Way Forward with 50% Rule Remains Murky in MCPS as More Students Complain of Lack of College Readiness

[Anonymous]

There's a new article that was reported out in the Source of the Spring that dives into the shortcomings of the unwise and increasingly unpopular 50% rule in MCPS. It's worth a read.

LINK: https://www.sourceofthespring.com/montgomery-county-news/2837171/montgomery-countys-grading-shift-sparks-questions-about-college-readiness/

Supposedly, the issues with the 50% rule were "fixed" with the revised guidelines that went out last January, but surprise, surprise, those revisions appear to have been as clear as mud and put more work on teachers' plates, not students.

In January 2024, Montgomery County implemented an additional grading criteria to the pre-existing 50% rule. Students may now receive a 0% on assignments once their teacher has intervened and provided additional support. Previously, teachers were only able to give out zeros after they successfully contacted the parents of the students and provided additional resources to help boost the student’s grade.

Despite the amendment’s goal to better the 50% rule, it hasn’t quite achieved that.

“It’s putting much more onus on the teacher,” Colson said. “And it doesn’t put a lot of agency and responsibility on the student.”

Even after the rule was changed in January, there was still little explanation about what these new guidelines meant for students.

“We were told about it in homeroom,” said Declan Ritchotte, a senior at Northwood High School. “They kinda skimmed over it and said the 50% rule has been changed, but we didn’t really get much information on what the changes were.”

Teachers and students alike feel that Montgomery County’s grading policy missed its mark. The school district’s policies have placed more emphasis on the teacher’s efforts and allowed students to play the grade game.

“Students are so smart and so savvy, they’re going to game the damn system,” Harris said.

[Anonymous]

This is BS. Create a Syllabus. Distribute it the first day of class and upload to Canvas. Include you due date/deadline rules and any retake rules. List the times teacher is available for support and other resources that may be helpful to students. Teach. If you notice that the greater majority of the class is clearly missing something, adjust. If you notice that a student is consistently failing or suddenly failing, inquire if there are any problems and suggest how to resolve. Give the appropriate grade. Administrators support the above.

Done.

[Anonymous]

There was already a thread about this, but yea, parents (like me) have been saying this for a few years now.

I swear, the so called experts in MCPS who come up with this stuff don't know anything about teens.

[Anonymous]

Do kids really think HS policies will exist in college? Sorry if your student is getting 10% on college labs the problem is not MCPS 50% policy. They would be failing either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was already a thread about this, but yea, parents (like me) have been saying this for a few years now.

I swear, the so called experts in MCPS who come up with this stuff don't know anything about teens.

MCPs did not make up the policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was already a thread about this, but yea, parents (like me) have been saying this for a few years now.

I swear, the so called experts in MCPS who come up with this stuff don't know anything about teens.

MCPs did not make up the policy.

They might not have invented it, but they certainly adopted it, along with PGCPS as the article points out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was already a thread about this, but yea, parents (like me) have been saying this for a few years now.

I swear, the so called experts in MCPS who come up with this stuff don't know anything about teens.

I always say this as well. MCPS's version of reality includes one where they assume all teens are honest, responsible, self-determined and benevolent, which is absolutely laughable to anyone who actually has to live with and survive most teenagers.

Developmentally, they are SUPPOSED to be a mess. You have to plan for that. And have rules that allow them to make the mistakes they're going to make, but still be accountable and grow from them. The 50% rule does not meet that goal.

[Anonymous]

MCPS as a system is circling the drain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was already a thread about this, but yea, parents (like me) have been saying this for a few years now.

I swear, the so called experts in MCPS who come up with this stuff don't know anything about teens.

I always say this as well. MCPS's version of reality includes one where they assume all teens are honest, responsible, self-determined and benevolent, which is absolutely laughable to anyone who actually has to live with and survive most teenagers.

Developmentally, they are SUPPOSED to be a mess. You have to plan for that. And have rules that allow them to make the mistakes they're going to make, but still be accountable and grow from them. The 50% rule does not meet that goal.

This has been the problem with progressives in general -- they assume everyone is honest and hardworking. They live kumbaya land.

[Anonymous]

I had two very different kids go through MCPS. My high performer never got below a 50% and the rule did not affect her experience. My dyslexic kid did have some low grades and I think the 50% rule benefited him. He was able to still pass courses. I mean it is still an F. You can not just keep getting Fs and have a successful semester. He went to college and did not have any issue understanding that different rules applied.

[Anonymous]

The problem was kids basically refusing to do work or submit assignments since they knew they would still pass with a D if they just turned a few in. Now teachers can give a zero% immediately if a student does no work. Then just email home once. No 3 attempts BS requirement or requirement for 2 way communication that parents can ignore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do kids really think HS policies will exist in college? Sorry if your student is getting 10% on college labs the problem is not MCPS 50% policy. They would be failing either way.

Yes, they do! Ask me how I know.

[Anonymous]

My high schooler at BCC tells me there hasn't been a 50% rule in ages.

We are also in an area where a LOT of kids tend to be overachievers. I have a kid in college - some of his cohort were rejected from UMD even though they had 4.2 wGPAs, and a great overall profile. It's hyper competitive out there.

The kids getting 0s (or previously, 50% for no work) aren't college material to begin with. But MCPS will no doubt work with them to help them graduate high school. Are they seriously going to need that extra understanding of algebra at their non-academic jobs? Probably not, but they might be great at plumbing and own their own lucrative business one day.

So I think the question is actually moot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem was kids basically refusing to do work or submit assignments since they knew they would still pass with a D if they just turned a few in. Now teachers can give a zero% immediately if a student does no work. Then just email home once. No 3 attempts BS requirement or requirement for 2 way communication that parents can ignore.

Ok they pass with a D. They are likely not going to college with a D average. If a kid is doing no work let them finish with a 1.0 and MCPs can focus on the kids who bother to do their work. I do not care if those kids are getting Fs or Ds. I do care about the kids who generally do their work but occasionally mess up and can succeed over the course of the semester by getting a 50 as opposed to a 30. If that kid takes a whole year of college to realize their professors do not have a 50% rule, it is on them. I will add that both my kids but all kids of boosts in college. Not the 50% rule, but drop your lowest quiz, retake 1 test, hand in 2 hws late. All kind of things. One was at an ivy.

[Anonymous]

The 50%s aren't the problem with a college reading, obviously.
The 100%are.

Teachers give out 100% for sneezing in the direction nof the work.