Many people aim for As, Bs, and Cs because that’s what it takes to pass high school and get into a decent college. The only way to fail a class in high school is with F’s. In February, the district emailed surveys to teachers and students asking how they felt about the grading system. For students in elementary school, middle school, and high school they were asked how accurate, easy, and fair the policy is, along with two optional questions asking about how well the grading system is working and how it could improve.
“The information gathered from surveying teachers and students can be very useful in sparking conversations about things that are working well and things that are not,” said Principal Bridgette Bellows. “I think that we need to do a better job of communicating what a grade represents rather than redesigning a new system. Many school districts have moved to an equal interval system which I believe is better for students. In a traditional grading system, failure is worth more than success, which I do not agree with.”
Superintendent Dr. Vickie Murillo believes that the surveys allow students and teachers to voice their opinions about the current grading system and how the district can improve the system.
“The survey plays an initial role in data collection across our various stakeholders,” said Murillo. “Input from students and teachers is beneficial to ensure their voices are heard when making decisions and considering possible changes. Nearly 1,500 students participated in the survey. The next step is to use the results of the survey as work continues with a grading team that consists of teachers, curriculum specialists, and administrators to review this data along with our current grading practices to determine what, if any, revisions need to be made to our grading practices.”
Some students expressed how ineffective they believe the grading policy is.
“Honestly, I’m not too fond of it,” said Jayvan Gach, a sophomore at Abraham Lincoln. “They don’t think about the students that actually try and they are just getting kids out the door as soon as possible.”
Sophomore Ace McSorley agrees with Gach.
“The grading system isn’t great,” said McSorley. “The grading curve is so low that almost anyone can pass and that can negatively impact their lives later in college or at a job.”
Some teachers believe there are low expectations that students take advantage of. These are interviews from four different teachers who wished to remain anonymous.
- “This 60% Performance and 40% Practice isn’t helping young people be prepared for the future. Whether that future is work, college, or trade school…..etc…….this just isn’t an accountable grading scale.”
- “Nothing is ‘going well’ with the current grading guidelines and practices. The current guidelines not only allow students to be lazy and apathetic, they actually reward the poor habits–these students are satisfied with a D. However, completion of only ⅛ of the course content does not demonstrate proficiency or competency.”
- “I think our district grading policy does an injustice to our students. Nowhere in life are you able to succeed if you only complete 13% of the work. Students are not held to a high standard in the classroom, where they spend a majority of their day. This teaches them that they are not held to a high standard in daily life. It is a very sad cycle and I have been here a LONG time.”
- “The grading system seems off and does not reflect colleges and life in general. Are we preparing students for their futures? Or is this a way to ensure everyone gets to graduate? Or is this the new normal and colleges are behind? I really do not know the correct answer but I fear the grading scale is more harmful than helpful.”
Some teachers believe that the survey is a step in the right direction to improving the system. These individuals believe the results should be taken into consideration in order to make an improvement in our policy.
- “Yes, I think gathering input from teachers and then using that input in decision-making is a sign of good leadership,” said Trenton Kerger, an English teacher at Abraham Lincoln.
- “The grading system is too lenient and we are doing a disservice to students by not challenging them to higher expectations,” said Sharon Fouche, a Special Education teacher at ALHS. “The school should see the results of the survey.”
Some students believe that the surveys should be taken into consideration in order to improve the grading system.
- “I’m not sure what needs to change but I know that something needs to,” said McSorley. “I think the survey was a good way to start changing the system.”
- “I feel like once they make the kids try they will see a difference,” said Gach. “Yes, some kids don’t want to try at all but that doesn’t mean you give them what they want. You need to push them to be better.”
