The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
The debate continues. Should students who earn grades between 90 and 100 receive an A?
Although it is too late to make changes for the current school year, the School Board will discuss tonight whether to alter the school division's grading scale.
In May, a group of parents petitioned the board to adopt a 10-point grading scale in which an A is awarded to grades of 90 to 100 and a B to grades of 80 to 89. The current scale awards A's to scores of 94 and above and B's from 86 to 93, similar to grading in other South Hampton Roads school divisions.
Board member Carolyn Weems argued that the current scale puts top Beach students at a disadvantage in college admissions when their grades are compared with students on different scales.
"We should put them on a level playing field," she said.
At the time, the issue got little traction with the board, though the petition, at www.ipetitions.com/petition/fairgradevbcps, has gotten more than 1,400 signatures. The board did ask legislators to consider a statewide scale.
In the past few months, board member Rita Sweet Bellitto has joined with Weems to form two alternative grading-scale proposals.
"Our scale is a little bit too inflexible," she said. "We don't even have pluses and minuses."
The two proposed grading scales from Bellitto and Weems would create either pluses and minuses or offer interim grade-point averages to in-between scores, such as a 3.7 for grades of 90 to 93.
The current scale gives students a 4.0 for an A and a 3.0 for a B, with nothing in between.
The board plans to discuss how to proceed, including the possibility of holding a public hearing.
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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Grade scale
Growing up I was relocated many times with parent in the Airline industry. I can say without a doubt it is very unfair for a child to say they failed a test with a 73 here, yet a cousin in Missouri scores a 73 and received a C. The issue is equality, the standards should actually be raised in other parts of the country to help our children. Unfortunetly the easy path is to dumb us down to the standards in the rest of the US.
A 91 should be a 91. A 100
A 91 should be a 91. A 100 should be a 100. When did it all get averaged together? Growing up in another state, we were given whatever grade we received! They were not all thrown into the same letter grade and should not be! One person's 100 is not the same as another person's 93! Common sense should prevail!
If they are going to average them out, we should use the same 10 point scale that most of the rest of the country uses! Why should our children be penalized when applying for college?!
College Admissions arguement
And to quickly address all who will respond with “college admission offices know/understand our grading scale”, WRONG! In a different study on the same subject the following facts were presented:
The admissions office at the University of Maryland wrote, "We use the GPA provided by the [high school]. If you determine that an A is a 94-100 we make no adjustments to the GPA to account for that." Villanova wrote, "We do not re-calculate GPAs for admissions."The highly selective Williams College wrote: "We review GPAs as reported by the high school.”Brown University admissions wrote: "We do not 'recalculate' GPAs."Georgetown, Duke, and the military academy (Navy, Army, Air Force) admission officials say the same thing.
Numerous studies have conducted over the past few years as other school districts have wrestled with this issue. Rather than spending money on another study, we should use the work already completed and posted on the web. Contact your school board member and urge reform now!
Stop the Competitive Disadvantage
While I agree with the comments that now earning a grade of "A" will be made easier, the adjustment WILL NOT CHANGE the education our children are receiving. Curriculums should remain the same. At the core of the issue is we want to ensure our children here in VB, with their great K thru 12 educations, are able to continue their educations at colleges of their choice. The current grading scale places them at a COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE with children from school districts using the 10 point system. Facts to back up the argument:
Prior to converting to the 10 point system earlier this year as is being currently discussed a yearlong study funded by the Fairfax County School Board found, "... that the county's tough grading policy hurts students' chances of gaining admission to college and it could hamper their ability to get into honors programs or earn some scholarships."
“33 of the top 45 high schools in the United States currently use the 10 point grading system.”
Get with the rest of the United States Hampton Roads!!!!!!!!!
Let me explain something to everyone that grew up here in the Hampton Roads area and are used to this current type of grading system.
I did not grow up here. I grew up in another state. That state had a 100-90 = A, 89-80 = B, etc., grading scale.
When I've lived in other States, they also had the same simplified grading scale.
As I understand it, more cities/towns in VA used to have the same grading scale as Hampton Roads but have changed to what seems to be the way it's done in the rest of the U.S. I have no scientific research to back up my statement but a simple google search on grading policies only comes back with results for how Hampton Roads area is different than everywhere else.
So, If the rest of the country appears to have more simplified grading scale, why does not Hampton Roads??? What makes your A better then the A I earned in school? Because your A was for a 94 and my A was for a 91? Guess what, we both got the same credit when it was evaluated by a college.
Good Luck Va Beach - if the Beach can get this changed, then hopefully the rest of the HR cities will fall in line and children who transfer in/out of here will not be so confused/dumbfounded
How very sad... I think
How very sad... I think people who are in an uproar against this are missing the point, the issue is a college admissions board in at a New York or California or where-ever university might not be familiar w/ the VB grading scale, and someone from New York who has a 4.0 on their transcript might have the same class scores as someone with a 3.0 in VB...
I'm sure those staunch advocates might alter their stance after their child gets rejected from their dream-university because of something like that
Why the concern about college?
So many posts compare VBCPS and the grading system to college. Let's go all the way and do as the colleges do or maybe did since everything is dumbed down these days. Colleges usually have two tests for a semester course - a midterm and a final. If you were lucky you had a paper or a project that could help raise your grade. I think that would be a great idea. As a teacher, I would love that. Think of it, I teach and they learn and they have to pass. Right now we must have a minimum of nine grades per quarter. We could have a midterm around now and a final around Christmas. We could have a long break and begin again after the first of the year. The student's grade would be based on the midterm and the final. I think that would be great. You want it like the colleges, lets go all the way. But remember, the trick is not getting into college, it is getting OUT of college with a degree!
Nothing new here!
Everone wants to be rewarded just for showing up. When some of the kids don't get grades that are worth a d---, the parents cry and the school board caves in. Hey sorry about your luck for getting a 93 instead of a 94, but you should not be rewarded the same as a student who got the 94. The playing field is already even for everyone. Either encourage your child to do better or shut up!
No future in education
Fifteen years ago when I was in school an “A” was 94 or better, a “B” was 85 to 93. Not quite sure the letter grades and corresponding numbers below that “B” threshold because my MOTHER EXPECTED more from me then C’s and D’s. Parents need to stop being so accommodating. Push little Johnny, Jahiem or Jose to DO BETTER! Stop looking for handouts. The kids in these god forsaken schools, especially Norfolk, are already behind the curve when it comes to learning. Don’t believe me, just go to the schools and ask to see an English assignment. You will be appalled. The schools have become daycare centers. Passing out free and reduced lunch, now they are passing out easy grades.
yep, make it easy
Let's make getting grades easy, like getting a car, a house, food, utilities! Might as well teach them early that all is easy and free, just there for the taking! Change, ain't it grand? Thanks bozobama, your minions thank you for trying to ruin OUR country.