Grades are important and can be very upsetting when a student consistently brings home low grades, especially when the student has a learning disability.
A fair grading system:
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Provides opportunity for high grades to be earned
 Provides meaningful grades that reflect a student’s experience in the classroom
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Includes flexibility as needed to meet individual needs of student
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Maintains a high student accountability when a grading system is individualized
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Accurately matches grades to performance, even when accommodations are implemented
Anatomy of a grade - classroom grading systems are typically designed so learners receive points or individual grades in multiple areas of assessment. The following list of assessments are commonly found in grading systems:
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Quizzes
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Research or lab reports
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Projects
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Exhibits
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Portfolio
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Notebook or journal
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Oral presentation or performance
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Class participation
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Work habits
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Neatness
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Effort
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Punctuality of assignment
For a student with learning disabilities certain elements are more affected by certain disabilities than others. This results in lower grades even when a student has given the best effort. Consider: What grading elements are resulting in the students lowest grades?
Accommodations
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Reduce or minimalize the interaction of a learners disability with classroom demands
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Allow valid assessment of content learned that is not affected by disability
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Extra time to complete tests
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Audio taped texts to supplement print text
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Able to respond orally for some written assignments
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Should not result in reduced expectations
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Should not require different grading system or method
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Should not impact points or credits toward diploma
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Should not influence application to post-secondary institutions
Modifications
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Working toward a lower learning or goal, appropriate to ability level
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May involve working on less content or parallel content at a lower grade level
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Expected to master 3 of 10 concepts in science class
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Working on addition and subtraction while class works on multiplication and division

Grading
For some learners, including those with specific learning disabilities, modified learning goals, often in a specific content area, may be required in addition to goals they share with the rest of the class in other content areas. The following are suggested criteria for development of an individualized grading system.
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The learner has a moderate to severe disability and works in an individualized curriculum
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The learner receives a series of very low or failing grades despite appropriate use of accommodations and modifications
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The learner has the potential to have increased access to and performance in the regular curriculum
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Usually requires an individualized grading system, based on lower standards or goals
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Should be documented in the IEP or in the schools reports to parents that grades are based on individualized goals and curriculum
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Could affect access to certain college classes if prerequisites are not met
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Could require special/alternative diploma which could impact post-secondary options