Posted on 10/22/2015 8:32:25 AM PDT by rey
A new grading scale that redefines what constitutes an “A” or an “F” is causing strife and confusion in the Cotati-Rohnert Park school district. Some teachers and officials say it lowers the bar for student success, while others say it encourages students to succeed.
The new system is called the equal interval scale. Essentially, it makes it harder to get a failing grade. It departs from the traditional A to F scale in which students receive F’s for scores below 59 percent. Instead, the scale awards F’s only for scores below 20 percent.
“My mentor teacher, she’s not enjoying it. She’s got issues with it,” said Adam Green, a Rancho Cotate High School math teacher who likes the new system. “I respect her and I respectfully disagree.”
cont.
(Excerpt) Read more at pressdemocrat.com ...
Under the new policy, grades rise in 20-point increments. For example, scores of 20 to 40 percentage points earn D- through D+ grades — and so on, up the ladder. Students get an A- for scoring between 80 and 85, which traditionally is low B territory.
Some teachers have tried to hang on to the traditional grading system but have been tripped up by a blanket new policy that students, even if they do not hand in homework or take a test, get 50 percent. Under the new rule, it’s possible for a student who skips a test to receive a better grade than a student who takes the test and does poorly.
“This is just incomprehensible. I don’t have words,” said Lanny Lowery, who has taught English at Rancho Cotate High since 1980.
To her knowledge, said Jessica Progulske, curriculum coordinator for student engagement with the Sonoma County Office of Education, Rohnert Park is the only district in the county to have implemented such a system. Some departments at Elsie Allen High School have a somewhat similar system, said Chris White, director of the Santa Rosa City Schools district office of curriculum and instruction.
Cotati-Rohnert Park school administrators say the change reflects a national movement to encourage students to strive rather than demoralizing them with low grades that make success seem out of reach.
“They’ve still flunked, but they don’t have as much to do mathematically to climb out of the F range,” Superintendent Robert Haley said. “It doesn’t eliminate the F; it doesn’t lower the bar.”
But opponents of the new policy say it does exactly that.
More at site
What is interesting is one student knew enough math to figure out his 3% grade would become a 49% passing grade if he stopped going to school and doing the work.
Anything below 70 is failing in Allen, TX schools. There is no “D” grade. A, B, C, F is all the students can get.
I did that with a math class. My high school offered pass/fail. So I did just well enough to get a pass.
A grading system would have prevented this as my Mom would have motivated me.
Insanity continues apace.
Not enough kids (BEING TAUGHT WELL ENOUGH) to pass?
Ehhh, let’s lower the passing grades.
There you go... more kids passing.
Brilliant!
Genius!
I had a 10 year old pass a hunter safety with 75%. She was thrilled. I had to explain that she didn’t know a quarter of what was on the test and asked if she would hunt with someone who was 25% unsafe? We went over the test until she understood all she got wrong.
Likewise, passing anything at this school with a 25% or even what they consider a quality 50% means the pupil (there is a difference between pupil and student) do not know 75-50% of the material. Would we hire a doctor based on these scores? Of course not.
What job would consider getting 75% wrong and not be considered a failure?
Fort Bend ISD, Texas
70% is a D, 75% for a C
So you don’t turn in any homework or take any tests, and you get a ‘C’. That certainly encourages ‘striving’ doesn’t it.
That's racist.
Further checking shows Texas requires:
A = 90 – 100.
B = 80 – 89.
C = 75 – 79.
D = 70 – 74.
F = 69 and below
20%?! I could guess on most types of tests and be right 50% of the time. This reflects students coming out of a class stupider than they went in.
I still would have flunked geometry.......
Old school;
96-100%=A
86-94%=B
75-85%=C
70-74%=D
Below 70%=FAIL!!!!
Don't show up=FAIL
You are going to get your ass kicked in the real world, no one but your mother,"maybe", cares about your "feelings". The boss only cares about your performance on his job. Get it? HIS JOB.
It is not "your" job, it is his. If you can't carry your own weight, he will get someone who can.
Now, forget about your "feelings", put on your big boy panties, and work your tail off. In school, out in the real world, it doesn't matter. I would rather have someone who had to work his tail to the bone for "C's", than someone who skated and got "A's".
However, under this system,I assume anyone who gets a "C" really Deserves a low grade "F".
No idea what it is now but when I was in K-12:
93-100 A
88-92 B
82-87 C
75-81 D
74 and below E (equivalent to F)
That was in the 50s and 60s in Maine.
Allen ISD Grading Scale
90-100 =A
80-89 =B
70-79 = C
Below 70 = F
I had my first In-N-Out Burger in Rohnert Park
Me too.
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