Explaining the Mark Entry Windows and Grading for Delta Access

Online schooling works very differently than traditional brick and mortar schools.

Course length:

All courses run from Sep to Aug and students can join while we are still taking registrations.  The time you have left in the course depends on when you sign up as all are closed July 29th.   Most students want to complete for the June window so their grades are on their transcript in September.  Note – courses completed in August will not appear on ministry transcripts until October and can not be used for Fall post secondary admissions.

Mark Entry Windows

We don’t have terms but mark entry windows.

Those are in Nov, Jan, March, June and August and are designed to meet post secondary admission deadlines.  These are not course deadlines – that is July 31st.

Students using online grades for post secondary admissions must be completed and have a final mark by the mark entry window deadline (also on website and sent out via email)

UBC information.

SFU information

Completion is required for Final mark entry in November, January, March and June mark entry windows.

Grading System

Due the asynchronous nature (students joining throughout the year) our grading system also works differently.   Grades are based on what is completed (not the entire course).  So if you complete a few assignments and average 90% on them your current standing is 90%.  However you need to realize that this is maybe 5% of the course so your “true” standing in the entire course is around 4.5%.

In July (you will be notified) the course grades will change to the “true” standing including the entire course.  This is done so that those approaching the final mark entry window they are required to be completed by need to know exactly where they stand in the course.  Students should be close to completion so their percentage will not change that much.  No students can continue with course work past the August mark entry window as our system resets for a new school year starting in September.

Interim Grades and Activation

To be activated in a course students will begun working to a threshold of over 10% completion.  As this point teachers activate the students and they are officially taking the course with us.

This students will receive interim grades in our mark entry windows (or Final Grades if required for post secondary or full time students) – Reports are issued for each of the mark entry windows.

Interim grades are based on work completed, Final Grades are based on the entire course.

Students enrolled on Moodle that have not reached the threshold of activation remain but are not officially in the course. Essentially you are in the school but roaming the halls and not attending any classes.

Full time Student timeline

For students attending Delta Access full time you are semester time frame.  You are to complete the courses you are taking by the January mark entry window deadline.  If you wish to extend any courses to the March mark entry window timeline this could prevent you from taking more courses in the 2nd semester.  Details and reminders will be sent on this to all full time students well in advance of timelines.