by Robel Wondimu ’13

For the fourth year in a row, MCPS graduated 87.6 percent of its students, which is the highest rate among large school districts in the country. Last year, of Sherwood’s graduating class of 475, only four flunked out while seven dropped out, for a graduation rate above 97 percent.

As impressive as that figure is, Principal Bill Gregory wants to reach MCPS’ goal of 100-percent graduation rate. “[2012] was a low year,” said Gregory. “Some of these kids may not graduate in June, but they will graduate in August, or they’ll graduate the following year, but most of our kids graduate.”

As part of the effort that nearly all students at the school eventually graduate, teachers focus on high-risk students who are in danger of failing. A last-ditch action that teachers may take is “bumping” a grade at the end of the marking period. There is no school policy on bumping and it is left to the discretion of teachers.

The lack of a firm policy has raised questions about the objectivity of grading and created tension, particularly in instances when a teacher has felt pressured to pass a student who has a failing grade or a large number of unexcused absences.

“I do not feel it is equitable to all students if a student is allowed to not put in the requisite effort over the course of an entire marking period just to have exceptions or concessions made at the end of the marking period just to get them to a higher grade,” said English teacher Patricia Jasnow.

As an Honors English 12 teacher, Jasnow has more at stake when it comes to students passing her class than other teachers because English is the only subject students must take all four years to graduate.

English resource teacher Shelley Jackson believes that bumping a grade destroys the integrity of the grading system. “I would never bump a grade at the end of the quarter,” said Jackson. “I don’t think it is fair to give away points. If a student messed up due to something serious going on that I didn’t know about when it happened, and I found out about it later, I may allow a student to make up an assignment for partial credit … especially if the negative pattern of behavior had changed significantly.”

Other than setbacks caused by unforeseen or special circumstances, Jackson believes that graduation is easily attainable but that students can be stymied by their own apathy. “There are almost no students in this building that work hard and fail classes … The failures come from the multiple zeros,” said Jackson.

One reason for these multiple zeros is students missing class and not completing assignments or tests on those days. Under Sherwood’s attendance policy, students with three unlawful absences will be given a warning and referred to their counselor and administrator, and students with five will be required to submit an Academic Intervention Plan or appeal the absence.

After Gregory found out that this process was not being followed, with instances when nothing was happening to students with unexcused absences, he sought to fix the system. Gregory brought together his Educational Management Team, consisting of counselors, administrators and others, to go through a list of students with unexcused absences and began to assign specific responsibilities to different staff.

Through November 19, 15.2 percent of students had three unexcused absences and 3.5 percent had five or more. While the numbers may seem alarming, Assistant Principal Terry Heintze noted that most of the unexcused absences are a result of students forgetting to bring in notes. Making up late work is not a part of the attendance contract, but falls under guidelines for grading and reporting. “The county’s grading and reporting policy states if a student is absent … it is expected they make up the work. However, if the absence is unexcused, they may not get the grade until it is excused,” said Gregory.

This opportunity to turn in late work or make up missed tests has caused consternation among some teachers in cases when students are completing work weeks after the original due date. In response, the English department is working on a departmental grading policy so that there is consistency in how to address assignments from absent students. Under the department’s proposed policy, if a student has an unexcused absence on the day an assignment is due, the teacher will give the student a new due date to turn in the assignment, but the student will have a zero until the absence is excused, and the assignment will not be accepted after the new due date.

Counselors work with teachers in the best interest of the student.  “On one hand, counselors advocate for the student.  On the other hand, we try to strike a fine balance with the teachers,” said Leisa Dunkins, head of the counseling department.

“It’s a different responsibility having the gradebook in your hands,” said Jackson. “The counselor is looking at the emotional well-being of the student and doesn’t always have all of the academic information.  The teacher has to look at more than just the emotional element of things because the teacher has a contractual responsibility to give a grade that has integrity that says a student has mastered a certain percentage of the curriculum.”