Academic Calendar & Reporting

Stetson Academy operates on a trimester-based academic calendar. Each year includes three reporting periods, during which families receive:

• Three formal report cards (one at the end of each trimester)
• Two interim progress reports (midway through Trimesters 1 and 3)
• Two scheduled Parent-Teacher conferences annually (after the first progress report and during the second trimester)

Ability Grouping & Differentiated Instruction

Stetson Academy uses flexible ability grouping in core academic subjects to ensure every student is appropriately challenged and supported. Students are placed in groups based on demonstrated readiness and performance, allowing many to work on content above their enrolled grade level.

This differentiated approach means that instruction, assignments, and assessments are aligned to the expectations taught in each student's specific group—often accelerated or enriched beyond grade-level expectations for advanced placements.

While this structure promotes deeper growth and engagement, it can result in academic marks that appear lower than they might in a traditional grade-level setting, even though the student has already mastered (or exceeded) their enrolled grade-level expectations.

Enrolled Grade-Level Progress Reporting

Every report card for grades TK–8 includes a detailed snapshot of each student's progress toward mastery of their enrolled grade-level Common Core State Standards. This provides a clear benchmark of whether the student is on track to meet or exceed grade-level expectations for their official grade.

For students in accelerated groups, this grade-level snapshot typically shows strong mastery, confirming readiness even as they tackle more advanced material. For more on our approach to Common Core, visit our Common Core Policies page.

Proficiency Marks in TK–1st Grade (Core Academic Subjects)

In Transitional Kindergarten through 1st grade, core academic subjects do not receive traditional letter grades. Instead, students receive proficiency marks on a 4-3-2-1 scale that reflect their progress toward grade-level expectations in the differentiated curriculum taught in their ability group.

These marks focus on achievement at the student's instructional level, while the separate enrolled grade-level progress snapshot confirms benchmark mastery relative to their official grade.

Academic Letter Grades (2nd Grade and Above)

Beginning in second grade, core academic subjects receive traditional letter grades (A–F). These grades reflect student mastery and achievement of the content taught in their ability group at their instructional level.

For students working above grade level, letter grades communicate performance relative to the challenging curriculum they are engaged in. The separate enrolled grade-level progress snapshot confirms mastery of enrolled grade benchmarks.

Effort & Participation Marks

Starting in first grade, Physical Education and elective courses (when applicable) receive separate effort and participation marks using a four-level O/S/N/U scale. These marks recognize positive learning behaviors such as engagement, perseverance, and on-task focus.

Effort marks are reported separately from academic proficiency to encourage growth-minded behaviors without affecting achievement grades. Teacher comments also highlight effort and work habits in core subjects across all grades. For details on our electives program, visit our Electives Policies page.

Philosophy & Best Practices

Our grading system is designed to provide clear, accurate, and transparent feedback while supporting student motivation and growth in a differentiated environment:

• Academic marks (4-3-2-1 proficiency in TK–1st and letter grades in 2nd+) reflect mastery of the differentiated curriculum taught in the student's ability group
• Enrolled grade-level expectations are reported separately in detail to confirm benchmark mastery across TK–8
• Effort and participation are valued and reported separately (O/S/N/U in specials and through comments) to reinforce perseverance and engagement

This approach—combining challenge-based academic grading with clear grade-level benchmark reporting—aligns with research-based best practices for ability-grouped and gifted education, ensuring students are both appropriately challenged and accurately evaluated for promotion and readiness.