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Middle school eliminates ‘F’ from grading scale to encourage learning, not failure

We Never Know

We Never Know

No Slack
Kind of like if you participate you get a trophy in my opinion.

"WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (Gray News) – A middle school in Minnesota is making changes to the grading scale to exclude anything less than 50%.

Sunrise Park Middle School principal Christina Pierre explained the new grading system in a video posted online, indicating that an “F” would no longer be used.

“Our whole intent is to ensure that grades focus on the process of learning,” Pierre said in the video. “We want them to become good learners.”

Minnesota’s superintendent, Dr. Wayne Kazmierczak, led the development of an equity commitment statement during the 2018-19 school year and adopted a four-way equity decision to guide the district’s work.

Part of the equity audit showed grading disparities among students of color, according to the school district’s website, prompting the district’s strategic plan to dramatically change its grading practices.

“Dr. Kazmierczak and WBLAS believe grades should be a measure of what a student knows and has mastered in a given course,” the school district wrote on its website in 2020. “Grading should not be a behavior punishment and should not be a measure of how well a student can survive stress at home.”

Pierre explained grades will only be based on what the student knows and not include outside factors like tardiness to class, turning the assignment in late, or neatness.

Associate Principal Norman Bell said students are encouraged to retake or revise quizzes, papers and projects in an effort to enforce learning the material.

“We realize that not every kid gets it the first time. Some students need more time to learn than others,” Pierre said in the video. “So, we are giving them that 10-day window for revisions and retakes.”

School leaders also explained that by eliminated grades under 50%, a student who may have passed two assignments but has an “incomplete” for the third, would still have a passing grade instead of failing.

They encourage parents to remind students to stay caught up on work, turn in late assignments and make revisions on work with low grades.

“We really want to encourage our students to put in the work that it takes to learn correctly,” Pierre said to end the video.

https://www.wvlt.tv/2021/10/05/midd...grading-scale-encourage-learning-not-failure/
 
Nakosis

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
We Never Know said:
Kind of like if you participate you get a trophy in my opinion.

"WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (Gray News) – A middle school in Minnesota is making changes to the grading scale to exclude anything less than 50%.

Sunrise Park Middle School principal Christina Pierre explained the new grading system in a video posted online, indicating that an “F” would no longer be used.

“Our whole intent is to ensure that grades focus on the process of learning,” Pierre said in the video. “We want them to become good learners.”

Minnesota’s superintendent, Dr. Wayne Kazmierczak, led the development of an equity commitment statement during the 2018-19 school year and adopted a four-way equity decision to guide the district’s work.

Part of the equity audit showed grading disparities among students of color, according to the school district’s website, prompting the district’s strategic plan to dramatically change its grading practices.

“Dr. Kazmierczak and WBLAS believe grades should be a measure of what a student knows and has mastered in a given course,” the school district wrote on its website in 2020. “Grading should not be a behavior punishment and should not be a measure of how well a student can survive stress at home.”

Pierre explained grades will only be based on what the student knows and not include outside factors like tardiness to class, turning the assignment in late, or neatness.

Associate Principal Norman Bell said students are encouraged to retake or revise quizzes, papers and projects in an effort to enforce learning the material.

“We realize that not every kid gets it the first time. Some students need more time to learn than others,” Pierre said in the video. “So, we are giving them that 10-day window for revisions and retakes.”

School leaders also explained that by eliminated grades under 50%, a student who may have passed two assignments but has an “incomplete” for the third, would still have a passing grade instead of failing.

They encourage parents to remind students to stay caught up on work, turn in late assignments and make revisions on work with low grades.

“We really want to encourage our students to put in the work that it takes to learn correctly,” Pierre said to end the video.

https://www.wvlt.tv/2021/10/05/midd...grading-scale-encourage-learning-not-failure/
Click to expand...

Seems to avoid addressing the problem by ignoring it. :shrug:
 
Regiomontanus

Regiomontanus

Ματαιοδοξία ματαιοδοξιών! Όλα είναι ματαιοδοξία.
“Grading should not be a behavior punishment and should not be a measure of how well a student can survive stress at home.”

At the middle school (and younger) level, I think we would all agree that we need to factor in the often horrible home life that many students must deal with? I don't have a solution, but just saying...
 
HonestJoe

HonestJoe

Well-Known Member
We Never Know said:
Kind of like if you participate you get a trophy in my opinion.
Click to expand...
I'm not convinced. I don't think it's been very well explained (even in their own video) but I feel the intentions are positive at least.

This does also seem to be about in process tests and grades rather than anything definitive so should be more about understanding what the student actually knows and actually helping them where they're struggling (be that academically or personally). It's easy to assign students a list of numbers or letters based on some simple tests but that doesn't really achieve anything on it's own.

Of course, it can be spun up in to a nice dramatic headline and grab some valuable clicks so who cares about whether kids are actually learning or not.
 
PureX

PureX

Veteran Member
At least they're trying something different. Kids fail to learn for all kinds of reasons, most which have little to do with them, and more to do with the adults that are supposed to be helping them. I don't think pinning 'scarlet letters' on them is or has ever been particularly helpful. I think if anything it just encourages kids to quit school all together. In a lot of school districts that's viewed as a very acceptable solution, as they become someone else's problem, then. At least this school district is trying SOMETHING.
 
Stevicus

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
lf
 
Twilight Hue

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
We Never Know said:
Kind of like if you participate you get a trophy in my opinion.

"WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (Gray News) – A middle school in Minnesota is making changes to the grading scale to exclude anything less than 50%.

Sunrise Park Middle School principal Christina Pierre explained the new grading system in a video posted online, indicating that an “F” would no longer be used.

“Our whole intent is to ensure that grades focus on the process of learning,” Pierre said in the video. “We want them to become good learners.”

Minnesota’s superintendent, Dr. Wayne Kazmierczak, led the development of an equity commitment statement during the 2018-19 school year and adopted a four-way equity decision to guide the district’s work.

Part of the equity audit showed grading disparities among students of color, according to the school district’s website, prompting the district’s strategic plan to dramatically change its grading practices.

“Dr. Kazmierczak and WBLAS believe grades should be a measure of what a student knows and has mastered in a given course,” the school district wrote on its website in 2020. “Grading should not be a behavior punishment and should not be a measure of how well a student can survive stress at home.”

Pierre explained grades will only be based on what the student knows and not include outside factors like tardiness to class, turning the assignment in late, or neatness.

Associate Principal Norman Bell said students are encouraged to retake or revise quizzes, papers and projects in an effort to enforce learning the material.

“We realize that not every kid gets it the first time. Some students need more time to learn than others,” Pierre said in the video. “So, we are giving them that 10-day window for revisions and retakes.”

School leaders also explained that by eliminated grades under 50%, a student who may have passed two assignments but has an “incomplete” for the third, would still have a passing grade instead of failing.

They encourage parents to remind students to stay caught up on work, turn in late assignments and make revisions on work with low grades.

“We really want to encourage our students to put in the work that it takes to learn correctly,” Pierre said to end the video.

https://www.wvlt.tv/2021/10/05/midd...grading-scale-encourage-learning-not-failure/
Click to expand...
And to think the dumbing down of America couldn't get any worse. It just did.
 
Estro Felino

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
The purpose of education is pragmatic, that is the State pursues a public interest, by educating children.
And the public interest is to educate and create responsible citizens who can be productive contributors within a society.
And so the teachers are supposed to understand their own students, their capabilities and their attitudes. By encouraging them.
So they can be self-confident.

D and E are enough, I guess to indicate "not satisfactory" . F is superfluous.
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
Regiomontanus said:
“Grading should not be a behavior punishment and should not be a measure of how well a student can survive stress at home.”

At the middle school (and younger) level, I think we would all agree that we need to factor in the often horrible home life that many students must deal with? I don't have a solution, but just saying...
Click to expand...
Yeah, reading what teachers have written about what they've seen at student's homes during the pandemic, I can't say I'm surprised but still damn. It's terrible what some kids go through. Saying some of these environments are detrimental to learning doesn't even begin to describe it.
Grades also don't necessarily reflect learning or success. I don't have amy solutions, but somethings got to give because home life does condemn many students.
 
Kooky

Kooky

Freedom from Sanity
PureX said:
At least they're trying something different. Kids fail to learn for all kinds of reasons, most which have little to do with them, and more to do with the adults that are supposed to be helping them. I don't think pinning 'scarlet letters' on them is or has ever been particularly helpful. I think if anything it just encourages kids to quit school all together. In a lot of school districts that's viewed as a very acceptable solution, as they become someone else's problem, then. At least this school district is trying SOMETHING.
Click to expand...
Indeed, I would say there are a myriad of reasons why a kid may not be able to adequately perform to a specific testing standard, and in my opinion, almost none are going to be alleviated by putting mental pressure on them via bad grades.
 
We Never Know

We Never Know

No Slack
Kooky said:
Indeed, I would say there are a myriad of reasons why a kid may not be able to adequately perform to a specific testing standard, and in my opinion, almost none are going to be alleviated by putting mental pressure on them via bad grades.
Click to expand...

How will not getting a failing grade make them want to do more. If their homelife or simrthing else is interfering maybe more time should be spent with them instead of trying to easily just process them through.
 
Vinayaka

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
We Never Know said:
How will not getting a failing grade make them want to do more. If their homelife or simrthing else is interfering maybe more time should be spent with them instead of trying to easily just process them through.
Click to expand...

Failing grades rarely, if ever motivate a student. It's basically just saying, "You're stupid." I didn't like grading, but we were mandated to do it. There is so much going on. My main target goal was to have them enjoy school. Life is not meant to be lived miserably, especially for youth.
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
Vinayaka said:
Failing grades rarely, if ever motivate a student. It's basically just saying, "You're stupid." I didn't like grading, but we were mandated to do it. There is so much going on. My main target goal was to have them enjoy school. Life is not meant to be lived miserably, especially for youth.
Click to expand...
I really don't get grades. Elementary through highschool was hell for me amd miserable at home and I barely graduated. I grew some and learned much before returning to college (dropped out with 1.222 gpa), and waltz through it to graduate with honors. But I didn't read most the stuff, didn't study, and barely put more effort into than public school.
My situation probably isn't average, but to me it does look funny. Mine really don't reflect any of what was actually going on in the conventional sense.
I'm short on solutions as it's not my area, but it seems to me the entire education system needs a complete overhaul. It's designed with an intent to make people obedient and accepting of industrial norms, anyways, and that's becoming more obsolete every day. We need thinkers, not button pushers.
 
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