Incomplete on record - who do I go to?

[Anonymous]

My daughter is a junior, and last year when she was out due to COVID in January she missed some work for her foundations of tech class. She turned in the work later as required but the teacher erroneously gave her an incomplete. She talked to her counselor about it, who agreed she should not have gotten an incomplete, and she said it would be fixed.

My kid is a straight A student and I've never gotten involved in her academics before. I contacted the school in the spring, and about 3 times following, and they assured me the request was with the central office to correct the incomplete but it was never corrected. I reached out to the principal in the summer and he said "we are working on it!" and that it would be fixed, but still no change. I emailed about 2 weeks ago (Principal, grade level administrator, and counselor) and nobody replied.

She's getting nervous about this because she's starting to look at colleges and feels like if this remains on her record it is going to bring her GPA down.

Who should I go to in MCPS to address this?

[Anonymous]

If your DD turned in the work after the marking period, an Incomplete would have been the placeholder grade to allow her to make up the work. Later, the grade would have been manually changed by the registrar to reflect the true final grade. If your DD submitted the work during the same marking period, the teacher may have misunderstood how an I works.

First, establish that every missing assignment was submitted. You could use emails between DD and the teacher, emails from ParentVUE, etc.

Next, email the teacher and the registrar to request that the grade is officially updated. I grades are supposed to change to real grades within 6 weeks so the registrar is at least part of the problem here. I’ve taught in 6 MCPS schools. Every registrar has sent out reminders to submit grade change slips to her so that Is can be reconciled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your DD turned in the work after the marking period, an Incomplete would have been the placeholder grade to allow her to make up the work. Later, the grade would have been manually changed by the registrar to reflect the true final grade. If your DD submitted the work during the same marking period, the teacher may have misunderstood how an I works.

First, establish that every missing assignment was submitted. You could use emails between DD and the teacher, emails from ParentVUE, etc.

Next, email the teacher and the registrar to request that the grade is officially updated. I grades are supposed to change to real grades within 6 weeks so the registrar is at least part of the problem here. I’ve taught in 6 MCPS schools. Every registrar has sent out reminders to submit grade change slips to her so that Is can be reconciled.

Thank you! This morning I looked at grade history in ParentVUE and it is a B for that class. Does that mean it has been changed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your DD turned in the work after the marking period, an Incomplete would have been the placeholder grade to allow her to make up the work. Later, the grade would have been manually changed by the registrar to reflect the true final grade. If your DD submitted the work during the same marking period, the teacher may have misunderstood how an I works.

First, establish that every missing assignment was submitted. You could use emails between DD and the teacher, emails from ParentVUE, etc.

Next, email the teacher and the registrar to request that the grade is officially updated. I grades are supposed to change to real grades within 6 weeks so the registrar is at least part of the problem here. I’ve taught in 6 MCPS schools. Every registrar has sent out reminders to submit grade change slips to her so that Is can be reconciled.

Thank you! This morning I looked at grade history in ParentVUE and it is a B for that class. Does that mean it has been changed?

Probably but ask to see the transcript to be sure.

[Anonymous]

Not OP but where can I get an unofficial copy of a transcript from MCPS? Do you need to request one or can you find it on ParentVue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not OP but where can I get an unofficial copy of a transcript from MCPS? Do you need to request one or can you find it on ParentVue?

You'll need to ask the counselor.

[Anonymous]

I would also check all graded assignments and review them to ensure they're correct so it's all done at the same time.

[Anonymous]

We have been working to get grades updated for an incomplete for over a year. It is a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have been working to get grades updated for an incomplete for over a year. It is a nightmare.

Did you contact via email the teacher, counselor, assistant principal, and principal? Beyond that, contact your cluster director. Grades should not take a year to correct.

[Anonymous]

Send an email to your child’s principal explaining the grade is incorrect and ask for the educational record to be amended. If the principal refuses to correct the grade, ask for a hearing. As a parent and student, you have a right to have rights under FERPA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Send an email to your child’s principal explaining the grade is incorrect and ask for the educational record to be amended. If the principal refuses to correct the grade, ask for a hearing. As a parent and student, you have a right to have rights under FERPA.

This is OP and I did that. It took 7 months but I just got an updated transcript today and it is corrected. Phew! Glad I posted though because it seems others have had the same issue and I had no idea I could request a hearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your DD turned in the work after the marking period, an Incomplete would have been the placeholder grade to allow her to make up the work. Later, the grade would have been manually changed by the registrar to reflect the true final grade. If your DD submitted the work during the same marking period, the teacher may have misunderstood how an I works.

First, establish that every missing assignment was submitted. You could use emails between DD and the teacher, emails from ParentVUE, etc.

Next, email the teacher and the registrar to request that the grade is officially updated. I grades are supposed to change to real grades within 6 weeks so the registrar is at least part of the problem here. I’ve taught in 6 MCPS schools. Every registrar has sent out reminders to submit grade change slips to her so that Is can be reconciled.

Thank you! This morning I looked at grade history in ParentVUE and it is a B for that class. Does that mean it has been changed?

That is what it means, IME.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send an email to your child’s principal explaining the grade is incorrect and ask for the educational record to be amended. If the principal refuses to correct the grade, ask for a hearing. As a parent and student, you have a right to have rights under FERPA.

This is OP and I did that. It took 7 months but I just got an updated transcript today and it is corrected. Phew! Glad I posted though because it seems others have had the same issue and I had no idea I could request a hearing.

Under FERPA, MCPS is supposed to inform parents and students their right to a hearing when a school official refuses to amend a record.