Chesapeake's grading system not too tough, study concludes

First off, you do not get a plus .5 for a plus. The way college grading scales work is as follows

100-97 = A+ = 4.0
96-94 = A = 4.0
93-90 = A- = 3.67
89-87 = B+ = 3.33
86-84 = B = 3.0
83-80 = B- = 2.67

And so on.

To actually request a 3.5 for receiving a 92 is ridiculous. Students already receive an additional .025 and .05 added to their cumulative GPA for taking an honors course/AP course (which lets be honest, are not very hard to start with). That is the trade off. You get one or the other so pick...pluses and minuses, or extra AP/Honors credit.

Additionally, I graduated from a Chesapeake school. In my graduating class, only 20% of students graduated with less than a 2.0. And correct me if I am wrong here, but isn't a 2.0 (a C for those of you who do not know) average. So what Portsmouth is requiring is that all students pass with a GPA essentially better than average? I must be over analyzing this, but it seems a little backwards to me. Just a thought.

During the term, my daughter receives numerical (100 point scale) grades on her tests, homework, classwork, etc. At the end of the term, she gets a letter grade based on her average for the term. A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0 and so forth. When she has had a 93 average, she got a B and a 3.0(unless weighted for honors or AP) was calculated into her cummulative GPA which is used for class ranking(this GPA and ranking is what colleges look at). Since competition for scholarships is not limited to this area, I think the schools should include the plus system, A, B+, B, C+, C..., where the plus is scored as an additional .5. With this type scoring, the grades would be more accurate/precise.

b84184,

Just look at the grad requirements on the high school sites. For Portsmouth, a student needs a 2.0 GPA (Letter grade C), and has to earn 28 credits for a standard diploma and 30 for an advanced. For Chesapeake, they can graduate with a 1.0 GPA (Letter grade D), and only has to earn 22 credits for a standard diploma and 24 for an advanced. No wonder students who are falling short of graduation in Portsmouth start pouring over into Chesapeake...

Grading systems here are like block scheduling. Students will NEVER see them after high school. Almost all colleges use a 10 point scale. It's just a vanity game amongst school districts to see which district can make it's grading system look more stringent than another's. The real question is why colleges have to subject their accepted applicants to reading and math entrance exams? The answer...schools are not doing their job anymore regardless of what the grades or college board scores show. Both are inflated and colleges don't trust them so they have to give their own tests.

The people that said they bump up grades to show the next grade letter is not correct. My daughter who was a junior this past year at Hickory.....a year that is most important for grades knowing that this was the year colleges concentrate on the most....had a numerical grade of 93.9 in her math class. She worked very hard that quarter...she went to her teacher and asked for extra work or a work sheet or anything to bring her grade up to a 94(.1) to have that A that she worked so hard for. The teacher did not budge. My daugher did not expect to be "given" the grade but was more then willing to work for it because it would have helped her GPA. She is a very good student. But it is VERY frustrating when it is that close. She has mentioned how many times this has happened to other students in this school. I am on the fence about the grading scale. I like the fact that it pushes the students more but why can't the teachers work with the students who are pushing so hard to have that 3.5 or higher. I actually agree with some of the people who like the percentages. There is a BIG difference between a 93 and an 86. If they are not willing to change the letter grades then make it mandat

My friend who was in Norfolk schools used to go by the 10 point scale, so his grades looked better than my Chesapeake grades. Of course, I used to get lots of E's for Excellent. Man I owe it to Welch and Connover for what I perceived as a hookup to graduate! Phew it would have stunk going to summer school or something. And I didn't turn out a total reject! I'm the only one it seems to take any interest in community stuff like these comment boxes. Of course, I think I'm the only one from my graduating class that didn't leave Hampton Roads.

Chesapeake computes scores on both the 4 point scale and the numerical percentage, then gives the student the benefit of the doubt if there is a difference. For instance, a student with a 2.6 B, but an 84% C average will have a grade of B posted. Conversely, a student could have a 2.4 C, but have an 86% B average. The grade of B will be posted. No offense to my P'town neighbors, but I teach in Chesapeake and every incoming P'town transfer I have had struggled to pass although most of them transferred in with an A or B due to grade inflation. Even if P'town requires a 2.0 to graduate but gives minimum scores 60% for no work, then a kid can blow off half the work, score an 80% on the other half, average a 70% and graduate. In Chesapeake, if a kid blows off half the work the kid does not graduate, period! Why do you think so many kids feel entitled to handouts for nothing these days? Chesapeake has high standards and

I wonder where the students that are discussed here actually fall. Do they do their homework and turn in assignments on time. The parents that complain here - how many actually insist their student do the homework when they get home. The point systems are recognized at the admissions office of every worthwhile school - public or private. If an A is at 90 or 94 that is taken into consideration. As for someone who said the teacher assignment arbitrary value to questions on the test - that is why they're the teacher. They are supposed to be the one that writes the test and grades it. Not every question can be a true or false, yes or no or specific value. One of my math teachers explained that a question was valued at the number of ideas required top calculate the answer. How many formula are required to arrive at the correct answer etc. My children are doing well, and some classes they get their B after missing an A by tenths. Such is life. Life is not fair and school is a learning process of knowledge and experiences. Quit the whining. Grades, Class Standing and SAT/ACT scores and more determine college entrance. Each school system is level playing field. A zero should be a zero

To compair Portsmouth to Chesapeake is like compairing a Ford to a Mercedes or BMW. I was unfortunate to spend SEVERAL of my years in Churchland schools only to learn where to find pot how to skip infront of school cameras and which teachers you could ditch their class and they would still count you as being there. THANKFULLY my parents ripped me out of that school system and sent me to the (new in 97) Hickory High School where not only did I actually excel academically but had more positive role model teachers. Now as a parent myself I thought ok Portsmouth would have changed in those years NOT HARDLY. I have bent over backwards and will make sure my children will NEVER EVER go to another school system that only cares about how many they pass not the QUALITY of the education that those students recieve. Leave Chesapeake ALONE there is nothing wrong with their school system or grading scale and MANY d

I recall a 10 pt grading system in VB at the school I attended. I also remember receiving ZEROS when I didn't turn in my assignments. I remember receiving a 23 one time on a test that I hadn't prepared for because I had been out ill for almost a week. I was allowed to re-take the test after I brought in a physicians note about my illness, but still. The truth is, while I believe a 10 point system is best, I do not believe in dumbing down standards in order to raise or boost self esteem. If parents would place more emphasis on accountability and holding their children responsible for their actions, there would be fewer problems with today's generation than what I can see. I only hope to raise my children *all 3 of them* into self sufficient, self aware, accountable adults.

When I went to school in Portsmouth 15 years ago, the scale was like this 95-100 A, 94-86 B, 85-76 C, 75-70 D. I had a 94.38 in Spanish 2! And guess what grade I received...a B! And how are Portsmouth standards higher than Chesapeake? All 9th graders without an IEP must pass Algebra 1 in order to be promoted to 10th grade. No exceptions! Also you must have a 2.0 GPA to graduate from high school in Portsmouth. I have seen many seniors who passed their classes not march and end up in summer school trying to boost their GPA to a 2.0 so they can receive a high school diploma. As a certified educator, my administrators wouldn't allow me to give students zeros either. We had students who shut down the 4th nine weeks and received 50s on assignments for doing NOTHING!

What grade you get is just how willing you are to try and how reasonable a teacher your have. I'm going to be a senior at Oscar Smith. Aside from a two-and-a-half year stay at a DODD's school when my parents transfered, I have been in the Chesapeake school system all my life.

To me, the problem is not the grading scale. If you make the effort--you get the grade in most cases. My problem with the Chesapeake school system is that it teaches to the SOL test. A high school student is limited in field trips and in sports trips if it cuts into your SOL class hours. When I went to the DODD's school, we had the Terra Nova--but no one taught to the test. Instead of being taught to a test, we were taught the most we had about the subject we were taking. I miss that.

Also, they are lowering the standards in my school. When I signed up for my two AP classes last year, I had to go through a series of teacher recommendations, a wri

I am a retired Navy wife with 4 kids who have been in 8 different school systems including Virginia Beach. VB is the worse school system my kids had ever attended, and that includes Guam, Hawaii, and DOD schools. 2 of my 4 are just average kids who could not get through the public school system grading scale here, (they graduated from private school). My 2 advanced kids got through as average and that's ok, they got through. I made it through school on a 10 point scale and consider myself quite successful even without computers, math classes I've never heard of, and electives I can't spell. Lowering the grading scale to be fair to all students would still allow those honor students to graduate with more than a 4.0 (which I have one of those) as well as allow the "average" kids to graduate period!

Lose the letters for grades. When we were kids, numerical grades were on our tests and report cards. This year my son came home with three "A"s and four "B"s on his final report card. What does that mean? Is his "A" in Science a 99 or a 93? Is the "B" in another class a 92 or an 86? Haven't a clue. Will numerical grades be on transcripts sent to colleges?

There was a 10 point grading scale in a state we formerly lived in. When we moved here, some of those "A"s turned into "B"s. His report card from the former state did have numerical grades on the report cards. Makes sense!

"Chesapeake may have tough grading standards, but the graduation requirements are easier than neighboring districts. Why not start with the next group of freshmen and make their requirements to graduate as high as those in Portsmouth"

Westyjoe, PLEASE explain your statement above. How can Ptown have the most rigorous grad standards in the area? Please detail how Ptown's standards are higher than any other city around here.

At the end of each term, the 100 point scale number is converted to a letter which is in turn converted to the 4.0 scale. This is where the student who averaged 93.4 gets a B and then only a 3.0. If the plus system was in effect, that student would get a 3.5 and not be punished for missing the cutoff by so small of a margin. Yes, someone will always lose out regardless of the cutoff but the issue is money, specifically scholarship money. Instituting a grading policy that includes the plus system (no minuses) would help prevent unfair disparities in the double conversions of grades.

I grew up in Maryland with the 10 point scale, so when I found out about the grading scale in VB, I was stunned at first. I had no idea there were other grading scales out there, but I did some research.

I completely agree that the bar SHOULD be set high like that, as long as the curriculum isn't "dumbed down" to compensate. If that IS truly the case, it's all set up to make kids feel good about themselves, instead of challenging themselves to learn and get the best grades possible. Everything is centered around those stupid SOL's now, anyway. I want my kids to be critical thinkers who can USE the info they learned, not to regurgitate facts on a standardized test.

It was so odd last school year to see A's and B's on my son's report card that would've probably been straight A's if he went to the school system I did, LOL.

I have no problem with the grading scale VB uses. It's just an adjustment. I know that colleg

God forbid we set an attainable goal for these kids to reach! We don't expect perfection, but we do expect them to put forth their most honest effort. There is nothing wrong with the grading scale as it is. What would be the difference in sending your kids to private school, paying outrageous tuition fees and hoping they'll maximize your investment? It's the same concept with the public school system. For some of you, it's damned if you do and damned if you dont. Be glad someone believes in your kids because from some of the comments on this posting, you surely don't. Kids are a reflection of their parents and to that end, I can see why kids are failing. You baby them too much...

If you think your kids have it tough now, wait until they get out into the real world where you can't protect them!

Next will be the court case where someone wants to dumb down the school system. They have a basis to believe it can be done, after all they dumbed down the police standards. What could be next? Unbelievable that parents would be concerned about this instead of their childrens performance.

How well you do at anything is how well you did compared to other people. It works that way now because the curriculum is designed on past experience of what students could accomplish.

Grade inflation is a problem. C is supposed to mean average so the average scoring students should get a C. Using the +/- thing and putting the center at a B gets around the cultural irrationality that everyone's child is above average. If the test is so easy to put so many people in the 90% range, it should be trashed and done again with something challenging.

Chesapeake may have tough grading standards, but the graduation requirements are easier than neighboring districts. Why not start with the next group of freshmen and make their requirements to graduate as high as those in Portsmouth (yes, in this instance Portsmouth leads!). By doing this we can compare the districts on even scales. Also we would not provide students, who are residents (and taxpayers) of Portsmouth and other cities that can't qualify, a reason to crossover to Chesapeake and sap our resources and add to an already difficult discipline problem.

As a teacher in another Hampton Roads school system VERY similar to Chesapeake I can attest to the "no zero's" policy. While the policy has never been written anywhere-- and trust me much to every teacher's disbelief it ISN'T written-- I was told to change a grade on an assignment to a 60 from the ZERO I had given because the student NEVER TURNED IN THE WORK. When I disagreed the grade was changed in the computer system FOR ME. While I know that I could have challenged this in many places up the food chain I didn't because I knew how that would look. I agree with the previous poster that we are making things too easy for kids today, and many times it's because the administrators fear the parents therefor they will placate them in whatever way necessary. So the only thing children/parents learn is that the next time they didn't like a grade they got they simply demanded to have it changed or "they would go

If some school systems have their way, no student would ever "earn" zeros or anything less than a 60 on an assignment. Some teachers are "encouraged" to assign a "60" in place of a zero or in place of any grade lower than a 60. So essentially a student could turn in no homework and still end up with a 60 or fail a test with a 48 but still be given a 60. The idea is to make it "easier" to pull up the grade on the next assignment. When I was in school, it took a few tests grades to recover from a poor grade. Now, they want to make it easier. Another idea is that it hurts the student's self-esteem when they see such low grades and isn't encouraged to do better. So, if they switch to a 10 point grading scale and assign the lowest grade of 60, all students will be on the honor roll in no time. Its time to hold these students responsible and not coddle and cater to them. Heck, a teacher can't even grade papers in class any more, b

The problem with scoring on the bell curve is that it forces people's grades to be figured based on other people's grades, not how well/poorly you did.

I realize most high schoolers, and most high school teachers have no clue how a bell curve is designed.

But let's say one standard deviation above, and one below the mean will be our C grade. Ok, now 68% of our students will have a C grade.

The next SD above will be our B students. 13.5% get Bs. Next one above is As and 2.5% get As (same thing as below the mean- 13.5% get Ds and 2.5% get As).

Think of how many parents/students will freak out if 68% of all students ALWAYS get Cs, and only 2.5% get As. While I have no problem with that- if the mean on a test is 95, and the SD is a 1, then a score of 92 or below is an F. 92% correct on an exam really shouldn't be an F.

The points are completely meaningless. The teacher arbitrarily decides how many points a question is worth and then uses an arbitrary scale to see what the grade is.

The way grading systems should work is forgot about a grading scale, make all tests on the difficult side, and then use a bell curve to set grades. That determines the difficultly of a given test empirically rather than having to guess ahead of time how it will line up with an arbitrary scale.

When I was in elementary thru part of high school (at least 4 different school systems involved, ranging from Virginia to Mississippi), the grading scale was as follows: 95-100: A, 88-94: B, 81-87: C, 75-80: D, below 74: F. Granted, we did have pluses and minuses. Further, I graduated high school only 7 years ago. Sounds to me like C'peake's scale is just fine. It wasn't until I started attending high school in South Carolina that I was introduced to the 10-point scale. It wasn't like in college, however, in that 90-100:A, 80-89: B, 70-79: C, below 70: F. Indeed, there was no D. This scale was changed to a 7-point scale, including a D my senior year. As far as pluses and minuses go, my undegraduate school had them and my graduate school did not. It really makes no difference, assuming you have some range in your grades from time to time. Eventually, your B- will cancel out with a B+.

...taxes will have to go up again in Chesapeake. The teachers demand "perfection" from the students, especially in the Nail technology class! Months ago, the SOL's stated that area schools like VB and Chesapeake schools were the highest-NOW..you have a problem with grading?? Someone stated it right-too many socialites running the asylum! Another boondoggle in the making!

IMO: I believe schools are nothing more than a play ground that entertains children’s for at least 5 hours a day. The few who really want to achieve are hindered by the ones who are just there putting in time. Too many socialites now.

When yo kidz cant read or right poperly and they be workin at Mickey Deez or da Sonic fo the rest of they life then perhaps you will tink back and reckenize that skewl and responsabilities was impotent after all.