Colombian School Gradebook — MEN 1.0–5.0 Scale with Decreto 1290 Performance Levels
Colombia's Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MEN) regulates school grading through Decreto 1290, which sets the national 1.0–5.0 nota scale (pass = 3.0) and requires schools to map marks to four performance levels: Superior (4.6–5.0), Alto (3.8–4.5), Básico (3.0–3.7), and Bajo (1.0–2.9). OpenEduCat enforces all four levels automatically, tracks Habilitación recovery exams, and generates the official Libreta de Calificaciones. Argentina's 1–10 scale (pass = 7) is also supported for multi-country deployments.
Grading Scales
Pre-configured grade bands shipped with the Colombia & Latin America module. No manual setup required.
| Grade | Points / Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Superior | 4.6–5.0 | Highest MEN performance level. Demonstrates exceptional mastery of learning standards. Eligible for national excellence recognition and competitive scholarships. |
| Alto | 3.8–4.5 | High performance. Above average understanding and application of curriculum content. Solid pass with clear domain of the subject competencies. |
| Básico | 3.0–3.7 | Basic performance — minimum acceptable standard per Decreto 1290. Students at Básico have passed but may be at risk if foundations are not consolidated. Pass threshold is exactly 3.0. |
| Bajo | 1.0–2.9 | Below standard. Subject failed. Student must attend Habilitación examination or recovery activities. If Habilitación is also below 3.0, the subject may require repeating the academic year. |
What the Colombia & Latin America Module Does
Country-specific features that go beyond the core gradebook engine.
Decreto 1290 Performance Level Mapping
Decreto 1290 requires schools to map numeric grades to performance levels on every report card. OpenEduCat applies the level mapping automatically from the entered nota — no manual categorisation required. The Libreta shows both the numeric nota and the performance level.
Habilitación Exam Tracking
Students with a final nota Bajo (below 3.0) are eligible for a Habilitación exam. The `co_habilitacion_date` and `co_habilitacion_result` fields track the exam. If the Habilitación passes (≥3.0), the subject is cleared; if not, the subject is flagged for academic year review.
Libreta de Calificaciones Generation
The Libreta is the official Colombian report card showing period notas, performance levels, attendance, and behaviour observations. OpenEduCat generates the Libreta in a format aligned with MEN expectations, including the four performance level indicators per subject.
Argentina 1–10 Scale (Pass=7)
For deployments in Argentina, the system uses the 1–10 national scale (7.0 = pass threshold). Argentine provinces use either bimestral or trimestral periods. The `la_country` field (set to `colombia` or `argentina`) activates the correct scale, pass threshold, and report card format.
Period Structure Flexibility
Colombian schools typically use trimestres (three grading periods) or periodos (four periods). OpenEduCat supports both structures with configurable period count and weighting at the school or programme level.
Re-Attempt Policy
Habilitación and Recuperación Recovery Policy
Colombia's Decreto 1290 allows schools to offer Habilitación exams to students who fail (nota Bajo). The Habilitación result replaces the failing nota if it is ≥3.0. Schools may also offer Recuperación activities (additional learning tasks) before the Habilitación. Both recovery mechanisms are tracked with their own date and result fields.
How re-attempts affect the transcript
- The active grade (counted in GPA) is marked with an asterisk (*)
- Superseded or excluded grades are annotated with their status code
- All attempts appear on the transcript for full academic transparency
- Cleared, condoned, compensated, and exempted backlogs do not block graduation
Transcript Formats
Official academic record formats generated by the Colombia & Latin America module.
Libreta de Calificaciones (official MEN-aligned report card)
Constancia de calificaciones (grade certificate)
Historial académico (complete academic history)
Certificado de estudios (Argentina: Boletín de calificaciones)
QR Verification Available
Install the secure bridge module to add QR codes with SHA-256 integrity hashes to every transcript. Employers and other institutions scan the code to verify the transcript is authentic and unmodified.
Honours & Classification
How graduates are classified under the Colombia & Latin America system.
| Classification | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Nivel Superior | All subjects at Superior (4.6–5.0) — highest distinction |
| Promovido con Meritorio | Average nota ≥4.5 — merit promotion |
| Promovido | All subjects ≥3.0 (Básico or above) — standard promotion |
| No Promovido | One or more subjects at Bajo after Habilitación — retention |
Regulatory Alignment
Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MEN) Colombia — Decreto 1290 de 2009 | ICFES (Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación) for standardised assessments
The Colombia & Latin America gradebook module pre-configures grading scales, assessment templates, re-attempt policies, and transcript formats to align with the requirements set by Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MEN) Colombia — Decreto 1290 de 2009 | ICFES (Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación) for standardised assessments. The data structures, computation rules, and report formats follow the standards your accreditation body expects to see during institutional audits.
Grade distributions, pass rates, GPA trends, and classification statistics can all be exported to Excel for submission during accreditation reviews. The structured data makes it straightforward to pull the specific metrics your accreditation criteria require.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Colombia & Latin America gradebook module.
Other Country Modules
The same gradebook engine powers all seven country modules. Explore the others.
India & Bangladesh
UGC (University Grants Commission), NAAC
Kenya
CUE (Commission for University Education)
Gulf / GCC
NCAAA (National Center for Academic Accreditation and Assessment)
Indonesia
BAN-PT (Badan Akreditasi Nasional Perguruan Tinggi)
United Kingdom
QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education)
United States
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), Regional Accreditors (HLC, SACSCOC, MSCHE, NEASC, NWCCU, WASC)
Bologna / European
Bologna Process, ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education)
Brazil
BNCC (Base Nacional Comum Curricular, 2017/2018), LDB (Lei de Diretrizes e Bases, Lei 9.394/96), MEC (Ministério da Educação)
Germany
Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK), Landesrecht Notenordnungen in all 16 Bundesländer, standard Zeugnisformular conventions
France
Ministère de l'Éducation nationale et de la Jeunesse, Baccalauréat général et technologique (réforme 2021), DNB assessment rules
Japan
MEXT (文部科学省), National Curriculum Standards (学習指導要領) revised 2020, 道徳 qualitative evaluation guidelines, SHS minimum graduation requirements (74 単位)
South Korea
Ministry of Education Korea (교육부), National Education Information System (NEIS), Student Record Management Guidelines, 2028 수능 reform framework
Malaysia
Lembaga Peperiksaan Malaysia (Malaysian Examinations Syndicate), Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), IPTA university admission requirements
Nordic Countries
Sweden: Skolverket | Denmark: Undervisningsministeriet (BEK nr 114) | Norway: Utdanningsdirektoratet (LK20) | Finland: Opetushallitus (Lukiolaki)
Netherlands
Rijksoverheid, Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO), Het College voor Toetsen en Examens (CvTE), Eindexamenbesluit VO
East Africa
Tanzania: NECTA (National Examinations Council of Tanzania) | Uganda: UNEB (Uganda National Examinations Board) | Rwanda: REB (Rwanda Education Board)
West Africa
West African Examinations Council (WAEC), WASSCE (West African Senior School Certificate Examination) standards, WAEC member states: Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Liberia
Switzerland
Schweizerische Maturitätskommission (SMK) / Commission suisse de maturité (CSM) — Federal Matura Regulation (MAR/ORM) | EDK/CDIP Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) — HKDSE Assessment Framework | JUPAS (Joint University Programmes Admissions System)
New Zealand
New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) — NCEA Assessment Framework | Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) Literacy and Numeracy requirements
South Africa
Department of Basic Education (DBE) South Africa — National Senior Certificate Policy | UMALUSI — Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training
Mexico
Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) — Dirección General de Acreditación, Incorporación y Revalidación (DGAIR) | COMIPEMS (metropolitan area) for Secundaria placement
Turkey
Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (MEB) — Ministry of National Education, Turkey | Ortaöğretim Yönetmeliği (Secondary Education Regulation) | ÖSYM for YKS
Israel
Israel Ministry of Education (Misrad HaChinuch) — Bagrut Examination Division | National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education (RAMA)
Nepal
National Examination Board (NEB) Nepal — SEE and Grade 12 Examination Regulations | Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE)
Ethiopia
Ethiopian Ministry of Education — National Framework for Education | National Educational Assessment and Examinations Agency (NEAEA) | Ethiopian Education and Research Advanced Education Authority (EQAE)
Southeast Asia
Vietnam: Bộ Giáo Dục và Đào Tạo (BGDĐT) — Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) | Thailand: Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Ministry of Education
Arab World
Saudi Arabia: وزارة التعليم (Ministry of Education) | Egypt: وزارة التربية والتعليم (MoE Egypt) | UAE: ADEK / KHDA / MoE UAE | Jordan: وزارة التربية والتعليم (MoE Jordan) | Kuwait: وزارة التربية (MoE Kuwait)
Philippines
Commission on Higher Education (CHED), CHED Memorandum Orders (CMO), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for vocational
Works With These Modules
The gradebook connects to the rest of the OpenEduCat platform.
Exam Management
Schedule exams, generate seating plans, and push grades directly into the gradebook.
Learn more →Student Information System
Student records, enrollment data, and academic history in one place.
Learn more →Learning Management System
Courses, assignments, and quizzes with automatic grade sync to the gradebook.
Learn more →Attendance Management
Track attendance and link it to grade eligibility rules where required.
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