Teachers Concerned About New Grading Policy

by Isabella Pilot ’18

Classrooms in Montgomery County have been buzzing this spring following the release of the county’s new grading system. Following the decision to eliminate semester exams, the Board of Education was faced with another decision regarding the calculation of semester grades.

The changes to the grading table are as follows, with the first quarter grade listed first followed by the second quarter grade; A+B=A, A+D=B, B+C=B, B+E=C, C+D=C, averaging the letter grade for each semester using a “quality point” system. This same “quality point” system is used currently in both middle school courses and summer school. According to Larry Bowers, the interim superintendent of schools, “alignment of grading guidelines will bring more consistency to student grades in the district.”

Though feedback was collected from teachers on how to calculate semester grades, the overwhelmingly negative response from Sherwood staff on the Board’s final decision poses a question: were the voices of teachers heard?

Science teacher Glenn Miller represents Sherwood in the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), and serves as the staff’s elected faculty rep. Though Miller stated that MCEA has not taken an official position on the issue, he has noticed that the changes announced by the Board are, “overwhelmingly not the favored option” among educators, and that teachers, “wanted something else.” Interestingly, despite teacher outrage about the policy, their union still endorsed the Board of Education incumbent who advocated for the change.

Teachers are most upset that MCPS selected a grading policy in which a student who receives an A first quarter and then a B second quarter, for example, still will receive an A as the semester grade.

Every teacher interviewed by The Warrior agreed that an alternative route should have been taken, the most popular idea being that an average is taken of the two numerical quarter grades to calculate a student’s semester grade, an approach which has already been taken by Anne Arundel County.

“Because the grade will trend up rather than being a strict average, I think kids are going to try less the second marking period, and it’s just going to be easier to get a good grade,” said English teacher Christiane Lock. “So many people will have As and Bs, but it won’t mean anything. Grades are going to become less and less meaningful.”

Math teacher Michelle Harriger is also concerned about the grading policy, considering that “in college courses, there are no reassessments, no 50% rule, no ‘rounding up’ to calculate your semester grade, and if the course is a requirement for your major, passing isn’t good enough.  Most colleges require you earn at least a C.  A “D” means retaking the course or changing your major.”

This is a huge contrast from the current MCPS grading policy, which offers reassessments in all courses, requires teachers to assign a grade of 50% or more if a student attempts to meet the requirements of the assignment, and requires teachers to round up all decimals of five tenths or more (which means an 89.5% becomes an A, 79.5% becomes a B, etc.)

“Under the new system, what is required of students to score highly in an MCPS course is not remotely equal to what is required of students who want to earn the same score in a college course.  I fear that, under the new system, students will leave MCPS grossly underprepared for the rigors of college,” said Harriger. “Ask yourself:  if you have a great high school GPA and a fantastic looking transcript, but fail out of college, what have you accomplished?”