grades in california

[MOMS]

Do I HAVE to have grades in every subject written down
in my kid's files?

[hscoach]

If you chose the option of being a private school, then the answer is no. It is not required. Here is a link that explains it.

http://californiahomeschool.net/howTo/records.htm

[Theodore]

Even if you do write down grades, the method of choosing those grades is entirely up to you. Even in public schools, some classrooms grade according to an absolute standard, others on a grade curve, others pass/fail, and some just do away with grading entirely except according to some moronic set of criteria such as "how hard the student is trying". Then there's various ways of improving your grades with extra credit assignments, makeup tests, or the teacher may just decide to arbitrarily improve everyone's grades if too many are failing.

Short version - unless you aren't trying at all, it's rather hard to fail if you're making up your own grading rules. As long as you're able to pass any required yearly standardized tests, you don't have to worry much outside of that.