Parent Orientation (Summer School)
6. The Holistic Grading Model
Calvary Preparatory Academy — Parent Orientation — Page 6 of 10
The Holistic Grading Model
CPA grades students differently than most schools. This page explains the model so that when you look at your student’s grade, you understand exactly what it reflects — and what it does not.
Why CPA changed its grading model
AI tools now allow students to submit polished essays, completed worksheets, and correct quiz answers in seconds. A grade based purely on submitted work can no longer reliably tell the difference between a student who genuinely learned and one who used a machine.
Rather than investing in AI detection tools — which creates an adversarial relationship between teachers and students — CPA redesigned its assessment model from the ground up. The new model makes it very difficult to fake genuine learning, because the primary assessment happens live in a scheduled meeting with a credentialed teacher.
Six categories, two tiers
Your student’s grade is calculated from six categories organized into two tiers.
Tier 1 — Holistic (same score applies to every course your student is enrolled in)
Tier 2 — Class-specific (calculated separately for each course)
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Grade (digital textbook) | 40% |
| Meeting Content — Learning Verification | 30% |
| Assigned Work Completion | 10% |
| Meeting Attendance | 10% |
| Regular Engagement | 5% |
| Faith-Based Community Values in Action (Faith-in-Action) | 5% |
| Total | 100% |
What a grade really means under this model
An 85% under this model means your student showed up prepared, engaged consistently with their coursework and community, completed their assigned work, and was able to explain and defend their learning live in front of their teacher. That is a more meaningful and trustworthy grade than a score based purely on submitted work.