The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
The School Board voted Tuesday to change the school system’s grading scale to one based on 10 -point intervals.
The scale, which goes into effect in the fall, will significantly change the A range, allowing students to earn an A with 90 instead of 94. It also changes the lowest passing grade to 64 from 70.
The board voted 6-3 to approve the plan, which employs the same scale used by public schools in Fairfax County, the largest system in Virginia. Rita Sweet Bellitto, Patrick Salyer and Bill Brunke voted against it. New board member Scott Seery abstained, and Todd Davidson was caring for sick family members.
“I don’t see how we can not change our grading scale,” Board Member Brent Mckenzie said in a workshop before the vote. “It is clearly harming our students.”
Parents said the city’s current scale puts students at a disadvantage against Northern Virginia students in college admissions, as well as hurting scholarship chances and affecting car insurance discounts.
Over the past few months, the school division surveyed staff, administrators and parents and held a public hearing .
The board received nearly 6,800 comments, with a large majority favoring some version of a 10 -point scale over a compromise that would have kept current grade ranges but added a B+, C+ and D+.
Bellitto said she couldn’t support a scale that lowered the bottom grade . Board member Sandra Smith-Jones said she would have liked to see an A+ grade, but voted for the plan because it could give hope to students who are struggling to pass.
Dakota Clifford, a 16-year-old sophomore at Frank W. Cox High, told the board he helped collect more than 700 signatures at his school from students who support a 10 -point scale.
As a military child, he said the scale in Virginia Beach “throws another curveball” at students “who already adjust to too much.”
Laura Aquilino and Melissa Miller, two parents who began the effort to change the Beach grading scale about a year ago, said they want the changes to be retroactive.
The board does not plan to do that, and Superintendent Jim Merrill said it would not be technically possible.
None of the other divisions in South Hampton Roads have changed their scales. The Beach board last changed the scale in 1986, responding to complaints of excessive stringency.
The board then changed an A from grades of 95 to 100 to 94 to 100. The lowest passing grade moved from 74 to 70.
Board member Dan Edwards said the change would not lower standards, but would allow teachers to better differentiate with the addition of plus and minus grades.
In an earlier workshop, when several board members seemed inclined to delay a decision for another year, Edwards urged them to act. Likening the grading issue to a neighborhood nuisance, he said: “I want this puppy to leave my yard.”
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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I Also Wonder....
Since this plot was hatched by two School Board member parents (one who has bent the rules to serve her family's circumstances) of kids in the VBCPS, and who obviously have a vested interest in seeing their kids accepted to college, why can't a teacher run for the school board? The conflict-of-interst is no greater for a teacher than for a school board member who's persistent attempts to change the rules to fit their child's situation drives his/her school board involvement.
Other school districts across the country allow teachers to serve on their school district's school board. Why is it a violation of state code in Virginia?
Political expediency trumps principle
Because at the end of the day, politicians only do what's politically expedient. Parents and students out-number teachers. It's easier for politicians to foster the villainization of teachers rather than villainize the politicians who make the decisions that negatively impact education. The teacher-accountability-only approach to educational issues is the only way to secure political power. It's not about doing what's right; it's about doing whatever it takes to stay in power.
The Blame Game....
The unfortunate result of this decison is that teachers will ultimately be blamed for this decision and have to listen to continuous complaints from public critics on how WE "dumb down" education. Please remember that this decision, as many others that affect your child's education, was School Board initiated and School Board approved and had relatively little input from teachers. Same process was followed for the "no zero's" policy.
The VBCPS School Board has made some questionable decisions in the past several years....please remember this in November. And to anyone thinking of running in opposition to any of these folks....please, please fill out the paperwork.
Slippery Sliding Scale
I am a product of Virginia Beach Public Schools (attended since 2nd grade and graduated 10 years ago). Having the grading scale set with a 94 and up as an "A" set a high standard which I always aimed for. I thought it was normal, my parents never complained, they just reinforced their expectations that I should aim for all A's. And I did, all through school. When I got to college, I was amazed at the new scale that I was introduced to. I actually feel bad when I get a 90-93 and it counts as an "A". I still feel like I could have done better. It's complete bull that people think they will be denied entrance to certain colleges just because of a grading scale. All of the kids I graduated with, who were "A" students got into good schools like Tech, UVA, VCU, JMU and even the Citadel. The kids who are pulling 90s to 93s as the high part of their B/C average will not all of the sudden gain acceptance to the above mentioned schools over a handful of newly changed A's. These schools only accept the best of the best, if you don't make a 3.5 or higher-keep looking. People seem to set their expectations low when it comes to children these days, and this new scale proves just that.
Rigorous Lip Service is not rigor
I have no problem with a ten-point grading scale if it accurately reflects students' performance in a way that fosters a strong work-ethic, responsibility and initiative to complete work. My concern is: Is the Va Beach City Public School district putting its students at a disadvantage if colleges become aware of its "no zero" policy? Will colleges look at students from school districts (like the VBCPS)that award partial credit for doing nothing (since teachers are not allowed to give zeros to students who do not do the work)differently than students from districts that allow teachers to give zeros for not doing an assignment? What about the districts where teachers aren't required to chase down students to get them to do missing assignments or make up work? Do colleges look at low-student-accountability vs. high-student-accountability districts? If you have two students, both with a 4.0 GPA: one student from a high-accountability district that allows zeros and one from a low-acccountability district that forbids zeros....which one has more accountability and study/work ethic - rigor? At some point, colleges will have to look at school districts' policies to determine which distri
No longer "Ahead of the Curve"
First VB made it a policy that homework can't count more than 10% of a students overall grade..Why? Because many don't do homework. Then, they tried to implement the "No Zero" policy, so for those students that do no homework can at least get a 60. Now this. Broaden the grade scale so that it appears more students are getting A's and B's and less students fail. VB is no longer a world class school system. It's no longer "Ahead of the Curve." VB is now just average..like all other school systems. VB has been cramming "rigor, relevance and relationships" down the throats of teachers and they cram it down the throats of their students. Pushing the whole "21st Century Skills". They finally realized that students don't want rigor, they don't want to work for their grades, so now, they don't have too. The only 21st Century skill these kids know is how to text message and not get caught. So now, a student technically doesn't have to do any work and will be given a 60% and only have to raise it to 65% to pass for the year. Now their ready for the real world..show up to work, do NO WORK but make 60% of your salary. Way to go VBCPS..you are slowing slipping behind the curve. H
Change To Grading Scale
Now the kids are really going to be prepared for the cruel adult world where self esteem won't bring in a paycheck. High schools are not the only "educational" institutions that dumb down grades.
I took a university course in which I was the only student in the class with an A average. In fact I was the only one who got any A's. Because the instructor was allowed to give a certain number of A's for the course I became one of five students with a for a final grade.
Another class taught by an ODU graduate student passed everyone with at least a C even though he couldn't teach and the textbook was poorly written.
It is no wonder the US is losing its economic edge. It is no wonder citizenship is a lost art. Who needs to be educated when politicians' sound bites and Rush Limbaugh tell us what to believe?
Dumb Down Grades????
Dumb Down Grades? No, it's called reality. VB Public Schools were not fitting in the "Majority" when their own schools were in the "Minority". The (10) pt. grading scale is to fit in the majority of what other schools are doing (even in college). It just doesn't pay to have students work harder in High School (or not pass) than (maybe) to be disqualified for college because other students from other schools are getting a (90) which is an (A) and here in VB a (90) is only a (B). Again, you're comparing Elem/Middle/High Schools to your College experience and if colleges uses the (10) pt. grading scale....that means the school system has to join the majority of what other schools are doing. I attended the VB Public Schools hearing and was IN FAVOR of the (10) pt. grading system because I came here through my Dad's Navy Transfer and it would've helped me in school if VB was on the (10) pt. system then. Having kids get better grades is not losing the economic edge...it's giving them a fair shot at what the "real world" is about.
Sad day for eductaion in Va Beach
I cannot make any cents, no since, no I mean the other one...ahhh ya nos
I glad said my to, no too, you no, 2 sense
On the transcript, the
On the transcript, the colleges will see the new grading scale. Hmmmm... something to think about.>>>
This is addressed on the secondary school reports that are sent out with transcripts. When Fairfax changed theirs last Jan., it went into effect immediately and a new secondary school report with the change was sent with mid-year transcripts to colleges.