Grading system = reconsidered

Grading system reconsidered

By yoursouthhills

Created Nov 1 2007 - 12:00am

It takes time, and a lot of people, to change the grading system at=20 Baldwin-Whitehall.

In fact, it takes 37 people, broken into subcommittees, to represent = the=20 entire district.

"There are going to be a lot of different parts," said John = Wilkinson,=20 assistant superintendent of secondary education. "It is a large group, = but we=20 want to represent everyone."

Nancy Crowder, president the council of PTAs, first approached the = board last=20 October about adjusting what she thinks is an unfair scale.

The committees, made up of administrators, principals and seven = members of=20 the Baldwin-Whitehall Council of PTAs, will consider changing the = grading=20 system.

Curerntly, it goes by a smaller percent scale than most other = districts. A=20 score of 93 to 100 percent is an "A," 83 to 92 percent is a "B," 70 to = 82=20 percent is a "C," and 60 to 69 percent is a "D," and anything lower is a = "F."=20

The council has been discussing the proposed change with the = administration=20 since October, with Crowder saying it is gaining public support.

Crowder said there are only one or two schools in all of Allegheny = County=20 using the current grading system used by Baldwin-Whitehall, with the = vast=20 majority using the 10-point system, where scores of 90 to 100 percent is = an "A,"=20 80 to 89 percent is a "B," and so on.

Adjusting the current grading system would put Baldwin-Whitehall = students on=20 an even playing field as other schools, said Crowder, who thinks the = current=20 eight- point system works against students.

A release from the Council of PTAs said the current scale requires = college=20 admission officers to convert grade point averages to a more uniform = scale.

The council also thinks the scale puts students at a disadvantage = because=20 some organizations give scholarships based on grade point averages. The = higher=20 scale keeps grades lower, although the percentages may suggest a higher = grade on=20 the 10-point system.

Outside of the world of academia, the council thinks students miss = out on=20 grade-based discounts at various stores and with insurance companies = that offer=20 good student discounts.

The board approved adjusting the grading scale for special classes at = the=20 elementary level throughout the district at the October voting meeting. = The=20 adjustment takes students away from a traditional letter grading system = to a=20 three-tier assessment system.

Acting superintendent Randal Lutz and administrators at = Baldwin-Whitehall=20 developed a system for elementary physical education, computer science, = music=20 and art based more on the effort put forth by a student.

The first tier and highest "grade" is known as "expectations met," = for a=20 student working to their potential. "Making progress" is the second = level,=20 meaning they are achieving and moving forward, while the lowest level is = "needs=20 improvement."

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http://www.yoursouthhills.com/southhillsrecord/article= /grading-system-reconsidered=20