School Board Considers Banning Valedictorian Award (Los Angeles)

foxnews ^ | February 23, 2003

[Indy Pendance]

LOS ANGELES

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I disagree with the policy to the extent it is trying to discourage competition or reward outstanding students.

But I think there is a real problem nowadays with grades. When I was in school, the grading system was very clearcut, class choices were minimal, and I never heard of any kind of gamesmanship when it came to grades. The valedictorian was the best student, and there was no quibbling about it.

Now, there are these very elaborate grading systems, and it's clear that many kids game the system to achieve higher GPAs.

[ysoitanly]

Self-esteem. In California, all you have to do to get either a lawsuit going or to get something banned, is to complain that someone's 'offended' or their 'self-esteem' is damaged. I'm so sick of this.

[LibertarianInExile]

No, it's due to tracking systems and grade weighting. In many school systems, honors, AP and IB classes get extra points added to the regular 4.0 scale. So a 4.6 reflects the fact that the student took more difficult classes instead of cruising through the basketweaving and basic math courses to a 4.0--it actually is in opposition to grade inflation. Ivy League and other selective colleges supposedly have an easier time with this kind of system in admissions considerations.

But like you, I don't like it. I don't understand why they can't just knock the dumb classes DOWN a point, instead of letting every dimbulb get a 4.0 for acing 'Math For Daily Living.' I can imagine this builds far too much unhealthy self-esteem.

"I am TOO smart--I gots a 4.0!"

[HitmanLV]

My high school, Regis High in NYC, elected its valedictorian also.

[em2vn]

Is it possible your school is too damn easy? 41 students with a 4.0 seems excessive unless you have an extremely large senior class. Maybe your honors program exists in name only.
If the class picks the speakers without regard to academic accomplishment it appears your speakers are the result of a popularity contest.
It sounds as if you may be burdened with one lazy school administration or school board, possibly both.

[JohnBovenmyer]

I had a cousin in Waterloo, IA graduate as one of 17 co-validictorians a few years back, all with perfect GPAs as proof of the school's grade inflation. When I graduated in Bettendorf, IA a few years further back the term valedictorian wasn't used. The top 3 students were honored. As we'd gone through a variety of grading systems they announced the number of grade points earned out of the number possible for each. There was just one clear academic winner, who was happy the class speaker was chosen independently.

[LonghornFreeper]

The people proposing this are complete idiots, but you are so right about the gamesmanship involved in the top ranks at large high schools. I graduated last year as Salutatorian (out of more than 600), losing by a few hundredths of a point (we use a 0-100 system instead of college style GPA). The guy who beat me took a bunch of basic level classes, instead of college level AP courses, so he had to do about half the work I did, but the joke is on him because it will take him four years to graduate college, and it will only take me 2.5 years (I am classified as a senior and I started in fall of 2002, but some of the hours don't apply to my degree). As for not having a social life, I was on the swim team, and in several clubs, and had time for fun outside of school also. I just got by with 5 hours of sleep per night. I worked harder last year than I am this year taking 18 hours in college (the maximum you are allowed to take without special permission from the dean), but it was still an incredibly fun year. Life is as fun as you make it.

[griffin]

4.6 out of 4.0? Lots of extra credit. Maybe a person needs all that extra credit when it is easy to get a 4.0 in 2003 with respect to the level of difficulty it required in 1950. Another great example of the dumbing down of our kids...school'em to the lowest common denominator.

[Just mythoughts]

I agree with your points.

Would appreciate your reaction on the following.

State sets up an Academy of Science, Math & Computing for high school juniors and seniors to live on college campus. The students apply and through a process of evaluation of test scores, grades, interviews, and recommendations are selected. (Approximately 70)

School districts are given a choice of presenting high school diploma, if they elect to maintain student on the roles, the school district would receives a % of the money allocated for each student. District receives money also for high test scores from that student.

Student who attends academy takes college courses and is not ranked at the academy. GPA is what it is.

The high school offers limited honors classes (taught by high school teachers) that gain students college credits and these classes are weighted at .05% for each 1/2 credit hour.

The high school that elected to keep the academy student on the roles for the money, will not weight all the college classes taken at the academy, only those similar to ones offered at high school. Example, school does not offer calculus II, so this class would be given the same weight as normal high school math class.

Reason stated that it was not fair to the high school students, because if all college classes were weighted then that academy student's ranking would be # 1 and GPA would be above 5.0.

So to be fair to the rest of the high school students they would rank the academy student #36 and GPA 3.9, and these are the numbers that would be placed on permanent transcript. However, the high school would attach a letter to the transcript explaining why they had ranked the student #36 and GPA of 3.9. Further stating if student were ranked based upon college credits student would be ranked # 1 with gpa above 5.0.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

The facts of your situation are beyond my ability to analyze thoroughly.

But I would say they illustrate the increasingly complicated, multi-tiered grading systems that have sprung up. This seems to have to do with the fierce competition among students for top grades, and ultimately for admission to top colleges.

The same phenomenon is also reflected in the drive for extra-curricular distinctions, with students participating in a mind-boggling array of clubs, honor societies, volunteer and charitable organizations, etc.

While all that is fine in a way, and while competition drives people to achieve, my concern is that students and their families have lost sight of what education, and those other activities, should really be about.

Instead, there is a shallow and materialistic focus on the grades and the activities as vehicles to something else, rather than life experiences that should be intrinsically enriching and enjoyable.

[Just mythoughts]

I appreciate that you can't analyze thoroughly, which tells me, I did not point directly where the problem was.


It was about money, the District wanted the money for maintaining student on the roles, however they had no policy and still don't except to rank academy student colleges class equal to high school classes.

The District could have avoided the whole thing by not electing to be the sending school that would present the high school diploma. Handing out diploma means collecting money.

The District made money off the student and then were willing to cause a loss of money to the student by giving a much lower ranking and gpa in order to be fair to the rest of the students.

Student requested the Academy issue high school diploma, hence maintaing the integrity of transcript, without requiring a letter attached to explain the numbers.

Did not sue but sure considered it.

[Salvation]

**But some in Hemet wonder if abolishing the valedictorian award could lead to banning other traditional high school honors, like homecoming queen and team captains.**

I think this school district needs to be freeped big time with this question!!

[Salvation]

Obviously Hannity and O'Reilly have this story. What about Rush and Savage?

[Salvation]

Sounds like some School Boards need to get un-elected!

[The KG9 Kid]

Hemet, CA isn't near Los Angeles. It's in Riverside County, and is closer to San Diego than LA.

Riverside County is what passes for 'Conservative' in Southern California.

[Lizavetta]

Is it possible your school is too damn easy? 41 students with a 4.0 seems excessive unless you have an extremely large senior class. Maybe your honors program exists in name only. If the class picks the speakers without regard to academic accomplishment it appears your speakers are the result of a popularity contest.

My thoughts EXACTLY.

[Protagoras]

Sounds like some School Boards need to get un-elected!

No need for elections, in private schools. Abolish government schools and the problem disappears.

[Salvation]

**Abolish government schools and the problem disappears.**

Agree!

[N. Theknow]

Valedictorian, Salutatorian and Class Superlatives (Most Likely to Succeed, Prettiest, Most Athletic, etc.) were always used as a gauge to see how you compared at Class Reunions.

Valedictorian or Salutatorian were achieved honors. However, one or the other of them was usually elected by their classmates as Most Likely to Succeed. Then at class reunions it usually turned out that in the real world they were incapable of pouring piss out of a boot that had directions printed on the heel.

"Prettiest" and "Most Athletic" usually turned out to be "Most Calorically Endowed" and "Best Beer-Belly".

My class should have had a "Biggest Change From a Wallflower to a Miss VaVoom" category for one of my former classmates. Hardly anyone knew her name or face in school. All the guys knew her name and some even noticed her face at the reunion.

[headsonpikes]

"Abolish government schools..."

Sure. Abolish government schools and the game is up.

Ain't gonna happen; gotta keep those sheeple accustomed to herding.