each
eighth grade educator at Raleigh Middle School has adopted a demerit system for students who
do not meet completion deadlines. Each assignment given is meaningful in some capacity
whether it is practice based, processing, or a means in which to assess knowledge. As a result,
the work assigned should be taken seriously, given noticeable effort, and completed on time.
Instead of receiving a letter or numerical grade for homework/participation, the student will
receive a check for completion. Each teacher will record demerits daily, so for instance, if a
student has homework in three classes one night and does not complete the assignments for all
three classes, he/she would receive three demerits in one day. Listed below are the consequences
that will be used to insure that all homework/participation is being completed.
Demerits
5
10
15
20

Consequence
Lunch detention and parent notification
Administrative lunch detention with
reflection form and parent notification
Parent conference with teachers, student, and
guidance counselor and lunch detention
Administrative referral

The Wolfpack Way 3

Late Work
Despite the fact that the demerit system consequences will be implemented in each eighth grade
educators classroom, each missing homework assignment will still require completion. Every
assignment given is significant and purposeful, therefore needs to be completed in order to
practice and master the concepts being presented during instruction. To insure that each student
is held accountable, all assigned homework will need to be finished before the final unit test can
be attempted. If a student fails to complete all assigned homework before the designated test
day, he/she will not be able to participate in any classroom activities, school functions, or
continue onto the next unit of study until the work and an alternative version of the test is
completed. Once each assignment is completed, the student must organize and plan a time to
retake the missed assessment, whether this time is during his/her lunch or in the morning before
school starts. The student will be given three days to complete the assignments and attempt the
test. During those three days, the parents will be contacted and notified. The alternative
assessment will not suffer due to the penalty of late performance because the student will be
graded based upon what he/she knows, not how he/she behaves. If the student does not complete
the assignments, administrative enforcement will be the final resort.

Extra Credit
In Ms. Hoovers classroom, an opportunity to gain extra credit points will not be given however
each student will have the option of completing test corrections. In order to receive half of the
lost credit for a particular question, the student will need to have found the correct answer and
provide a written explanation that describes why his/her first answer choice was wrong, as well
as include a brief background/history of the correct answer. The student will only be allowed to
use his/her textbook as a resource. Test corrections can only be completed up to one week after
receiving the final grade. Students will also be required to organize and plan a time to complete
any test corrections desired.