New Grading Scale: Empowerment or Dumbing Down?

By D'Angelo Rucker

Recently Mayor Adrian Fenty changed the DCPS grading scale to one that requires less effort to achieve more. Were these changes to the grading scale for the better, or were DC students "dumbed-down?" The new grading scale is the same as the one used by the majority of schools across America. The change will help struggling students. For 12th graders that have done well all three years, this will make senior year go more smoothly. Ninth and tenth graders get the most benefit, since they have three and four years to work with the scale. However, many students are not happy with the change.

"I feel like they are saying that we're not capable of working at a higher standard," said Riah Williams, 12th grader and SGA President.

For the 11th graders, the scale can help raise a GPA by several points, hiding any mistakes made in previous years. But for the 12th grader that struggled with the old grading scale for three years, this doesn't seem fair.

"I don't think it's fair to the student who struggled with the old grading scale for three years. Some GPAs were destroyed because of it," said Mr. Cassidy, English teacher.

"I think that this is an attempt by Adrian Fenty to make himself look good and get quick results," said Alyssa Latney, 12th grader and 12th Vice-President.

Another problem that students have with the new grading scale is that it does not work retroactively. This means that although you are on a new grading scale in the same school, the grades you earned in the past will not be changed according to the new scale.

The administration said they cannot change the grades, because they do not have the percentages from all of the previous years. Many students don't understand why the percentages aren't available, since the school uses DC Stars, which is an advance grading system that was designed to keep track of grades.

"We don't keep the percentages, because we don't need them," said Mr. Pree, DC Stars Administrator. "We keep everything from schedules to transcripts. Keeping percentages is redundant and takes up space. But if you want your percentages it falls on the teacher to maintain a record."

Although the scale does not work retroactively, the majority of the student body agrees with the change made to the scale.

"This grading scale is a whole lot better than the old one. I am getting grades that I feel I deserve and earned," said Clarence Slye, 11th grader.

By Anna Kinsman |  December 5, 2007; 10:00 AM ET News
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