Wootton Vs Churchill - Why such a huge difference?

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[Post New]04/02/2023 20:23
quote
Anonymous
I always thought that Wootton is similar to Churchill. But school profile gives a different picture.


4.5 or above weighted GPA at Churchill -29%
4.5 or above weighted GPA at Wootton - 16%


Yes, it's 2018 vs 2020 profile , but years shouldn't make such a large difference.

I am sure some one has a good explanation of this huge difference. Any credible explanation?


https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/r-w/churchillhs/uploadedfiles/careercenter/class20of20202020final20profile.pdf

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/Schools/High-Schools/R-W/woottonhs/uploadedFiles/counseling/School_Profile__Wootton_High_2017-2018.pdf
[Post New]04/02/2023 20:30
quote
Anonymous
It looks shocking to be honest. Both have roughly the same number of high achieving kids.
[Post New]04/02/2023 20:33
quote
Anonymous
Grade inflation worse at Churchill than Wootton
[Post New]04/02/2023 20:40
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation worse at Churchill than Wootton


Why? Any specific reason?
[Post New]04/02/2023 20:56
quote
Anonymous
https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04234.pdf


https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04602.pdf


OP - Not that I’m saying I don’t trust the data, but aren’t those documents prepared by the school? They could be pulling from different databases or including/excluding certain kids for some reason. Because they aren’t a uniform look and therefore being reporting by the individual school, I’m skeptical.

Linked above are the schools at a glance prepared by MCPS. Their AP performance averages are essentially the same.

[Post New]04/02/2023 22:40
quote
Anonymous
I find it hard to believe that 40% of students at any MCPS high school have a 4.5 or above weighted GPA, and I graduated from Whitman 15 years ago. Unless grade inflation has become so significant that GPAs have drastically risen, I can't see any other way that is feasible, especially considering the poorer work ethic many high schoolers have today compared to 15 years ago.
[Post New]04/02/2023 22:41
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe that 40% of students at any MCPS high school have a 4.5 or above weighted GPA, and I graduated from Whitman 15 years ago. Unless grade inflation has become so significant that GPAs have drastically risen, I can't see any other way that is feasible, especially considering the poorer work ethic many high schoolers have today compared to 15 years ago.


meant to say 30%*
[Post New]04/02/2023 23:35
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe that 40% of students at any MCPS high school have a 4.5 or above weighted GPA, and I graduated from Whitman 15 years ago. Unless grade inflation has become so significant that GPAs have drastically risen, I can't see any other way that is feasible, especially considering the poorer work ethic many high schoolers have today compared to 15 years ago.


meant to say 30%*


More asians
[Post New]04/03/2023 06:01
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe that 40% of students at any MCPS high school have a 4.5 or above weighted GPA, and I graduated from Whitman 15 years ago. Unless grade inflation has become so significant that GPAs have drastically risen, I can't see any other way that is feasible, especially considering the poorer work ethic many high schoolers have today compared to 15 years ago.


It has:

Students were all failing final exams so they were completely taken away about 5 years ago - that has boosted final grades
Students have a grade block system and round-ups that mean that a 79.5 and an 89.5 = A for the semester
Honors and AP courses are 1.0 boosted GPA (most school districts give 0.5 boost to honors)

It's the most inflated grading system in the country and the top performers can get screwed by kids who pull an 89.5 Q1 and do the minimum to get to 79.5 Q2 for the same A. The county actually teaches them poor work ethic.
[Post New]04/03/2023 06:12
quote
Anonymous
Probably better to compare stats from the same year. You’re pulling pre-Covid data and comparing it with a Covid year when a lot kids stumbled academically.
[Post New]04/03/2023 07:53
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe that 40% of students at any MCPS high school have a 4.5 or above weighted GPA, and I graduated from Whitman 15 years ago. Unless grade inflation has become so significant that GPAs have drastically risen, I can't see any other way that is feasible, especially considering the poorer work ethic many high schoolers have today compared to 15 years ago.


It has:

Students were all failing final exams so they were completely taken away about 5 years ago - that has boosted final grades
Students have a grade block system and round-ups that mean that a 79.5 and an 89.5 = A for the semester
Honors and AP courses are 1.0 boosted GPA (most school districts give 0.5 boost to honors)

It's the most inflated grading system in the country and the top performers can get screwed by kids who pull an 89.5 Q1 and do the minimum to get to 79.5 Q2 for the same A. The county actually teaches them poor work ethic.


Final exams were eliminated in 2015.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=3816&type=allarchive&startYear=&pageNumber=&mode=action
[Post New]04/03/2023 08:14
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe that 40% of students at any MCPS high school have a 4.5 or above weighted GPA, and I graduated from Whitman 15 years ago. Unless grade inflation has become so significant that GPAs have drastically risen, I can't see any other way that is feasible, especially considering the poorer work ethic many high schoolers have today compared to 15 years ago.


It has:

Students were all failing final exams so they were completely taken away about 5 years ago - that has boosted final grades
Students have a grade block system and round-ups that mean that a 79.5 and an 89.5 = A for the semester
Honors and AP courses are 1.0 boosted GPA (most school districts give 0.5 boost to honors)

It's the most inflated grading system in the country and the top performers can get screwed by kids who pull an 89.5 Q1 and do the minimum to get to 79.5 Q2 for the same A. The county actually teaches them poor work ethic.


Final exams were eliminated in 2015.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=3816&type=allarchive&startYear=&pageNumber=&mode=action


And they were failing exams on purpose. For example, the kids knew they could get a 54 on the final and still get an A. The smart kids were using the rubric to their advantage
[Post New]04/03/2023 20:51
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe that 40% of students at any MCPS high school have a 4.5 or above weighted GPA, and I graduated from Whitman 15 years ago. Unless grade inflation has become so significant that GPAs have drastically risen, I can't see any other way that is feasible, especially considering the poorer work ethic many high schoolers have today compared to 15 years ago.


It has:

Students were all failing final exams so they were completely taken away about 5 years ago - that has boosted final grades
Students have a grade block system and round-ups that mean that a 79.5 and an 89.5 = A for the semester
Honors and AP courses are 1.0 boosted GPA (most school districts give 0.5 boost to honors)

It's the most inflated grading system in the country and the top performers can get screwed by kids who pull an 89.5 Q1 and do the minimum to get to 79.5 Q2 for the same A. The county actually teaches them poor work ethic.


That semester exam grade game wasn’t new when they got rid of exams. When I was in HS in MCPS starting in 1999 I learned to play the game quickly and only studied for the classes where the semester exam would actually make a difference. If students earned high enough grades in both quarters, the semester exam wouldn’t matter, so why put in the effort to try in all classes as opposed to just the classes you were borderline in. I will say having semester exams prepared me to study large chunks of information which helped me in college. The students in my classes have zero long term memory.

Final exams were eliminated in 2015.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=3816&type=allarchive&startYear=&pageNumber=&mode=action


And they were failing exams on purpose. For example, the kids knew they could get a 54 on the final and still get an A. The smart kids were using the rubric to their advantage
[Post New]04/03/2023 23:52
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I find it hard to believe that 40% of students at any MCPS high school have a 4.5 or above weighted GPA, and I graduated from Whitman 15 years ago. Unless grade inflation has become so significant that GPAs have drastically risen, I can't see any other way that is feasible, especially considering the poorer work ethic many high schoolers have today compared to 15 years ago.


It has:

Students were all failing final exams so they were completely taken away about 5 years ago - that has boosted final grades
Students have a grade block system and round-ups that mean that a 79.5 and an 89.5 = A for the semester
Honors and AP courses are 1.0 boosted GPA (most school districts give 0.5 boost to honors)

It's the most inflated grading system in the country and the top performers can get screwed by kids who pull an 89.5 Q1 and do the minimum to get to 79.5 Q2 for the same A. The county actually teaches them poor work ethic.


Final exams were eliminated in 2015.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=3816&type=allarchive&startYear=&pageNumber=&mode=action


And they were failing exams on purpose. For example, the kids knew they could get a 54 on the final and still get an A. The smart kids were using the rubric to their advantage


The street smart kids, yes. The truly smart kids getting 98's for all quarters get completely screws over. Not to mention the ridiculous amount of retakes students can take. I am not against them per se, but a student who got a 90 on the FIRST try is better than a student that got a 75 and then tried again and got a 95. Those two grades should be added and divided by 2, but most teachers just give the higher grade. it really isn't fair.

This article is written by a Churchill student and so sad how kids abuse the system and no one can really see the true standouts.

https://www.thechurchillobserver.com/online-exclusives/2022/12/06/high-schools-grading-system-should-it-be-changed/
[Post New]04/04/2023 01:10
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I always thought that Wootton is similar to Churchill. But school profile gives a different picture.


4.5 or above weighted GPA at Churchill -29%
4.5 or above weighted GPA at Wootton - 16%


Yes, it's 2018 vs 2020 profile , but years shouldn't make such a large difference.

I am sure some one has a good explanation of this huge difference. Any credible explanation?


https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/r-w/churchillhs/uploadedfiles/careercenter/class20of20202020final20profile.pdf

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/Schools/High-Schools/R-W/woottonhs/uploadedFiles/counseling/School_Profile__Wootton_High_2017-2018.pdf


Churchill is just better.
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