Here is the full text of ODU professor Raymond Cheng’s letter on the proposed grading policy changes under review by Virginia Beach Public Schools:
I am writing out of concern for a proposal being considered by the Virginia Beach City Public Schools to radically change the grading system throughout the school district. This includes all middle schools and high schools. Some of these policies have already been implemented in pilot programs.
Under the proposed changes, which come with the name “Fair and Equitable Grading Practices,”
1. Homework or the completion of homework cannot be a component of the grade
2. Teachers cannot lower the grade for an assignment being turned in late
3. Teachers cannot give zeros
4. Test retakes are encouragedIf passed, these changes would be a disaster for our children, for teachers, and for our community. Consider:
• If homework cannot be used as part of a grade, then many students will simply stop doing it. Some teachers may stop assigning it. This will slow the progress of the class. Furthermore, it is unfair to the students who would conscientiously do the work.
• If late assignments cannot be penalized, then there will be many, many more late assignments. This creates additional burdens for the teacher, and ill prepares our children for the real world, in which deadlines are meaningful.
• Teachers will be required to give no grades below some artificial minimum, even if the assignment was skipped, or the student cheated. Schools should teach students to be accountable for their actions and choices; this measure does the opposite.
• Allowing test retakes creates a strong disincentive to study. Test retakes also lead to an enormous burden for the teachers. Furthermore, retakes are unfair to those students who studied hard and did well the first time.The proposed changes are neither fair nor equitable. They imperil the quality of education in our schools, create a huge amount of extra work for teachers, and send the wrong message to our children about accountability and responsibility. When colleges and universities find out our grades have been inflated by irresponsible grading policies, our high school graduates will be placed at a disadvantage.
Please join the effort to oppose these changes. I invite you to visit the website
https://
vbschoolsgradingconcerns. wordpress.com/stop-unfair…/ There you can find further information, contact the School Board, take a survey, and engage with other concerned parents and teachers. Please also forward this message (with or without your added signature) to other parents of children in the VBCPS district.
