DepEd Tri-Semester Grading System: What Teachers Need to Know About DO 015, s. 2026
If you only read one policy this school year, make it this one. DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026 changes how you plan assessments, organize your class record, and compute grades, starting SY 2026-2027.
The official page lists it as the revised guidelines on classroom assessment, the grading system, and awards and recognition for the K to 12 Basic Education Program: DO 015, s. 2026. It also formalizes the move to a Three-Term School Calendar, so assessment and reporting now follow Term 1, Term 2, and Term 3 instead of the old four-quarter rhythm.
Here is what that means in practice.
What actually changed
The calendar is the headline, but the assessment structure is the part that touches your daily work. For many grade levels, you now work with three components:
- Written/Oral Works (WWs)
- Product/Performance Tasks (PTs)
- Examinations (EXs)
EXs is the one to watch. It is made of two Summative Tests and one Term Examination within a term, and the class record has to compute that component correctly, not just rename a column.
The order also updates descriptors, transmutation, awards, and reporting. For SY 2026-2027, the adjusted transmutation table applies. Beginning SY 2027-2028, the policy moves toward zero-based grading for the covered numeric grading levels.
Why it is worth reading carefully
This policy quietly shapes everyday decisions:
- how many assessments you plan within a term
- how scores are organized in the class record
- how term grades and final grades are computed
- how learner performance is described to parents
- how recognition is determined
It also reframes assessment as evidence for learning, not just a compliance requirement. Formative assessment still matters because it guides instruction, feedback, remediation, and enrichment, even when it does not count toward the grade.
What may feel hard at first
Expect an adjustment period. Most teachers will need time to settle into:
- new term pacing
- new class record formats
- new grade computation rules
- revised awards and recognition rules
- different expectations for official reports
That is normal. Every new grading system creates a transition where teachers check, compare, ask questions, and rebuild routines.
Where GuroHub fits
Policy tells schools what must be followed. Good tools help teachers follow it with less confusion and less repeated work.
That is the gap GuroHub aims to close: clearer e-class records that already apply the new weights and transmutation, reusable assessment templates, shared resources, and a community of teachers going through the exact same transition.
The tri-semester shift is a big adjustment, but you do not have to face it alone. With clearer systems and shared support, the new school year can be less about panic and more about building better routines from day one.