Fresno Unified students are guaranteed to receive grades no lower than what they had already earned in the second semester, Superintendent Bob Nelson announced Thursday evening.

Classes and testing were abruptly halted with the closure of schools after March 13 because of the COVID-19 epidemic and the need to keep students, families, and school staff safe from the spread of infection.

There will be “multiple” opportunities for students who want to bring up their grade-point averages, Nelson said. For seniors, the last day of the grading period is May 22, and for all other students, it’s June 1.

No D Grades in Semester 2

Teachers will issue letter grades of A, B, C, and F. A grade of D will be replaced with “pass” in the final grade for the second semester.

Fresno Unified is basing its new guidelines on grading and graduation on guidance from the California Department of Education and in collaboration with colleges and universities.

“This grading option was outlined in the guidance provided by the California Department of Education on April 1, and we believe this decision gives the widest set of students the opportunity and incentive to connect through distance learning and to improve their grades during this unprecedented time,” Nelson said.

Relieving Students’ Anxiety Over Grades

The CDE update is intended to relieve stress and anxiety that many students are experiencing after schools closed because of the coronavirus outbreak, said Tony Thurmond, state superintendent of public instruction.

Nelson also reassured the Class of 2020 that they and their families can look forward to some kind of graduation celebration with gowns, medals, and diplomas.

Those who need to make up classes to graduate will get that opportunity, he said.

“Additionally, I want to say this to all of our seniors: If you are on track for graduation, you will graduate.”

Superintendent Bob Nelson’s Message April 9, 2020 from Fresno Unified on Vimeo.