← Families · By grade · How a grade is figured · Calculator · State tests 2026-27 · Sources

Tests, projects and grades: the whole school year

A school year has many kinds of checks: quick quizzes, big tests, projects, homework, short screening checks and, in some grades, New York State tests. Here is how they fit together, how a grade is figured, and when the 2026-27 state tests happen.

General information, not legal advice. Every district writes its own grading policy. Your child's teacher, school and NYSED are the official word. Checked November 8, 2026.

In 10 seconds: classroom work adds up to a report card grade. State tests are reported on their own.

What a school year looks like, by grade

These are common patterns in New York schools. Your district may do things differently, so use this as a map, not a rulebook.

Grades K-2

In class: teachers watch, listen and keep samples of work. Short reading and math checks.
Screening: many schools give short reading and math checks in fall, winter and spring to see who needs extra practice.
Report card: usually standards-based (often 1 to 4 for each skill), not a 0-100 number.
State tests: none for grades 3-8 subjects yet. New students who may be learning English take an English check at entry.

Grades 3-5

In class: quizzes, unit tests, writing pieces, projects, homework.
Screening: fall, winter and spring checks are common.
Report card: often standards-based (1-4); some schools add number grades in grade 5.
State tests: ELA and math every spring in grades 3, 4 and 5. Science in grade 5.

Grades 6-8

In class: quizzes, unit tests, projects, labs, essays, homework, class participation.
Report card: often number grades (0-100) or letters, sometimes with standards marks and work-habit marks too.
State tests: ELA and math every spring. Science in grade 8. Grade 6 has no state science or social studies test.
Some grade 8 students take a high school course and its Regents exam (for example Algebra I).

Grades 9-12

In class: tests, quizzes, labs, essays, projects, homework; often a final exam.
Report card: number or letter grades each marking period, then a final course average and credit.
State tests: Regents exams in January, June and August.
Grades go on the transcript, which colleges and employers may see.

Classroom checks (graded by the teacher)

Quiz: short, a few skills, often weekly.
Unit test: the end of a unit, many skills.
Project or performance task: make, build, present or write something over days or weeks, usually scored with a rubric.
Homework and classwork: practice; some teachers grade it for completion.
Participation: some teachers count it; others report it as a work habit.

Screening and benchmark checks (usually not graded)

Short checks, often 2 or 3 times a year, on a computer or one-on-one.
They help the teacher plan: who needs extra practice, who needs a challenge.
Each school picks its own tool. Ask: “Which checks does my child take, when, and can I see the results?”
A percentile you see on a report usually comes from one of these, not from a state test.

Marking periods and report cards

A marking period is a part of the school year that ends with a report card. Many schools use 4 quarters; some use 3 trimesters or 2 semesters. Your district's calendar lists the dates.

Report card style	What you see	Common in
Standards-based	A mark for each skill, often 4 = exceeds, 3 = meets, 2 = approaching, 1 = beginning. Words differ by school.	K-5, sometimes 6-8
Number grades	0-100 for each course, often with a passing grade set by the district (ask your school what it is).	6-12
Letter grades	A, B, C… The district decides which numbers match each letter.	Some 6-12 schools
Pass / not yet	P or a similar mark for some courses.	Electives, some specials

More on reading a report card, with a drawn sample: Report cards and grades, explained.

How a course grade is figured

Most number grades are a weighted average: each category (tests, quizzes, projects, homework) counts for a share called a weight. The teacher's syllabus or the school portal shows the real weights. All the numbers here are made up.

Example with made-up numbers

1 · Middle school math, four categories

Weights: tests 40%, quizzes 25%, projects 20%, homework 15%. Averages: tests 84, quizzes 90, projects 95, homework 80.

Step 1. Change each weight to a decimal: 40% = 0.40, 25% = 0.25, 20% = 0.20, 15% = 0.15 Step 2. Multiply: 0.40 × 84 = 33.6 0.25 × 90 = 22.5 0.20 × 95 = 19.0 0.15 × 80 = 12.0 Step 3. Add: 33.6 + 22.5 + 19.0 + 12.0 = 87.1 Course average: 87.1

Example with made-up numbers

2 · Total points (no weights)

Some teachers just add up points. Student B earned 412 points out of 480 possible.

412 ÷ 480 = 0.8583… 0.8583 × 100 = 85.8 Course average: about 86

Here a 100-point test counts 10 times more than a 10-point quiz. Ask the teacher which method they use.

Example with made-up numbers

3 · One project can move a grade

Same weights as Example 1. The project average drops from 95 to 60 because one big project was not turned in.

Before: 0.20 × 95 = 19.0 After: 0.20 × 60 = 12.0 Change: 19.0 − 12.0 = 7.0 points New average: 87.1 − 7.0 = 80.1

Turning in every project matters. Late-work rules and retakes are district and teacher policy: check your district's grading policy.

Example with made-up numbers

4 · A full year from four marking periods

Some schools average the four quarters equally. MP1 88, MP2 84, MP3 91, MP4 87.

88 + 84 + 91 + 87 = 350 350 ÷ 4 = 87.5 Year average: 87.5

Example with made-up numbers

5 · High school final average with a final exam

Pretend a district counts each quarter 20% and a final exam 20%. Quarters: 82, 78, 85, 80. Final exam: 72.

Quarters: 0.20 × 82 = 16.4 0.20 × 78 = 15.6 0.20 × 85 = 17.0 0.20 × 80 = 16.0 Final: 0.20 × 72 = 14.4 Add: 16.4 + 15.6 + 17.0 + 16.0 + 14.4 = 79.4 Final average: 79.4

Does the Regents exam count as the final exam? Only if your district says so. Some districts use the Regents score in the course grade; others do not. Ask the school counselor or read the district's grading policy.

Example with made-up numbers

6 · Standards-based grades are not averaged the same way

Student C's marks on “adds fractions” were 2 in October, 3 in November, 3 in December. An average would be (2 + 3 + 3) ÷ 3 ≈ 2.7. Many standards-based schools instead report the most recent, steady level: 3, meets the standard. Each district decides which way it uses.

Weighted average calculator

Enter each category's weight and your child's average in it. Add or remove rows. The math shows step by step.

Runs only in your browser. Nothing is sent or saved.

What score is needed on the final?

Average before the final

Final exam weight (%)

Goal for the final average

Example math only. Your school's real formula may differ.

New York State tests in 2026-27

These dates come from NYSED's official schedules (and WIDA's New York page for the new English test). Each school picks its own days inside each window.

On a phone, swipe the picture sideways to see all of it.

Any time a new student enrollsNYSITELL: a one-time English check for students who may be English language learners. NYSED says it continues until the WIDA Screener replaces it in fall 2027.
January 26-29, 2027January Regents exam period.
February 1 - April 9, 2027WIDA ACCESS for ELLs (and Alternate ACCESS): New York's new yearly English test. NYSED says the last NYSESLAT was in spring 2026 and the first WIDA ACCESS is in spring 2027. The window shown is from WIDA's New York page.
March 8 - June 11, 2027NYSAA (New York State Alternate Assessment) in ELA, math and science, only for students with the most severe cognitive disabilities, as decided by the CSE.
April 5 - May 14, 2027Grades 3-8 ELA and math, and grades 5 and 8 science. Each school picks two days in a row for ELA and two days in a row for math; science is one day for the whole grade. Make-ups happen inside the window.
June 15-25, 2027June Regents exam period. NYSED lists June 18 (Juneteenth observed) and June 25 as rating days with no state exams.
August 17-18, 2027August Regents exam period.

Grade 6: the state tests are ELA and math only. There is no state science test (science is tested in grades 5 and 8) and no state social studies test.

How the results work for every student, including English learners and students with disabilities (IEP or 504 plan): State test results for every student. Help on test day: Testing accommodations.

Questions to ask at the start of the year

What are the grading categories and weights in each class?
What is the late-work rule? Can tests be retaken or corrected?
How often are grades posted in the portal?
Which screening checks will my child take, and when will I see results?
When are the marking periods and report card dates?
Which state tests will my child take this year, and on which days?
(High school) Does the Regents exam count in the course grade?

Check marks stay only on this device.

Questions people ask

Can a state test score change my child's report card grade?

State test results are reported separately. NYSED's parent FAQ says state law does not permit promotion or placement decisions based solely or primarily on the grades 3-8 tests. In high school, a district may decide to count a Regents score in a course grade; ask your district.

Are the grades 3-8 tests timed?

NYSED's 2025 parent FAQ says the grades 3-8 ELA, math and science tests are untimed. Ask your school about the current year.

Who decides late-work and retake rules?

Your district and school. Check your district's grading policy (often on the district website or in the student handbook) and the teacher's syllabus.

Does Goal100 change grades?

No. Goal100 is practice. It never changes a school grade or a test score.

Official sources

Rules can change. If a link and this page ever disagree, the official page wins.

NYSED, Final dates for the 2026-27 elementary- and intermediate-level testing (grades 3-8, NYSAA): https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/ei-testing-schedule-2026-27.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED, Grades 3-8 test schedules: https://www.nysed.gov/state-assessment/grades-3-8-test-schedules (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED memo, Regents examination dates 2027 (December 2025): https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/memo-regents-exam-dates-2027.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED, New York joins the WIDA Consortium: English language proficiency assessments (October 8, 2025): https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/ny-wida-consortium-elp-assessments.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
WIDA, New York state page (ACCESS 2027 test window): https://wida.wisc.edu/about/consortium/ny (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED, 2025 parent FAQ about grades 3-8 tests: https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/2025-faq-for-parents-3-8-tests.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED, NYSAA parent guide (2025): https://nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/nysaa-parent-guide-2025.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)