A handful of school districts in California have been causing quite an uproar after it was announced that they will br trialling a system which will see the removal of ‘D’ and ‘F’ grades for students at certain schools .
The controversial new system has garnered quite a few critics, but also some in favor of the idea.
Apparently, this new system has been introduced as a response to the pandemic having disrupted some students’ learning.
Those who are in favor of the removal of “D” and “F” grades think that the move will take a lot of pressure of children when they are in school.
Furthermore, the hope that not giving out any sub-C grades will encourage kids to “take risks.”
Any students who hand in work that would get a “D” or “F” grade will be allowed to complete the work again.
Students will either be able to retake a test or complete the work again so that they get a higher grade. However, if this is still not done, they will still only be given a grade described as “incomplete.”
The initiative is supposed to help students get into better universities due to them…well, having better grades.
Some principals and assistant principals have leapt to the defence of the idea.
“Our hope is that students begin to see school as a place of learning, where they can take risks and learn from mistakes, instead of a place of compliance,” Nidya Baez, assistant principal at Fremont High in Oakland Unified, told Ed Source .
“Right now, we have a system where we give a million points for a million pieces of paper that students turn in, without much attention to what they’re actually learning,” she continued.
However, there have also been a lot of vocal critics of the initiative.
“I will work with any student before or after school or even on the weekend to help them learn. However, I will never lie about their knowledge level,” said Debora Rinehart, a math and science teacher at St. Theresa School in Oakland.
“Not reporting Ds and Fs is the equivalent of lying about a student’s progress,” she continued in an interview with Ed Source.
Only time will tell as to how the study impacts the lives of students.
Some teachers claim that the new initiative will stop children from feeling discouraged by subjects which they get a low grade in, instead finding the time to get more meaningful and actionable feedback from their teachers.
However, until the initiative is put into action, it is impossible to say how it will work out.
h/t: Ed Source
