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Summary View of Grading Model

Site: Calvary Preparatory Academy
Course: New Curriculum Model Overview
Book: Summary View of Grading Model
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Friday, July 17, 2026, 4:44 PM

Table of contents

1. Introduction and Overview

Calvary Preparatory Academy — Holistic Grading Model — Summary Guide

CPA Holistic Grading Model

A complete summary of how student grades are calculated, what each category means, and how the model reflects CPA’s founding values.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

Colossians 3:23

Why CPA changed its grading model

CPA designed the holistic grading model to address a fundamental problem: AI tools now allow students to submit polished work without doing any genuine learning. Rather than playing an endless game of trying to catch cheaters, CPA shifted the question from did the work get submitted to can the student actually defend what they learned in their scheduled teacher meeting.

The model is also a return to CPA’s founding beliefs. The ESLRs describe students who are faith-filled, self-directed, thoughtful, tech-savvy, strong communicators, and academically prepared. The new grading model recognizes all six qualities, not just the last one.

The two-tier structure

Every student’s overall grade is built from two tiers. The holistic tier applies equally to every course a student is enrolled in. The class-specific tier is calculated separately for each course.

Tier 1 — Holistic (same score applies to all enrolled courses)

Meeting Attendance

Attendance, punctuality, and preparation for each scheduled teacher meeting.

10%

Regular Engagement

Consistent daily presence via the Daily Discussion Forum (primary measure) and digital textbook activity. In summer school, DDF is 100% required.

5%

Faith-based Community Values in Action (Faith-in-Action)

Weekly reflection demonstrating faith-based community values in practice. This is the applied expression of CPA’s ESLRs. All students eligible.

5%
Tier 2 — Class-specific (calculated independently per course)

Curriculum Grade

The grade displayed in the digital textbook (Edmentum/Apex curriculum). The largest single category. Missing or late work entered as zeros directly, which naturally lowers this grade.

40%

Assigned Work Completion

Simple 0–10 score per section: Complete=10, Mostly Complete=7–9, Mostly Incomplete=4–6, Missing=0–3.

10%

Meeting Content — Learning Verification

Live defense of learning in the scheduled teacher meeting. Scored across 4 components out of 20. The most AI-proof category in the model.

30%

Grade weights at a glance

Curriculum
40%
Learning Verif.
30%
Mtg Attend.
10%
Assigned Work
10%
Engage -ment
5%
Values
5%
Category Tier Weight
Curriculum Grade Class 40%
Meeting Content — Learning Verification Class 30%
Assigned Work Completion Class 10%
Meeting Attendance Holistic 10%
Regular Engagement Holistic 5%
Faith-Based Community Values in Action (Faith-in-Action) Holistic 5%
Total   100%

The grading scale

Percentage Letter Meaning
99–100% A+ Exceptional in every category
91–98% A Outstanding achievement
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 basic requirements
70% C− Barely meeting requirements
61–69% D Below average
0–59% F Failing

2. CPA Holistic Grading Model — The Six Categories

Calvary Preparatory Academy — Holistic Grading Model — The Six Categories in Detail

Category 1 — Class-Specific Tier40% of overall grade

Curriculum Grade

The grade displayed in the digital textbook (Edmentum/Apex curriculum). This is the largest single category. No sub-components — the teacher enters one number. Missing or late work is enforced by entering zeros directly in the digital textbook, which naturally lowers this grade.

Key point: The curriculum grade is significant at 40%, but it is no longer the whole story. A student with a high curriculum grade who cannot explain the material in their scheduled teacher meeting will have that reflected in the Learning Verification score. The two categories are designed to be read together.

Category 2 — Class-Specific Tier10% of overall grade

Assigned Work Completion

A single score of 0–10 per section based on completion status only. Quality is verified in the scheduled teacher meeting through the Learning Verification category, not here.

Score Status Description
10 Complete All assigned work submitted and ready to present at meeting time
7–9 Mostly complete Most work submitted; one or two items outstanding
4–6 Mostly incomplete Meaningful portion of work not submitted
0–3 Missing Little to no work submitted by appointment time
Category 3 — Class-Specific Tier30% of overall grade

Meeting Content — Learning Verification

The most important category in Tier 2 and the one that cannot be faked. Scored across four components totaling 20 points per section during the scheduled teacher meeting. The teacher averages scored sections across the semester.

Component Max pts Weight What the teacher asks
Depth of Understanding 10 50% Can you explain this in your own words and connect it to something real?
Responsiveness to Questioning 4 20% Can you think on your feet when I ask something you did not prepare for?
Growth & Ownership 4 20% Do you know where you stand and what you need to improve?
Teacher Conviction 2 10% Does your meeting performance match your digital textbook scores?
Total 20 100%  

Discontinuity flag: If a student scores well in the digital textbook but cannot explain the material in their scheduled meeting, the teacher documents a discontinuity flag and follows up through normal administrative channels. Teacher Conviction score = 0.

Category 4 — Holistic Tier — applies to all courses10% of overall grade

Meeting Attendance

Scored per section across the semester. The same score applies to every course the student is enrolled in. Three components total 10 points per section.

Component Max pts Key thresholds
Attendance 4 Present=4 • First reschedule this semester=4 • Second+ reschedule=0 • Absent=0
Punctuality 2 0–2 min late=2 • 2–5 min=1.5 • 5–15 min=0.5 • 15+ min=0 (teacher discretion)
Preparation 4 Fully prepared=4 • Mostly=3 • Partially=2 • Minimally=1 • Unprepared=0
Total 10 One free reschedule per semester; teacher discretion on makeup points

Preparation means: All work completed, all courses open to the assigned section in the digital textbook, end-of-section reflection open in a separate tab, assignments organized and ready to present.

Category 5 — Holistic Tier — applies to all courses5% of overall grade

Regular Engagement

Scored 0–5 per section. Measures consistent distributed presence throughout the week. The Daily Discussion Forum (DDF) is the primary measure, especially in summer school.

Score Full-time students (regular semester) Summer school students
5/5 Strong DDF participation and consistent digital textbook logins across multiple days. DDF required daily — missing posts may reduce this score at teacher discretion even with strong textbook activity. DDF is 100% required and the primary measure. Strong daily posts = 5/5. Teacher may reduce score if textbook engagement is weak despite good DDF.
3–4/5 Moderate engagement. Present most days but not fully consistent in one or both venues. Moderate DDF participation. Some days missed.
1–2/5 Minimal engagement. Work concentrated in one or two sessions. Sparse DDF. Little evidence of daily presence.
0/5 No digital textbook or DDF activity recorded for the week. No DDF posts for the week.

Summer school policy — separate from the rubric: After 2 DDF absences, a direct grade deduction applies per school policy: 1-course: −3% per additional absence • 2-course: −2% per course • 3-course: −1% per course. This administrative deduction is separate from and does not overlap with the rubric score.

Category 6 — Holistic Tier — applies to all courses5% of overall grade

Faith-Based Community Values in Practice (faith-in-action)

Each week students identify one of ten standards from CPA’s ESLRs and describe how they put it into practice — this is the applied expression of faith-based community values in action. The reflection is submitted as part of the pre-meeting self-assessment. All students, including non-Christian students, are eligible for full credit through genuine character and community values in action.

Credit level What it looks like
Full credit Specific genuine description of faith-in-action + one concrete growth step for the following week. Qualifying venues: DDF engagement, prayer forum, club participation, service activities, acts of encouragement.
Partial (50%) Reflection submitted but vague or incomplete. Teacher discretion applies.
No credit Not submitted or clearly hollow. Repeated hollow submissions trigger a parent notification.

The ten ESLRs standards: Scripture & obedience • Prayer • Compassionate service • Evangelism • Integrity in academics • Building community • Stewardship of time • Critical biblical thinking • Tech & outreach • Holy living & discipleship

3. Summer Policy & Grade Examples

Calvary Preparatory Academy — Holistic Grading Model — Summer Policy & Grade Examples

Summer school — key differences

Summer school students are always full-time. The DDF is 100% required every school day. The pacing is approximately 5 sections per week rather than 1. Scheduled teacher meetings are less frequent but still required. The holistic model applies exactly as in a regular semester with one additional policy governing DDF absences.

Summer school DDF attendance policy — school policy, separate from the grading rubric

All summer school students are required to post in the DDF every school day. The first two DDF absences are handled through the Regular Engagement rubric only — no separate deduction. Beginning with the 3rd absence, the following direct grade deductions are applied administratively to the overall course grade:

Absence 1-course student 2-course student 3-course student
1st & 2nd Rubric only — no direct deduction Rubric only Rubric only
3rd −3% off grade −2% per course −1% per course
4th −6% cumulative −4% cumulative −2% cumulative
5th −9% cumulative −6% cumulative −3% cumulative
6th −12% cumulative −8% cumulative −4% cumulative

This deduction is applied administratively and is separate from the Regular Engagement rubric score. There is no double-penalty on absences 1 and 2.

Three student examples

These examples show how the model works across different student profiles. Standard weights apply: Curriculum 40%, Learning Verification 30%, Assigned Work 10%, Meeting Attendance 10%, Regular Engagement 5%, Community Values 5%.

MR

Marcus R. — Grade 10, full-time, 6 courses

Struggles with tests but shows up and truly learns

Curriculum grade (40%)
 
62%
Learning verification (30%)
 
88%
Assigned work (10%)
 
90%
Meeting attendance (10%)
 
95%
Regular engagement (5%)
 
90%
Community values (5%)
 
90%

(62×0.40)+(88×0.30)+(90×0.10)+(95×0.10)+(90×0.05)+(90×0.05) = 24.8+26.4+9.0+9.5+4.5+4.5 = 78.7% ≈ 79% (C+)

Marcus has always found multiple-choice tests hard. His 62% curriculum grade looks concerning, but every scheduled meeting he shows up fully prepared, explains concepts clearly, and engages with the DDF consistently. His teacher is convinced every session that Marcus genuinely knows the material. Under the old model he would have been in danger of failing. Under the new model his 79% reflects the truth.

JT

Jordan T. — Grade 11, full-time, 5 courses

High digital textbook scores hiding a serious problem

Curriculum grade (40%)
 
91%
Learning verification (30%)
 
32%
Assigned work (10%)
 
88%
Meeting attendance (10%)
 
45%
Regular engagement (5%)
 
40%
Community values (5%)
 
0%

(91×0.40)+(32×0.30)+(88×0.10)+(45×0.10)+(40×0.05)+(0×0.05) = 36.4+9.6+8.8+4.5+2.0+0 = 61.3% ≈ 61% (D)

Jordan’s digital textbook shows 91% but cannot explain the material in scheduled meetings at all. Rarely shows up on time, barely engages in the DDF, and never submitted a faith-in-action reflection. The discontinuity flag was documented and administration was involved. Under the old model Jordan might have passed with an A. The new model tells the real story.

SL

Sofia L. — Grade 9, full-time, 4 courses

Solid middle-ground student with room to grow

Curriculum grade (40%)
 
75%
Learning verification (30%)
 
72%
Assigned work (10%)
 
80%
Meeting attendance (10%)
 
80%
Regular engagement (5%)
 
75%
Community values (5%)
 
80%

(75×0.40)+(72×0.30)+(80×0.10)+(80×0.10)+(75×0.05)+(80×0.05) = 30.0+21.6+8.0+8.0+3.75+4.0 = 75.35% ≈ 76% (C)

Sofia is consistent and genuine. She shows up reasonably prepared, her scheduled meetings show real understanding with some gaps, and she engages with the DDF most days. Her 76% is honest. If she tightens her meeting preparation and DDF consistency she could easily reach the mid-80s.

Multi-course holistic tier — how it works

The holistic tier scores (Meeting Attendance, Regular Engagement, Community Values) are entered once and apply equally to every course the student is enrolled in. A student taking three courses does not have three separate engagement scores — their engagement as a learner is a single measure that follows them across all courses.

Example: A student earns 85% on Meeting Attendance. That 85% contributes 8.5% (85% × 10% weight) to every course they are taking. The class-specific tier — Curriculum Grade, Assigned Work, Learning Verification — is calculated independently for each course.