Grading Policy
Below is the undergraduate grading policy of the School of Education as approved by the faculty.
| A | Extraordinary high achievement; shows unusually complete command of the subject matter; represents an exceptionally high degree of originality and creativity.** |
| A- | Exceptionally thorough knowledge of the subject matter; outstanding performance, showing strong analytical abilities. |
| B+ | Significantly above average understanding of material and quality of work. |
| B | Very good, solid, above average under-standing of material and quality of work. |
| C+ | Good, acceptable performance. |
| C | Satisfactory quality of work. |
| C- to D | Unacceptable work. Not meeting requirements for certification in the School of Education. |
| F | Completely unacceptable work. |
Most students should expect grades ranging between C+ and B. Students should recognize that effort alone does not necessarily guarantee above average grades, since grades are assigned on the basis of the overall quality of a students work.
** The School of Education does not recognize a grade of A+.
Grade Replacement Policy:
Students pursuing their first bachelor's degree who do poorly in non-education undergraduate courses may be able to retake some courses and have the earlier grades removed from their GPA calculation.
- Available only for courses taken at Indiana University
- Can be used for no more that a total of 15 credit hours
- Must be approved by advisor in the School of Education prior to retaking the class
- Can replace a grade no more than twice for a single class
- Replacement grade must be the same or higher than the previous grade
- Course the student retakes must be the same course as the previous course
- Students may not replace grades in any EDUC course.
- Students must submit a grade replacement form before the policy can take effect. These forms are available from a School of Education Advisor.
For grade replacement applied to courses taken between 1996 and summer 2021: the replaced grade remains on the student's academic record with an X placed next to the original grade.
For grade replacement applied to courses taken during fall 2021 and beyond: the replaced grade will appear on your academic record as an X.
Grade replacement is not an option if the original grade was assigned as a result of the student's academic misconduct. Once a grade replacement has been put on your record, it can’t be reversed.
Determination of GPA
The School of Education uses the overall IU grade point average (GPA) indicated on the transcript for all audits, including those for admission to the Teacher Education Programs, probation and dismissal, and graduation.
Note: Only credit hours are transferred to Indiana University from schools outside of the IU system. Grades made in courses taken at other universities will be used to compute GPAs for purposes of admission to the teacher education programs when students are transferring in more than 27 credit hours.
Grade Change Appeal
Students wishing to appeal a grade in any course offered by the School of Education should follow the grievance policy within one semester of receiving the grade.
Students wishing to have a grade changed to a "W" after a semester has passed should follow the IU Indianapolis grade appeal procedure as outlined in this bulletin. Grade appeal forms are available online here. These grade petitions in undergraduate courses will not be considered for concluded courses older than 5 years. Exceptions will only be considered if an extremely serious and documented circumstance (e.g., coma, unmanageable schizophrenia, etc.) literally prevented the student from filing the petition within the 5-year period.
A students request to have a grade in a course offered by the School of Education changed from a grade of F to Withdrawn (W) will be granted only if one or more of the following conditions exists:
- The student has provided official documentation of a medical emergency that prevented the student from attending and officially withdrawing from the course.
- The student was a first-semester freshman and never attended the class.
If a student feels there were other extenuating circumstances that prevented him or her from attending and/or officially withdrawing from the course, he or she may write a letter of appeal to the School of Education. Any available official documentation pertaining to the extenuating circumstances should be included with the letter of appeal.
Good Standing
A student is determined to be in good standing in the School of Education when the undergraduate grade point average (GPA) meets or surpasses the minimum 2.50 standard, has grades of C or higher in all professional (block) education courses, and when the student has no pending issues with the school or university.
Bulletin Designation
Students must meet requirements for graduation as stated by the school in the IU Indianapolis Campus Bulletin at the time of initial enrollment, or as set forth in any subsequent bulletin. Students are expected to meet requirements of a single bulletin for graduation but must meet the state licensure requirements in place at the time of completion of the program.
Pass/Fail Option
Within certain restrictions, students in good standing may choose to take some elective courses or general education courses on a Pass/Fail basis. Students desiring to use this option for courses toward an education degree should see an academic advisor in the School of Education.
The grade of Pass (P) is assigned no grade points and is not considered in computing the grade point average. A grade of P may not subsequently be changed to a letter grade. A grade of Fail (F) received in a course taken with the Pass/Fail option is entered on the transcript, treated as a regular letter grade, and used in computing the grade point average.
The decision to take a class Pass/Fail must be made on or before the end of the first three weeks of class during the regular semester, and on or before the end of the first two weeks in a summer session. Check the Schedule of Classes for the exact dates. Appropriate forms are available at Education Student Services, ES 3131.
Incomplete (I) Grades
If a student is not in attendance during the last several weeks of a semester, the instructor may report a grade of Incomplete (I) (indicating that the work submitted is satisfactory but that the entire course has not been completed) if the instructor has reason to believe that the absence was beyond the students control. If this is not a valid assumption, the instructor shall record a grade based on the work submitted to date.
The student must have completed 75% of the course requirements and must have an I-grade contract completed and on file. The time allowed for the removal of an I grade is up to one calendar year from the date of its initial recording, unless, in exceptional circumstances, the School of Education authorizes adjustment of this period. By assigning a grade of I, an instructor implicitly authorizes and requires that the registrar automatically change an I to an F at the end of the appropriate time period if the student fails to complete the course work to the instructor's satisfaction. Both the student and the instructor in whose course the student received the Incomplete will be notified of this change of grade.
Students receiving an incomplete in block courses cannot move forward in the program until all work is completed and the incomplete has been changed to a grade of "C" or higher.
Withdrawal (W) from Courses
Withdrawal is not a grade and does not figure in hours of credit or grade point average (GPA) calculations. However, students should be aware that a pattern of repeated withdrawals may affect admission to Teacher Education, student teaching placement, financial aid, and/or eventual employment.
A student must refer to the semester calendar to determine the last date for an automatic W from a class for each semester or summer session. The calendar is available online at Student Central here. After the automatic withdrawal date has passed, the instructor and the Assistant Dean of Student Services make a determination whether to assign a W or an F.
Ordinarily the only acceptable reason for withdrawal is illness, military service, or obligation of employment. Students withdrawing from a class during the second half of a regular semester or summer session may be assigned a W only for compelling nonacademic reasons, and only if the students work up to that point is passing. Otherwise, the instructor may elect to assign a grade of "F."
Any student withdrawing from a block course after the beginning of the fourth week of classes or dropping block courses during two or more semesters must appeal to the School of Education Academic Standards (Appeals) Committee to re-enter the program. Readmission is not automatic.
It is the student's responsibility to start the withdrawal procedure through E-Drop in One.IU
Important: Students withdrawing from a course to which a Laboratory/Field Experience is linked must withdraw from the Field Experience as well as from the course itself; such withdrawal is not automatic. Failure to withdraw from both sections may result in a grade of F in the Laboratory/Field Experience. Students are cautioned that withdrawing from courses my jeopardize their financial aid.
