Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Las Vegas high-school English teacher Laura Jeanne Penrod initially thought the grading changes at her school district made sense. Under the overhaul, students are given more chances to prove they have mastered a subject without being held to arbitrary deadlines, in recognition of challenges some children have outside school.
But students seemed to learn how to game the system.
Quote:
Soon after the system was introduced, however, Ms. Penrod said her 11th-grade honors students realized the new rules minimized the importance of homework to their final grades, leading many to forgo the brainstorming and rough drafts required ahead of writing a persuasive essay. Some didn’t turn in the essay at all, knowing they could redo it later.
“They’re relying on children having intrinsic motivation, and that is the furthest thing from the truth for this age group,” said Ms. Penrod, a teacher for 17 years.
Numerous school districts around the US are implementing equitable grading in one form or another. It appears the common thread is to measure subject mastery -- without penalties for behavior or failure to turn in assignments on time (or turn them in at all).
Proponents of the approach -- frequently paid consultants -- say it benefits students with after-school responsibilities, such as a job or caring for siblings, as well as those with learning disabilities.
Others criticize it as implementing "Too Dumb To Fail." They say in real life, once you have a job, you can’t pick and choose what tasks you want to do. Some teachers say lessons drag on and on and on now because students can turn in work until right before grades are due.
Last edited by toobusytoday; 09-08-2023 at 05:44 AM..
Status:
"College baseball this weekend."
(set 3 days ago)
Location: Suburban Dallas
52,681 posts, read 47,932,189 times
Reputation: 33839
This is called lowering the bar. It is destructive and dangerous. This is simply sending the wrong message to kids and parents. There will always be honor students, average kids, and, tragically, pupils with failing grades. There will always a top ten for your graduating class, and there will always be someone who achieves the highest grade point average. Sameness amongst the flock is too unrealistic. You have to have a measuring system for success. I'm not saying kids making bad grades shouldn't be helped, but bringing equity to the grading process in our schools is a death sentence for our already-crippled education system.
You just can't reward failure. You have to earn success.
This is called lowering the bar. It is destructive and dangerous. This is simply sending the wrong message to kids and parents. There will always be honor students, average kids, and, tragically, pupils with failing grades. There will always a top ten for your graduating class, and there will always be someone who achieves the highest grade point average. Sameness amongst the flock is too unrealistic. You have to have a measuring system for success. I'm not saying kids making bad grades shouldn't be helped, but bringing equity to the grading process in our schools is a death sentence for our already-crippled education system.
You just can't reward failure. You have to earn success.
We have been lowering the bar for years.
As a result the US is #31 out of 37 OECD countries for Math/Reading
At Maui Community College I took an astronomy class and it was really hard but the final was 'Which planet is closest to the sun?' I was upset and the teacher said he had to or half the class wouldn't pass.
My friend in Colorado gave a test in his art class and he got death threats from the football players fathers.
I met a woman who had the most ludicrous phd in psychology from the Louisiana College of Agriculture. She had 8 friends read 8 childrens books and then tell what the stereotypes on Latinos were (cactus donkey sombrero). I guess thats statistics kind of. She posted it online.
This is called lowering the bar. It is destructive and dangerous. This is simply sending the wrong message to kids and parents. There will always be honor students, average kids, and, tragically, pupils with failing grades. There will always a top ten for your graduating class, and there will always be someone who achieves the highest grade point average. Sameness amongst the flock is too unrealistic. You have to have a measuring system for success. I'm not saying kids making bad grades shouldn't be helped, but bringing equity to the grading process in our schools is a death sentence for our already-crippled education system.
You just can't reward failure. You have to earn success.
All very true comments.
They've already lowered the bar in military basic training and driver's license tests.
Now it's in public education too?
Is it being done for LSAT and medical too?
I don't know if other countries do this. I highly doubt it.
Why is the bar constantly being lowered here when there are decent sized groups of people who do pass and succeed?
It is not equitable. It is a false achievement and just like a participation trophy.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
