New Grading Model Overview
| Site: | Calvary Preparatory Academy |
| Course: | New Curriculum Model Overview |
| Book: | New Grading Model Overview |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 12:27 PM |
Table of contents
- 1. New Grading Model Overview
- 2. What this means for you
- 3. The holistic grading model
- 4. Curriculum grade
- 5. Meeting attendance
- 6. Faith-based community values and daily discussion
- 7. Meeting content — learning verification
- 8. Three students, three very different stories
- 9. Assigned work completion and model review
- 10. The full picture — grading scale and multi-course view
1. New Grading Model Overview
Page 1 of 10 · Introduction
Why we changed the way we grade
Calvary Preparatory Academy has made some important changes to how students are graded. This page explains why — and why it matters for you.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
Colossians 3:23
Something important changed in the world
For a long time, schools measured student learning using quizzes, tests, worksheets, and written assignments. That worked well when the only way to complete an assignment was to actually do the work yourself.
But today, AI tools like ChatGPT are free and easy for anyone to use. A student can type a question into one of these tools and get back a finished essay, a completed worksheet, or even quiz answers — in seconds. The problem is that a teacher looking at that work often cannot tell whether the student wrote it or an AI did.
This means grades based only on submitted work can no longer be trusted to tell the full story of what a student actually knows.
"The real question is no longer whether the work got done. It is whether the student actually learned anything."
[AI]
AI can do the work
Essays, worksheets, and projects can be created by AI tools in seconds — and they often look just like real student work.
[%]
Grades stopped meaning much
A high score on a submitted assignment no longer proves a student understood the material — only that the assignment was turned in.
[?]
Catching cheaters isn't the answer
Trying to catch every student who uses AI puts teachers and students against each other — and misses the whole point of learning.
[+]
Character was never graded
The old system only measured academic scores. It never gave credit for faith, honesty, community involvement, or growth as a person.
CPA chose a better path
Instead of trying to catch students using AI — which is a battle no school can win — CPA asked a bigger question: what does it really mean to learn something? And how do we give students credit for the things that matter most?
The answer goes back to who CPA has always been. Our school has always believed that education is about shaping the whole person — not just filling in test answers. Our mission, our core values, and our statement of faith all describe students who are faithful, honest, thoughtful, and growing. Our grading system should match those beliefs.
The old way rewarded turning things in
Points were given for submitting work. Whether a student actually understood it — or did it themselves — was mostly assumed, not checked.
The new way rewards real learning
Points are now earned by showing up, being prepared, talking through what you learned with your teacher, participating in the community, and living out your values. Turning in an assignment is only a small part of the grade.
The old way made teachers into checkers
Teachers spent time grading stacks of assignments — never fully sure if the work was genuine — instead of spending that time actually teaching.
The new way makes teachers mentors
Teachers now spend their time in real conversations with students — asking questions, encouraging growth, and investing in the whole person. The weekly meeting is where real learning gets proven.
The old way ignored character
Faith, honesty, serving others, and growing as a person were encouraged — but they never showed up in your grade.
The new way honors the whole student
Your faith in action, your daily engagement, your meeting preparation, and your demonstrated learning all carry real weight in your grade now — because CPA has always believed that is what education is really about.
This is who CPA has always been
This is not a reaction to a trend. It is a return to our founding beliefs. CPA's core learning goals describe students who are faith-filled, self-directed, thoughtful, tech-savvy, strong communicators, and academically prepared — in that order. Our new grading model is built to recognize all six of those qualities, not just the last one.
2. What this means for you
Page 2 of 10 · Benefits
What this means for you
The new grading model was built with every person in the CPA community in mind — students, teachers, and parents. Here is what it means for each of you.
For students
Your grade will finally show all of who you are
Under the old system, a student who showed up every week, worked hard, asked great questions, and lived out their faith could still get a low grade if they did badly on tests. That was unfair — and it missed what CPA is really trying to build in you.
The new model fixes that. Your grade now reflects how you show up, how prepared you are, how you grow over time, and how you explain what you learned in your weekly meeting with your teacher. If you struggle on multiple-choice tests but can explain ideas clearly and defend your work in a real conversation, your grade will show that.
"You cannot fake a real conversation with your teacher. And you should never have to."
[OK]
Your honesty is protected
When you explain your learning live to your teacher, no one can question whether the work was yours. You proved it yourself.
[*]
Effort and character count
Showing up on time, being prepared, posting in the daily forum, and living out your values now earn real points in your grade.
[>]
You can bounce back
A bad week does not define you. You can bring older work to later meetings, show your growth, and earn back points through real effort.
[v]
You learn to speak for yourself
Talking through your learning with your teacher every week builds skills you will use in college, job interviews, and beyond.
[h]
Your faith life is recognized
Serving others, being honest, building friendships, and growing spiritually now carry real weight in your grade — not just a pat on the back.
[^]
You are in charge of your story
The weekly reflection and portfolio let you decide what to present and how to show your growth. You own your progress, not just your scores.
For teachers
Teaching the way it was always meant to be
Teaching was never supposed to be about collecting stacks of papers and running them through a grading system. It was supposed to be about relationships — a mentor and a student, thinking together and growing together.
For the past few years, many teachers found themselves spending more and more time wondering if the work students turned in was real. That is not why anyone became a teacher. And it is not what CPA students deserve.
The new model gives teachers back what made them want to teach in the first place — real conversations with real students, where professional judgment and personal mentorship are the most important tools in the room.
The old teacher role
xGrading submitted work of uncertain origin
xRunning AI detection tools on student papers
xReporting scores that may not reflect real learning
xFeeling powerless in a changing landscape
The new teacher role
+Meeting one-on-one with each student every week
+Asking questions that show what a student really knows
+Grading what they witness in real time
+Using professional judgment built into the model
Under the new model, a teacher's professional opinion is not just allowed — it is formally part of the grade. The Teacher Conviction component exists because no computer can replace the judgment of a trained educator who has met with a student every week all semester. CPA teachers are credentialed professionals and Christian mentors. The new model treats them as both.
[=]
Your judgment is part of the grade
Your professional read of whether a student truly learned the material now carries real weight — formally built into the rubric.
[>>]
Relationships drive results
The weekly meeting is now the main assessment event. What happens in that conversation is what you are measuring.
[o]
You see the whole student
The weekly reflection gives you a clear picture of where each student stands — academically, spiritually, and personally — before the meeting even starts.
[pr]
Faith mentorship is your job
Praying with students, encouraging their faith, and investing in their spiritual growth are now a recognized part of your professional role.
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
2 Timothy 2:2
For parents
A grade you can trust — and a student you can actually see growing
You chose CPA because you wanted something different — a school that cares about your whole child, that weaves faith into learning, and that keeps you in the loop. The new model makes good on that promise.
When your student earns a grade under this model, that grade reflects their attendance, their preparation, their verified understanding, their faith in action, and their growth over time — not just a score from a computer-graded test.
[doc]
Grades you can trust
An 85% in this model means your student showed up, was prepared, defended their learning, engaged with their faith, and impressed their teacher.
[cal]
You can sit in on the meeting
Parents are always welcome at the weekly teacher meeting — and now that meeting is the heart of the assessment.
[up]
Growth you can see over time
The weekly reflection and portfolio build a running picture of your student's progress — academically, spiritually, and personally — all semester long.
3. The holistic grading model
Page 3 of 10 · Model overview
The holistic grading model
Your grade is no longer based on one thing. It is built from six different categories that together give a complete picture of who you are as a student. Here is how it all fits together.
Two tiers that work together
The model is organized into two tiers. The first tier covers things that apply to every class you take. The second tier covers what happens inside each specific class. Together they make up 100% of your grade.
Tier 1 — Holistic (applies to all your classes equally)
Meeting attendance
Did you show up on time and fully prepared for your weekly teacher meeting?
Daily Discussion Forum participation
Did you post a genuine, thoughtful response in the daily devotional forum each school day?
Faith-based community values in practice
Did you put your values into action this week — serving others, building community, living with integrity?
Tier 2 — Class-specific (graded separately for each course)
Curriculum grade
Your scores in the digital textbook — quizzes, tests, activities — plus how consistently you engaged with the material and how much of your assigned work you completed.
Assigned work completion
Did you complete the assigned journals, worksheets, essays, projects, and other work for each section?
Meeting content — learning verification
The most important category. Can you explain, defend, and discuss what you actually learned in your weekly meeting? This is the proof that your learning is real.
What your overall grade looks like
| Category | Tier | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting content — learning verification | Class-specific | 30% |
| Curriculum grade | Class-specific | 40% |
| Assigned work completion | Class-specific | 10% |
| Meeting attendance | Holistic | 10% |
| Daily Discussion Forum | Holistic | 5% |
| Faith-based community values | Holistic | 5% |
| Total | 100% |
The big idea behind the model
Notice that the largest single category — 30% — is Learning Verification. That is the weekly meeting where you talk through what you learned with your teacher. An AI tool cannot sit in that meeting for you. Your teacher is looking for real understanding, real thinking, and real growth.
The Curriculum Grade (40%) still matters — it includes your digital textbook scores, how often you engaged with the material, and whether you completed your work. But even within that 40%, your textbook scores are only 80% of the category, and the other 20% comes from how regularly you worked and how much you completed.
The holistic tier (20% total) recognizes that you are more than your academic scores. Showing up, being prepared, participating in the community, and living out your values are all things a person of character does — and they deserve real credit.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
4. Curriculum grade
Page 4 of 10 · Category 1
Class-specific tier · 40% of overall grade
Curriculum grade
This category covers everything related to your digital textbook and assigned coursework. It has three parts that together make up your curriculum grade, which counts for 40% of your overall grade.
Part 1 — Digital textbook scores
80% of curriculum grade · 32% of overall grade
This is the grade shown in your digital textbook — the total of your quiz scores, test scores, and graded activities. It is taken directly from what the system displays. No adjustments are made to this number.
This is still an important part of your grade. But it is worth knowing that under the old model, this would have been your whole grade. Under the new model, it is 32% — significant, but not the whole story.
| Score range | What it means | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100% | Outstanding. You are mastering the material at a high level. | A |
| 80–89% | Good effort. You have a solid grasp of the material with some small gaps. | B |
| 70–79% | You are meeting the basic requirements. Some areas need more work. | C |
| 60–69% | Below average. More effort and practice are needed. | D |
| Below 60% | Failing. Significant gaps in understanding. Talk to your teacher right away. | F |
Part 2 — Regular engagement with the material
10% of curriculum grade · 4% of overall grade
This part measures how often you log in and work in your digital textbook throughout the week. The goal is for you to spread your work across at least 3 days each week — not cram everything into one day right before your meeting.
Your teacher checks this using login data. Three or more days per week earns full credit. Less than that earns partial credit depending on how many days you engaged.
| Days logged in per week | What it shows | Points (out of 10) |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 days | You are spreading your work out and building good study habits. | 10 / 10 |
| 2 days | You are getting there but still concentrating work in fewer sessions. | 7 / 10 |
| 1 day | All work done in one sitting. This does not reflect good study habits. | 3 / 10 |
| 0 days | No activity recorded in the digital textbook this week. | 0 / 10 |
Part 3 — Assigned lesson completion
10% of curriculum grade · 4% of overall grade
This part measures whether you completed all the lessons assigned for the week by the time of your teacher meeting. The score is proportional — meaning if you completed 80% of the lessons, you earn 8 out of 10 points.
| Lessons completed | Points (out of 10) |
|---|---|
| 100% | 10 / 10 |
| 90% | 9 / 10 |
| 80% | 8 / 10 |
| 70% | 7 / 10 |
| 60% | 6 / 10 |
| 50% | 5 / 10 |
| Below 50% | 0–4 / 10 |
How your curriculum grade is calculated
Curriculum grade = (Textbook score x 80%) + (Engagement score x 10%) + (Completion score x 10%)
That curriculum grade then counts as 40% of your overall course grade.
“Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.”
Proverbs 22:29
5. Meeting attendance
Page 5 of 10 · Category 2
Holistic tier · 10% of overall grade
Meeting attendance
Every week you meet one-on-one with your teacher. That meeting is one of the most important parts of your education at CPA. This category grades how well you show up for it.
Three things are graded in every meeting
Your meeting attendance score is made up of three parts that add up to 10 points per week. Your average across all 18 sections becomes your meeting attendance grade for the semester.
[Date]
Attendance — 4 points
Did you show up? This is worth 4 points and is the foundation of everything. Missing your meeting without using your one allowed reschedule means 0 points for the whole week.
[Clock]
Punctuality — 2 points
Were you on time? Joining within 2 minutes earns full credit. Your teacher uses their judgment for borderline cases.
[List]
Preparation — 4 points
Were you ready to present your work? This is the most important part of the meeting score. A fully prepared student has everything open and organized before the meeting starts.
Attendance scoring
| Status | Points (out of 4) |
|---|---|
| Present Attended scheduled meeting |
4 / 4 |
| Rescheduled — first time this semester One reschedule allowed per semester at no penalty |
4 / 4 |
| Rescheduled — second time or more Counts as a missed meeting; teacher may restore points after a makeup at their discretion |
0 / 4 |
| Absent with no contact Did not attend and did not notify teacher in advance |
0 / 4 |
Punctuality scoring
| Arrival time | Points (out of 2) |
|---|---|
| 0–2 minutes late On time; meeting begins without disruption |
2 / 2 |
| 2–5 minutes late Slightly late; teacher may note and remind student |
1.5 / 2 |
| 5–15 minutes late Significantly late; meaningful portion of meeting time is lost |
0.5 / 2 |
| 15+ minutes late No punctuality credit; preparation points may still be earned if meeting continues |
0 / 2 |
Preparation scoring
Being fully prepared means all of the following are true at the start of the meeting:
- All assigned work for the section is completed
- All courses are open to the assigned section in the digital textbook
- The end-of-section self-reflection is open in a separate tab for each course
- Assignments are organized and ready to walk your teacher through
- You can speak to what you learned and what you plan to present
| Level | Description | Points (out of 4) |
|---|---|---|
| Fully prepared | All of the above are true. You are ready to go the moment the meeting starts. | 4 / 4 |
| Mostly prepared | Almost everything is ready. One minor item is missing but you are clearly prepared overall. | 3 / 4 |
| Partially prepared | Some work is ready but meaningful pieces are missing. You need time during the meeting to get organized. | 2 / 4 |
| Minimally prepared | Very little is ready. The meeting is hard to run effectively because you have not brought what is needed. | 1 / 4 |
| Unprepared | Nothing is ready. No work is accessible or organized. The meeting cannot function as a learning verification. | 0 / 4 |
Key policies
[1x]
One reschedule per semester
You get one free reschedule per semester per course. After that, rescheduling is treated like a missed meeting.
[note]
End-of-section reflection
This is not graded on its own — but having it open and ready is part of your preparation score. Use it to plan what to present to your teacher.
[scale]
Teacher discretion
Your teacher has professional judgment to adjust scores in borderline situations. All decisions are documented in the gradebook.
6. Faith-based community values and daily discussion
Page 6 of 10 · Categories 4 and 5
Community values and daily discussion
Two categories that together account for 10% of your grade — and both reflect something important: that learning at CPA is not just about textbook scores. It is about who you are every day.
Holistic tier · 5% of overall grade
Faith-based community values in practice
Every week, as part of your weekly reflection, you identify one of ten faith-in-action standards and describe a specific way you put it into practice that week — in school, at home, or in your community.
This is not graded on how spiritual you sound. It is graded on whether you made a genuine effort to reflect and act. All students — including non-Christian students — can earn full credit by demonstrating real character and community values in action.
The ten faith-in-action standards
[1]
1. Scripture and obedience
Reading the Bible and letting it shape your real-life choices.
[2]
2. Prayer
Praying with purpose — for yourself and for others.
[3]
3. Compassionate service
Seeing a need around you and doing something about it.
[4]
4. Evangelism and witnessing
Sharing your faith naturally through your words and actions.
[5]
5. Integrity in academics
Doing your own work with honesty and diligence — as an act of worship.
[6]
6. Building community
Encouraging others, resolving conflict with humility, and unifying people.
[7]
7. Stewardship of time
Using your time, money, and talents in ways that honor God.
[8]
8. Critical biblical thinking
Thinking carefully before going along with culture. Testing ideas against Scripture.
[9]
9. Tech and outreach
Using digital skills to create, connect, and serve — not just for entertainment.
[10]
10. Holy living and discipleship
Pursuing spiritual growth and investing in others — now and in the future.
How it is scored each week
| Level | What it looks like | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Full credit | You submitted your weekly reflection, selected a standard, gave a specific and genuine description of how you practiced it, and identified one concrete growth step for next week. Qualifying venues include DDF engagement with classmates, prayer forum posts, club participation, service activities, acts of encouragement, or any real-world demonstration of your values. | 100% |
| Partial credit | You submitted a reflection but the description was vague, or you forgot to include a growth step. Something genuine was attempted but not fully complete. Teacher discretion applies. | 50% |
| No credit | Reflection was not submitted, or the faith-in-action section was left empty or clearly not genuine. Repeated hollow submissions will result in a parent notification. | 0% |
Holistic tier · 5% of overall grade
Daily Discussion Forum participation
Every school day, a devotional prompt or Scripture passage is posted in the Daily Discussion Forum (DDF). You are required to read it and post a genuine, thoughtful response before midnight that day. The forum locks at midnight and late posts are not accepted.
This is one of the ways CPA builds a real school community across students who may be in different states or even different countries. It is also how your daily attendance is recorded.
What makes a valid post
- Directly answers the question or prompt in the blue box
- Written in complete sentences with proper grammar for your grade level
- Shows genuine personal reflection — not just “I agree” or “Nice devotion”
- Kind and respectful, even if you disagree with the topic or another student
- Posted before midnight on the correct school day
How it is scored
| Days with valid posts | Weekly score |
|---|---|
| 5 out of 5 days | 100% |
| 4 out of 5 days | 80% |
| 3 out of 5 days | 60% |
| 2 out of 5 days | 40% |
| 1 out of 5 days | 20% |
| 0 out of 5 days | 0% |
[1st]
First low-quality post
Your teacher will correct you and encourage you to do better. No grade penalty on the first instance.
[!]
Repeated low-quality posts
If the pattern continues after correction, low-quality posts count as absent for scoring purposes.
[sun]
Summer school policy
In summer school, missing more than 2 DDF posts in a session results in a direct penalty to your overall course grade — separate from the holistic rubric.
7. Meeting content — learning verification
Page 7 of 10 · Category 6
Class-specific tier · 30% of overall grade · The most important category
Meeting content — learning verification
This is the heart of the new model. Once a week you sit down with your teacher and show what you actually learned. No AI tool can do this for you. No script can replace real understanding. This is where genuine learning proves itself.
"Think of it like a thesis defense — but at a middle school or high school level. Your teacher is asking: do you actually know this? Can you prove it?"
What this looks like in practice
Before your meeting, you choose a selection of completed work — assignments, notes, projects, or even your own independent research — and bring it to the meeting to walk your teacher through. Your teacher may ask you to explain concepts, solve problems in real time, translate a sentence, discuss a theme in a book, or defend an argument you made in a paper.
[H]
History
Explain why an event happened, what it led to, and how it connects to something happening in the world today.
[L]
Foreign language
Demonstrate oral fluency, translate an unpracticed sentence, or conjugate verbs in real time.
[E]
English
Discuss literary themes, talk about characters, critique your own writing, or explain your plan to improve it.
[M]
Mathematics
Explain the concept you studied, then solve a problem in front of your teacher on the spot.
[S]
Science
Walk through a lab or experiment, explain the results, and connect the concept to real-world applications.
[B]
Bible
Discuss what you studied, how it connects to your life, and what questions it raised for you.
Scored out of 20 points per section
Your learning verification is scored out of 20 points. That score maps directly to letter grades: 17/20 = 85% (B), 14/20 = 70% (C), and so on. Your average across all 18 sections becomes your learning verification grade for the semester.
| 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | Under 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% A+ | 95% A | 90% A- | 85% B | 80% B- | 70% C | 60% D | F range |
Component 1 — Depth of understanding · 10 points (50%)
Can you explain concepts accurately in your own words? Can you connect ideas? Can you go beyond simply repeating what the textbook said?
| Level | What the teacher sees | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Thorough command | Explains clearly in own words, connects ideas, goes beyond the minimum, makes real-world connections. | 9–10 |
| Solid understanding | Understands core concepts well with minor gaps. Can apply knowledge when prompted. | 7–8 |
| Surface understanding | Aware of the topic but explanations are shallow or rely heavily on reading directly from the work. | 4–6 |
| Minimal understanding | Struggles to explain even with prompting. Work was submitted but learning is not showing. | 1–3 |
| No understanding | Cannot explain the material at all. Teacher cannot verify any learning took place. | 0 |
Component 2 — Responsiveness to questions · 4 points (20%)
How well do you handle questions you did not prepare for? Can you think on your feet?
| Level | What the teacher sees | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Highly responsive | Handles unexpected questions confidently. Genuine reasoning, not just memorized answers. | 4 |
| Adequately responsive | Answers most questions with some prompting. Occasional hesitation but recovers well. | 3 |
| Partially responsive | Handles prepared questions but struggles with anything unexpected or follow-up questions. | 2 |
| Minimally responsive | Cannot engage meaningfully beyond prepared material. | 1 |
| Non-responsive | Unable or unwilling to engage with any teacher questioning. | 0 |
Component 3 — Growth awareness and ownership · 4 points (20%)
Do you know where you stand? Can you identify your gaps and describe what you will do about them?
| Level | What the teacher sees | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Strong ownership | Accurately identifies strengths and gaps. References prior sections to show growth. Has a specific improvement plan. | 4 |
| Developing ownership | Shows some self-awareness. Can identify one or two areas to improve when prompted. Plan is general. | 3 |
| Limited ownership | Little awareness of gaps. Blames external factors. No meaningful improvement plan. | 2 |
| Minimal ownership | No awareness of where they stand. Cannot identify anything to improve. | 1 |
| No ownership | Completely passive. No self-reflection offered. | 0 |
Component 4 — Teacher conviction · 2 points (10%)
After the meeting, does the teacher believe the student genuinely learned the material? This is the AI-integrity check built into every single meeting.
| Level | What the teacher sees | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Fully convinced | The student's meeting performance matches their textbook scores. The overall picture is coherent. The teacher has no reason to question genuine learning. | 2 |
| Partially convinced | Some consistency between scores and performance, but with notable gaps. Mild questions about independent learning. | 1 |
| Discontinuity flag | Significant gap between textbook scores and meeting performance. Student cannot explain work they supposedly completed. Teacher documents the concern and follows up through normal channels. | 0 |
The portfolio approach
You are not limited to presenting only the current week's work. You can bring a portfolio of work from any section — including older sections — to demonstrate your learning and show growth over time. Students who are behind can still earn meeting content points by defending whatever work they have completed.
8. Three students, three very different stories
Page 8 of 10 · Student examples
Three students — three very different stories
The holistic model rewards real learning, genuine effort, and strong character — and it catches students who let AI do their work for them. Here are three real-number examples that show exactly how the model works.
9. Assigned work completion and model review
Page 9 of 10 · Category 7 and model review
Class-specific tier · 10% of overall grade
Assigned work completion
This category measures one simple thing: did you complete and turn in the work that was assigned to you for each section? It is worth 10% of your grade — and that is intentional.
"Completing an assignment matters. But proving you understood it matters a whole lot more."
Under the old model, the quality of your submitted work was one of the biggest factors in your grade. Under the new model, completing the work still matters — but the grade for doing so is based entirely on whether you turned it in, not on whether it is well-written or correct. Quality and genuine understanding are measured separately, in your weekly meeting.
This design is intentional. If a student turns in AI-generated work, they earn completion points — but they earn very few learning verification points because they cannot explain it. A student who does their own imperfect work and can talk about it intelligently will almost always outperform a student who submitted polished AI output.
Assignment types that count
[J]
Journals
Reflective writing assignments completed throughout the section.
[W]
Worksheets
Practice problems, review sheets, and structured activities.
[E]
Essays and papers
Longer written assignments that demonstrate subject knowledge.
[P]
Projects
Multi-step assignments that may include research, creation, or presentation.
[O]
Oral reports
Spoken presentations or prepared verbal summaries.
[+]
Other assignments
Any additional work assigned by your teacher for the section.
How it is scored
The score is proportional. If you completed 80% of the assigned work for a section, you earn 80% of the points for that section. Point values vary by assignment type and are set by your teacher.
| Completion status | Score |
|---|---|
| All assigned work submitted by appointment time Ready for teacher to review at the start of the meeting |
100% |
| Partially complete Score = points submitted divided by points possible. Example: 3 of 4 assignments = 75% |
Proportional |
| Nothing submitted No work available for the teacher to review or verify |
0% |
[clock]
Due at appointment time
All work is due at the start of your weekly meeting — whether or not the meeting is rescheduled or missed. Late work policies apply.
[check]
Self-reported first
You report your own completion percentage in your weekly reflection before the meeting. Your teacher checks this against the gradebook.
[!]
Completion is not quality
This category only measures whether work was submitted. Whether you actually understood it is measured in the Learning Verification category (30%).
Model review — how all the pieces connect
Here is a quick summary of all six categories and how they fit together into one complete picture of a student.
| Category | Tier | Weight | What it really measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning verification | Class | 30% | Can you explain and defend what you actually learned? |
| Curriculum grade | Class | 40% | How are your textbook scores, engagement, and lesson completion? |
| Assigned work | Class | 10% | Did you complete and submit your assigned work? |
| Meeting attendance | Holistic | 10% | Did you show up on time and fully prepared? |
| Daily Discussion Forum | Holistic | 5% | Did you engage with the daily devotional every school day? |
| Community values | Holistic | 5% | Did you put your faith and values into action this week? |
| Total | 100% | A complete picture of the whole student | |
10. The full picture — grading scale and multi-course view
Page 10 of 10 · Grade summary
The full picture — grading scale and multi-course view
This final page shows the complete grading scale, how grades work across multiple courses, and a summary of everything you need to know to succeed under the new model.
The grading scale
CPA uses a standard letter grade scale. The holistic model does not change what the grades mean — it changes how they are earned. Here is the full scale:
| Percentage | Letter grade | What it means at CPA |
|---|---|---|
| 99–100% | A+ | Exceptional in every category |
| 91–98% | A | Outstanding achievement across all areas |
| 90% | A- | Just above excellent |
| 89% | B+ | Strong performance |
| 81–88% | B | Good effort and demonstrated learning |
| 80% | B- | Solid, above average |
| 79% | C+ | Above minimum requirements |
| 71–78% | C | Met the basic requirements |
| 70% | C- | Barely meeting requirements |
| 69% | D+ | Below average |
| 61–68% | D | Significantly below expectations |
| 60% | D- | Barely above failing |
| 0–59% | F | Failing; significant intervention needed |
How grades work across multiple courses
If you are enrolled in more than one course, here is how the two tiers apply:
- The holistic tier (meeting attendance, DDF, community values — 20% combined) uses the same score for every course you are taking. If you earn 90% on meeting attendance, that 90% applies to all your courses equally.
- The class-specific tier (curriculum, assigned work, learning verification — 80% combined) is graded separately for each course. Your World History grade and your English grade are calculated independently.
Sample: student enrolled in 3 courses
Algebra II
83% — B
Curriculum (40%)78%
Learning verif. (30%)88%
Assigned work (10%)90%
Meeting attend. (10%)85% *
DDF (5%)80% *
Community val. (5%)100% *
English 10
81% — B-
Curriculum (40%)74%
Learning verif. (30%)87%
Assigned work (10%)85%
Meeting attend. (10%)85% *
DDF (5%)80% *
Community val. (5%)100% *
World History
87% — B+
Curriculum (40%)85%
Learning verif. (30%)91%
Assigned work (10%)95%
Meeting attend. (10%)85% *
DDF (5%)80% *
Community val. (5%)100% *
* Holistic tier scores (shown in green) are identical across all three courses because they measure the whole student, not subject-specific performance.
What you need to remember
[Target]
Show up — really show up
Attending your meeting on time and fully prepared is worth 10% of your grade. It also makes everything else possible.
[Book]
Learn it, don't just submit it
Submitted work counts for 10%. Defending that you actually learned it counts for 30%. The meeting is where grades are really made.
[Check]
Stay consistent every day
Daily Discussion Forum, regular digital textbook engagement, and weekly faith reflections all add up over the semester.
[Up]
You can always grow
The portfolio model means a strong second half of the semester can significantly improve your grade. Keep going.
[OK]
Be honest — in all things
Integrity in academics is one of the ten faith-in-action standards for a reason. Your teacher can tell the difference.
[Hand]
Ask for help early
If you are stuck, contact your teacher within 24 hours. Do not wait until your meeting. That is when it is already too late.
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16