MCPS Grading

[Anonymous]

We are new to MCPS and grading. What is the policy for high school? I have a very unmotivated high school student. He currently has anywhere from 7-10 assignments missing in each class. He also has all Bs. It's very hard to get him to take it seriously when he has good grades. It looks like teachers give him a 50% whether he does the work or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are new to MCPS and grading. What is the policy for high school? I have a very unmotivated high school student. He currently has anywhere from 7-10 assignments missing in each class. He also has all Bs. It's very hard to get him to take it seriously when he has good grades. It looks like teachers give him a 50% whether he does the work or not.

Supposedly, the 50% regardless of whether work is done or submitted is supposed to be done away with as of this marking period. But each school is responsible for implementing this and there's a lot of latitude given to principals on how it's deployed. Also, there's not penalty due to the agreement with MCEA for teachers who don't follow the revised policy until NEXT school year. So your son's teachers might just be sticking with the same automatic 50% policy they had in the first semester out of reasons for consistency or preference.

[Anonymous]

This seems very unfair if not implemented uniformly.

My ADHD kid was skating by before with the 50% rule since teachers do not honor anything in the 504 with respect to extra time and calling out missed assignments.

[Anonymous]

You can find information on grading policies here:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikara.pdf

You also need to understand how the official grades for the semester are determined from the quarter grades. This is from 2016-17, but I think it is still current.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/k-q/qohs/mark_pattern.pdf

Here are some articles providing background information if you’re interested:

https://mocoshow.com/2024/01/29/change-to-50-percent-rule-marks-shift-in-mcps-grading-trends/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/one-of-nations-largest-school-districts-ditches-high-school-final-exams/2015/09/08/49cf5810-561e-11e5-b8c9-944725fcd3b9_story.html


Basically, much of the homework is not graded, but is simply checked for completion. Homework that is graded can’t receive less than 50%, unless it’s not done at all. Tests can be retaken for a higher grade. Finals were abolished when too many students were failing their finals.

MCPS is so invested in their reputation as “one of the best school systems in the nation”, that the grading system is designed to obfuscate any evidence to the contrary. It is less a tool to communicate an accurate reflection of a student’s level of achievement than to hide their lack thereof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can find information on grading policies here:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikara.pdf

You also need to understand how the official grades for the semester are determined from the quarter grades. This is from 2016-17, but I think it is still current.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/k-q/qohs/mark_pattern.pdf

Here are some articles providing background information if you’re interested:

https://mocoshow.com/2024/01/29/change-to-50-percent-rule-marks-shift-in-mcps-grading-trends/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/one-of-nations-largest-school-districts-ditches-high-school-final-exams/2015/09/08/49cf5810-561e-11e5-b8c9-944725fcd3b9_story.html


Basically, much of the homework is not graded, but is simply checked for completion. Homework that is graded can’t receive less than 50%, unless it’s not done at all. Tests can be retaken for a higher grade. Finals were abolished when too many students were failing their finals.

MCPS is so invested in their reputation as “one of the best school systems in the nation”, that the grading system is designed to obfuscate any evidence to the contrary. It is less a tool to communicate an accurate reflection of a student’s level of achievement than to hide their lack thereof.

YUP!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can find information on grading policies here:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikara.pdf

You also need to understand how the official grades for the semester are determined from the quarter grades. This is from 2016-17, but I think it is still current.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/k-q/qohs/mark_pattern.pdf

Here are some articles providing background information if you’re interested:

https://mocoshow.com/2024/01/29/change-to-50-percent-rule-marks-shift-in-mcps-grading-trends/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/one-of-nations-largest-school-districts-ditches-high-school-final-exams/2015/09/08/49cf5810-561e-11e5-b8c9-944725fcd3b9_story.html


Basically, much of the homework is not graded, but is simply checked for completion. Homework that is graded can’t receive less than 50%, unless it’s not done at all. Tests can be retaken for a higher grade. Finals were abolished when too many students were failing their finals.

MCPS is so invested in their reputation as “one of the best school systems in the nation”, that the grading system is designed to obfuscate any evidence to the contrary. It is less a tool to communicate an accurate reflection of a student’s level of achievement than to hide their lack thereof.

This is insane. According to this if you get an A first marking period and a B second marking period. You get an A. So you could have a 90 and then an 80%. In what world does that equal an A??

[Anonymous]

Grades are meaningless, so giving easy As prevents people from projecting fake meaning onto grades.

If your child is unmotivated, they don't care about their grades. You are welcome to hold your child to whatever standard you want, and deploy consequences at home. You child is not a ward of the state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can find information on grading policies here:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikara.pdf

You also need to understand how the official grades for the semester are determined from the quarter grades. This is from 2016-17, but I think it is still current.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/k-q/qohs/mark_pattern.pdf

Here are some articles providing background information if you’re interested:

https://mocoshow.com/2024/01/29/change-to-50-percent-rule-marks-shift-in-mcps-grading-trends/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/one-of-nations-largest-school-districts-ditches-high-school-final-exams/2015/09/08/49cf5810-561e-11e5-b8c9-944725fcd3b9_story.html


Basically, much of the homework is not graded, but is simply checked for completion. Homework that is graded can’t receive less than 50%, unless it’s not done at all. Tests can be retaken for a higher grade. Finals were abolished when too many students were failing their finals.

MCPS is so invested in their reputation as “one of the best school systems in the nation”, that the grading system is designed to obfuscate any evidence to the contrary. It is less a tool to communicate an accurate reflection of a student’s level of achievement than to hide their lack thereof.

This is insane. According to this if you get an A first marking period and a B second marking period. You get an A. So you could have a 90 and then an 80%. In what world does that equal an A??

This has been explained nth times here. Time to move to another faux grievance.

[Anonymous]

In the real world, no one cares about your grades in school. They care about what you can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can find information on grading policies here:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikara.pdf

You also need to understand how the official grades for the semester are determined from the quarter grades. This is from 2016-17, but I think it is still current.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/k-q/qohs/mark_pattern.pdf

Here are some articles providing background information if you’re interested:

https://mocoshow.com/2024/01/29/change-to-50-percent-rule-marks-shift-in-mcps-grading-trends/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/one-of-nations-largest-school-districts-ditches-high-school-final-exams/2015/09/08/49cf5810-561e-11e5-b8c9-944725fcd3b9_story.html


Basically, much of the homework is not graded, but is simply checked for completion. Homework that is graded can’t receive less than 50%, unless it’s not done at all. Tests can be retaken for a higher grade. Finals were abolished when too many students were failing their finals.

MCPS is so invested in their reputation as “one of the best school systems in the nation”, that the grading system is designed to obfuscate any evidence to the contrary. It is less a tool to communicate an accurate reflection of a student’s level of achievement than to hide their lack thereof.

This is insane. According to this if you get an A first marking period and a B second marking period. You get an A. So you could have a 90 and then an 80%. In what world does that equal an A??

Anywhere you make a cutoff is an arbitrary choice. Not important.

What's insane is that 90+80 is a higher letter grade than 89+89.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the real world, no one cares about your grades in school. They care about what you can do.

Maybe, but grades are the primary indicator a parent has to judge whether a child is being adequately prepared to do things in the real world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are new to MCPS and grading. What is the policy for high school? I have a very unmotivated high school student. He currently has anywhere from 7-10 assignments missing in each class. He also has all Bs. It's very hard to get him to take it seriously when he has good grades. It looks like teachers give him a 50% whether he does the work or not.

Supposedly, the 50% regardless of whether work is done or submitted is supposed to be done away with as of this marking period. But each school is responsible for implementing this and there's a lot of latitude given to principals on how it's deployed. Also, there's not penalty due to the agreement with MCEA for teachers who don't follow the revised policy until NEXT school year. So your son's teachers might just be sticking with the same automatic 50% policy they had in the first semester out of reasons for consistency or preference.

Welcome to dumbed-down MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the real world, no one cares about your grades in school. They care about what you can do.

And your ability to DO things well rely in part on grades you earn in school.

[Anonymous]

Nah the kids will be dumbed down, MCPS just has no standards, fair structure, or administrative support. I don't recommend this profession for people who want respect and a balanced life.

[Anonymous]

This is happening all over the country and in colleges too. It’s also happening in Europe. Grade inflation is real. Stop worryiing about it. It’s not just MCPS. It s all relative. Just be a good parent to your kid and parent and get them ready for life