A new policy in Pittsburgh Public Schools that was ostensibly designed to help struggling students will likely only inflate grades. Teachers in these schools are now mandated to give no score lower than 50%, regardless of how the student actually performs. In fact, even if the student earns a 0% on an assignment, a 50% is to be recorded in the grade book. How exactly is that supposed to help struggling students? The thought process behind this policy is that the 50% minimum grade will give students a chance to catch up and a reason to keep trying after having a particularly bad marking period. The example given was that if a student received a 20% in the first marking period, then that student would need 100% in the second marking period to just barely pass for that semester. If given a 50% instead of a 20% in the first marking period, this policy is supposed to create a situation where the student can recover and not give up. What it’s actually doing is letting the student skate by even more easily in the second marking period, since he/she will have to work less hard to earn a passing score for the semester, needing only a 70% as opposed to 100%.
One teacher is worried about how awkward it will look when a student correctly answers only three out of 10 questions on a math quiz—and gets a 50%. If the schools are in such bad shape that they need to institute policies such as these just to have students pass their courses, I doubt the student will even notice the discrepancy in grading.
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Our school system also tried this... 9/25/2008 5:16:08 PM ...and in the face of complaints decided to modify to 0% = not turned in or not tried; 50% minimum otherwise. I actually dont think this is too bad; when I was in high school, most teachers used a 5 point scale (0=Fail - 4=A), which meant that if one earned a bad grade on an assignment, one hadnt fallen into the abyss.
P.S. I also remember at my (big name expensive private) University, there were grades so curved that the three As in a class were for earning a 30/100. I havent seen any curved grades with my childrens schooling...My child who got through high school with almost all As will vouch that 89.6 = B
Pittsburgh Public Schools grading policy 10/20/2008 4:55:39 PM This is a very bad and ill-conceived policy that can only further exacerbate an already dumbed down public education system, not only in Pittsburgh, but in public schools across America. Recent news indicates that several public schools are actually rewarding students with money for achieving good grades; a kind of pay for A system. What nonsense! All of this is a disturbing trend that is, unfortunately, sending Americas public schools further along in a continuing downward spiral, with the apparent goal of nationwide and global educational mediocrity. This is a very sad commentary on just how ineffective our public school systems have become; a national disgrace!
