The class assessment will factor into your Skyline GPA and appear on your transcript. Your class grade is calculated against a high academic standard, appropriate for a college level course. You earn your grade; Ms. Willson does not “give” grades. Grades will be updated and posted on-line on a regular basis. The final grade for the class will not be a surprise to you. Ms. Willson DOES NOT ROUND GRADES (you are given ample opportunity to go above and beyond to raise your grade). The following grading scale will be used in IB Biology: A 92.00-100+% B+ 84.00-87.99% C+ 72.00-75.99% D+ 60-63.99% A- 88.00-91.99% B 80.00-83.99% C 68.00-71.99% D 52.00-59.99% B- 76.00-79.99% C- 64.00-67.99% F 51.99% and Below
You will earn points in this course based upon scores in the following categories:
Tests: (30% of course grade). Tests are given once per quarter and will be patterned after the end-of-course examinations. They will be detailed and comprehensive, including multiple-choice, calculation problems, and essay/discussion questions.
Laboratory Work: (25% of course grade). Collectively, lab work is worth 25% of your overall SHS course grade. There are three ways lab work will be assessed:
Skills, safety and responsibility will be observed during the lab period.
Completion of lab related tasks, including graphing and analysis.
At the end of each quarter, there is a lab practical exam. The exam tests your lab skills and the content learned throughout the quarter. Material from any/all of the labs can be questioned The lab composition book may be used during the assessment.
IB Biology II students are required to demonstrate 60 hours of laboratory/field investigations over the two years of the course. In addition, during IB Biology II, one formal lab will be completed with final draft quality and assessed using the IB Internal Assessment standards. This lab (the "internal assessment") is a hefty proportion of your class and IB scores, it is important that you submit your best work.
Quizzes: (25% of course grade). Unit quizzes in IB Biology 1 and IB Biology 2 are based on the syllabus statements and objectives assigned in class and will usually occur once per unit of study.
There are multiple forms of quizzes given throughout the course:
Surprise, “pop” quizzes completed individually.
Announced quiz taken individually, with no notes.
Announced quiz taken individually, with assessment statements for reference.
Announced quiz taken as a table team. Everyone in the group earns the same score.
You are permitted to retake a quiz IF you score less than an 88% in IB Biology I (79% in IB Bio II). You must earn the right to retake a quiz by completing a series of reflective questions (link coming soon). Quizzes may be retaken only one time and you can earn a maximum of 88% (IB bio 1). You will earn the retake score up to the maximum (even if it is lower than the original). Quiz retake sessions are held every Friday after school. After a quiz is returned, you have a maximum of two Friday retake sessions.
If you are wondering why the minimum/maximum are seemingly random values, 88% and 79%....
88% is the lowest score that earns a A- on the IB grading scale at Skyline High School. So, you are permitted to retake a quiz if you scored less than an A-.
79% is the lowest score that earns a 7 on the IB adjustment scale used in IB Biology II. So, you are permitted to retake a quiz if you scored less than a 7.
Class Work and Notebook Checks (20% of course grade). All daily work and assignments completed throughout the course are considered class work. The supplemental reading assignment and all "above and beyond" points are added into the class work category of the grade.
A major portion of the class work grade category is the notebook check. Students are required to maintain a large (3”-4”) spiral binder of all class work completed in class. The binders are checked once a quarter for organization, completion and accuracy. Binder check sheets for IB Biology 1 and IB Biology 2 list what needs to be in the binder. Because the course is cumulative over two years, you must keep and review material often. The organization and maintenance of the binder is therefore vital for your success in the IB Biology class. The binder will also become a helpful tool when you take a biology class in college.