by Bridget Cook ’14

Amid mid-term exams and report card distribution, scholastic effort had gone through the roof. The weeks preceding exams were full of late-night cram sessions and completion of last-minute assignments to hopefully secure semester grades. Unfortunately for some, even determination and intense focus all semester did not yield the desired end result.

I know from experience that on many occasions, quarter grades are just fractions of points off from the next grade up, and while that 89.3 percent may be annoying, the B won’t kill me. In more severe cases, a grade is a few points shy of passing, and those few points could decide how summer is spent. I admit to falling into both categories, and while both are disheartening, the latter is undoubtedly more serious. Sure homework counts for a small portion of your grade, but it’s hard to complete homework when you don’t understand it. Sometimes even hours of frustrated studying, searching the web for homework help and what feels like Herculean effort won’t transform a grade. But, having the chance to redeem yourself through additional work could make for a happy ending.

The MCPS Grading and Reporting Policy does not permit students to receive extra credit or extra assignments to boost grades. This makes the students with 89 percents sigh, but is a greater disappointment for those who are desperately trying to stay afloat. Academic apathy may be the culprit in some cases of failing, but for others, the subject simply doesn’t click and the course credit is required to graduate.

Extra credit should not be seen as handing out free points to lazy students. It should be incumbent upon students who need a boost in their grade to seek it out from teachers instead of praying for a miracle. These options should be long and thorough, but compiled with material that is more manageable for struggling students than what was on previous tests and quizzes. I know I would take advantage of an opportunity like this if it meant saving my grade.