by Shirley Zheng ’21

Montgomery County Public Schools announced on April 19 that all MCPS students are going to receive a Pass or Incomplete in replacement of traditional letter grades for the fourth marking period. This decision was made in hopes to ensure equity and assist students’ academic standing during the coronavirus crisis and extended school closures. 

Sherwood staff also feel that incorporating Pass or Incomplete seems to be the most ideal option in dealing with obstacles created by the coronavirus pandemic. “I think pass or fail is appropriate for all the changes we’ve all had to make since March,” saidAP Chemistry teacher Mary Cross. 

“I think it is the best decision given our circumstances,” added AP Modern World History teacher Matthew Schneider. “Nothing is perfect, but I think it addresses issues surrounding equity in these strange times,” 

As this is a brand new concept for all Montgomery County schools and staff, Sherwood has been working to stay flexible in order to respond accordingly to any decisions the Board of Education makes as they continue to release additional guidelines regarding this new grading system. “As we are not privy to where the Board of Education may land on this topic, Sherwood High School wants to be prepared by having the student classroom data (grades) available to support any grading and reporting decisions,” said Principal  Eric L. Minus. 

While still awaiting further notice from the Board of Education, Sherwood is moving forward with recording normal grading and reporting for the fourth marking period for assignments across all departments. This means that students are still expected to submit high quality work as they would in school, and teachers are to provide regular and consistent feedback to students through online platforms such as MyMcps Classroom and Google Classroom.

 In terms of student participation and motivation, Sherwood teachers are unsure of what to expect, but remain optimistic and trust that students will continue to work hard to further their learning to the best of their ability. As teachers will continue to do what they can to support their students and reach out to any students who seem to need additional assistance, the responsibility still lies among the students themselves to actively keep up with and complete their assignments with their greatest effort. 

“I will continue to reach out to students who need additional support and hope that students are motivated to learn despite the circumstances,” said Schneider.

Minus responds to this concern with confidence that students will abide by Sherwood’s academic pillars of excellence and perform their best work. 

“This reminds me of our Integrity Pillar of Excellence; meaning it’s about what you do when nobody is watching you. I trust that our students will demonstrate the Integrity pillar as it relates to their effort and work completion,” said Minus.