DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026 • K to 12 Basic Education • School Guide
DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026: A Complete Guide to Classroom Assessment, Grading, Learner Support, and Recognition
DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026 provides the revised guidelines on classroom assessment, grading system, and awards and recognition for the K to 12 Basic Education Program. This guide explains the major areas of the Order in a simple, organized, and school-friendly way for teachers, learners, parents, and stakeholders.
Overview of DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026
DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026 is titled Revised Guidelines on Classroom Assessment, Grading System, and Awards and Recognition for the K to 12 Basic Education Program. It provides guidance on how schools shall assess learners, compute and report grades, provide learner support, and recognize achievement under the revised basic education curriculum.
The Order is especially important because it affects daily classroom practice. It is not only about the computation of grades. It also reminds schools that assessment should support learning, guide instruction, provide feedback, and help identify learners who need intervention or enrichment.
Core message of the Order
Assessment should produce meaningful evidence of learning. Grades should be fair and transparent. Learners who need help should receive timely support. Recognition should affirm growth, integrity, and sustained effort.
Why the guidelines were revised
The revised guidelines respond to concerns in assessment, grading, promotion, and recognition practices. The Order strengthens the role of assessment as a tool for improving learning outcomes, not merely as a requirement for recording scores.
It also supports the implementation of the revised K to 10 Curriculum and the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum. Because learning standards and curriculum expectations have been updated, classroom assessment and grading practices also need to be aligned.
Old problem
Assessment was sometimes treated mainly as a source of grades, with limited use of evidence for feedback, remediation, and instructional adjustment.
Better direction
Assessment should guide teaching, help learners improve, and provide fair evidence for grading, support, and recognition.
The four key areas of implementation
Although the official title of the Order highlights classroom assessment, grading system, and awards and recognition, school-level implementation is clearer when organized into four key areas:
Classroom Assessment
How teachers gather evidence of learning through formative and summative assessment.
2Grading System
How grades are computed, interpreted, reported, and supported by evidence.
3Promotion, Intervention, and Learner Support
How schools support learners, conduct remediation, and make promotion decisions.
4Awards and Recognition
How learners are recognized based on achievement, conduct, integrity, and sustained effort.
Area 1 of 4
Classroom Assessment
Classroom assessment is the continuous process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting evidence of learner performance. It helps teachers determine what learners already know, what they can do, what they still find difficult, and what support they need.
Under the revised guidelines, classroom assessment includes both formative assessment and summative assessment. Formative assessment is used to monitor learning progress and guide instruction. Summative assessment is used to evaluate learner achievement at defined points in the curriculum.
| Type of Assessment | Main Purpose | Important Reminder |
|---|---|---|
| Formative Assessment | To monitor progress, give feedback, and adjust instruction. | It should not be used for grade computation. |
| Summative Assessment | To evaluate learner achievement at key points in the learning process. | It provides evidence for reporting learner achievement. |
Summative assessment includes Written Works, Performance Tasks, and Examinations. These should be aligned with learning competencies and should be reasonable, manageable, and purposeful.
Read the full guide for this area
Area 2 of 4
Grading System
The grading system explains how learner performance is computed and reported. For Key Stages 2 to 4, grades are based on the prescribed components: Written Works, Performance Tasks, and Examinations.
For School Year 2026–2027, an adjusted transmutation table shall be used as a transition measure. Beginning School Year 2027–2028, a zero-based grading system shall be implemented for Key Stages 2 to 4, with 75 as the minimum passing grade.
| Grade Range | Descriptor | General Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Advancing | Demonstrates skills and understanding beyond expected standards. |
| 80–89 | Benchmarking | Demonstrates expected grade-level skills and understanding. |
| 75–79 | Connecting | Demonstrates sufficient understanding with occasional guidance. |
| 65–74 | Developing | Demonstrates partial understanding and needs targeted support. |
| 0–64 | Emerging | Does not yet demonstrate foundational skills and needs intensive support. |
The important point is that grades should be supported by valid assessment evidence. Grades should not simply become numbers in a class record. They should help teachers, learners, and parents understand the learner’s level of achievement and the support needed.
Read the full guide for this area
Area 3 of 4
Promotion, Intervention, and Learner Support
Promotion and learner support are essential parts of the revised guidelines. The Order emphasizes that assessment results should inform instruction, learner support, and appropriate intervention. Schools should not wait until the end of the school year before responding to learners who are having difficulty.
Learners who show difficulty in meeting expected competencies should receive timely remediation within the term. Teachers should use assessment evidence, learner outputs, attendance, and classroom observations to identify those who need help.
| Situation | Required Response |
|---|---|
| Learner has difficulty in specific competencies | Provide remediation, feedback, scaffolding, and targeted support. |
| Learner fails in at most two learning areas | Undergo Summer Remedial Class, subject to the guidelines. |
| Learner still fails one or two learning areas after remediation | May be conditionally promoted and take back subjects, subject to policy provisions. |
| Learner fails more than two learning areas | Retained in the same grade level. |
This area is important because it shows that grades should lead to action. When a learner is struggling, the school should provide support, document intervention, and communicate with parents or guardians.
Read the full guide for this area
Promotion, Intervention, and Learner Support Under DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026
Area 4 of 4
Awards and Recognition
Awards and recognition under the revised guidelines should affirm learner growth, integrity, and sustained effort. Recognition should not merely promote competition. It should acknowledge meaningful achievement, responsibility, and balanced learner development.
For Key Stage 1, academic awards are not conferred under the descriptive grading system. Learner progress is communicated through descriptive assessment and narrative feedback.
For Key Stages 2 to 4, learners may qualify for the Academic Excellence Award if they obtain a General Average of 90 or higher, have no Final Grade below 80 in any learning area, and have no derogatory records or disciplinary cases within the school year. Awardees should be listed alphabetically.
| Recognition Area | What It Emphasizes |
|---|---|
| Academic Excellence | High academic achievement with required grade conditions and good conduct. |
| Excellence in Specific Learning Areas | Outstanding performance in a particular learning area or field. |
| Leadership Excellence | Responsible leadership, cooperation, initiative, and positive influence. |
| Special Recognition | Distinction in recognized competitions, contests, exhibitions, or similar endeavors. |
Read the full guide for this area
What teachers should do
Teachers play the most important role in implementing the revised guidelines. Compliance should not be limited to changing class record formulas. The deeper task is to improve the quality of assessment, feedback, documentation, and learner support.
- Study the revised guidelines before preparing assessment plans.
- Separate formative assessment from summative assessment.
- Use formative assessment to provide feedback and improve instruction.
- Ensure that summative assessments are aligned with competencies.
- Prepare valid and balanced Written Works, Performance Tasks, and Examinations.
- Use rubrics for Performance Tasks and integrative assessments.
- Prepare a Table of Specifications for major examinations.
- Document learner progress, interventions, and communication with parents.
- Use assessment results to plan remediation and enrichment.
- Apply AI and digital tools ethically and responsibly.
What parents should know
Parents and guardians should understand that not all classroom activities are automatically part of the grade. Some activities are used for practice, feedback, and monitoring progress. These formative activities help teachers identify what learners need before summative assessments are given.
Parents should also know that grades are not only labels of success or failure. Grades should help identify whether a learner needs support, more practice, enrichment, or intervention. Regular communication between teachers and parents is therefore important.
Parent-friendly explanation
The revised guidelines encourage schools to use assessment results to help learners improve, not simply to record scores or decide awards.
Related guides
This master guide is the main hub for understanding DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026. The following supporting articles may be published separately to explain each area in greater detail.
Frequently asked questions
No. It covers assessment, grading, learner support, promotion, intervention, and awards and recognition. It should be understood as a learning support policy, not just a grading policy.
The official title highlights three: classroom assessment, grading system, and awards and recognition. For school-level implementation, it is clearer to use four key areas by treating promotion, intervention, and learner support as a separate area.
No. Formative assessment is used to monitor learning progress, provide feedback, and guide instruction. It should not be used for grade computation.
The main components are Written Works, Performance Tasks, and Examinations. These should be aligned with learning competencies and should provide valid evidence of learner achievement.
Because assessment and grading should lead to instructional decisions. When learners struggle, schools are expected to provide remediation, intervention, and appropriate support.
Final thoughts
DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026 should be implemented not only as a grading requirement but as a framework for better classroom assessment and learner support. The real goal is to make assessment more meaningful, grades more transparent, intervention more timely, and recognition more balanced.
For schools, the challenge is to move beyond compliance. Teachers, advisers, school heads, learners, and parents should understand that assessment evidence must lead to better teaching, clearer feedback, timely support, and fair recognition.
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