By Adam Pagnucco.
MCPS grading policy has changed over time, prompting concerns from some teachers and parents. This question, which was suggested by a long-time reader, addresses one such policy change.
Question: Since 2016, MCPS grading policy has required that teachers round up a student’s first and second quarter grades in a course when calculating the semester grade. Two examples: an “A” for the first quarter and a “D” for the second quarter must be rounded up to a “B” for the semester grade; a “B” for the first quarter and an “E” for the second quarter must be rounded up to a “C”. Do you support changing this policy so that the trend of the first and second quarter grades in a course determines whether they’re rounded up or down in calculating the semester grade?
Lynne Harris, At-Large (Incumbent): I support a policy change that weighs grades equally across quarters, making sure that all students and families are aware of the policy and how to monitor academic performance and outcomes. I also support ensuring that policy contains flexibility to address unforeseen circumstances that impact a student’s ability to do well academically. That would include physical, social, emotional and mental health challenges.
But really, the important thing is to develop expectations, and processes to implement them, in which students and families are directly engaged when a student struggles academically, and there is collaborative and substantive work to create the conditions that help the student do well.
Rita Montoya, At-Large: I believe grades should serve as a true indicator of the student’s knowledge of the subject area. This helps students, educators and parents/caregivers understand where the student may need support or enrichment. I feel that the current “rounding” method does not provide an accurate representation of the student’s knowledge of the subject matter. Grades, including + and -, should be assigned a numerical value (“A” = X; “B+“ = Y; “B” = Z, etc.,) and evaluated using a basic average formula: X + Z = P. P/2= grade (in a report which can include any explanations for parents/caregivers about proficiency, concerns, etc.). In the “A” then “D” example, a student who got a “D” in Quarter 2 but ultimately got a “B” may not be academically ready to move to the next level’s content. The steep drop could also be indicative of a personal or mental health challenge but overlooked because the final grade is good. Their parent/caregiver may also not feel appropriately alerted to a problem in Quarter 2 because the final grade is still good. If the “rounding” method must be used, then the trend should be round down if the 2nd quarter grade is lower than 1st and round up if it’s higher (because a higher Q2 shows progress and growth).
Brenda Diaz, District 2: MCPS grades must return to honestly portraying student academic achievement. Parents must have access to reliable and accurate information about their child’s progress on a regular basis.
As part of rebuilding the foundation of academic excellence, I support changing grading policy so that the trend of the first and second quarter grades in a course is rounded down in calculating the semester grade. Along with the lack of midterms, final exams, and the 50% rule, the current up-rounding grading policy incentivizes short-term metrics and discourages cumulative learning by students. I saw this first hand when teaching Social Studies at Gaithersburg High School. Students gamed these new policies ultimately to their own detriment. They dedicated themselves to earning an A the first quarter, then skipped class or stopped completing assignments altogether.
The goal of every public school system should be to cultivate an appreciation for life-long learning while developing resilience, and improving their own reading, writing, and math proficiency in preparation for adulthood. The Board of Education must hold students accountable for their grades. MCPS Central Office has failed to do so, and it is time the Board takes the reins in directing policy towards academic excellence.
Natalie Zimmerman, District 2: I support a change in this policy. Our students need to be accurately assessed and measured in their progress towards meeting standards. In MCPS, one of the evidence of learning measures is report card grades. If we are inflating our grades, then we are not using accurate measures for EOLs. We cannot assess how our students are learning unless we use authentic data.
Shebra Evans, District 4 (Incumbent): I do not support the current grading policy and directed the school system to take it up for review. The study is underway and should clearly define a grading scale, and specify standards, and criteria for evaluating student performance. Grades should serve as evidence of understanding or mastery of a subject. It will be important to inform, consult, involve and collaborate with our community during this process.
Laura Stewart, District 4: I would look at three different alternate models to adjust the way we calculate GPA’s. I prefer to move from the current model. University of Maryland uses a plus and minus system and I would like to explore using that for high school unweighted GPAs, with the highest points still being 4.0 and but also still assigning quality points to D’s. The other model would be to use semester exams in the GPA calculation if the board decided to bring back semester exams for certain classes and use those as a smaller percentage of the grade. I am in favor of bringing back semester exams for certain classes, like math courses. The third model would give weight to the second and fourth quarter. I would be open to considering these three models, depending on how each would affect Montgomery County student’s future college and career opportunities.
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Prior question: boundary review.