DCPS: averaging term grades into a final grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t feed in/average as a GPA but as a numerical percentage. An A (93 and above for the quarter/term) is a 100. (I know this sounds insane but it is true). A B+ is an 89. Most other grades calculate at the highest possible percentage for that grade.

So do the math - your kid can prob get a B-and still end up with an A because those 100s make a huge difference.

This is false. It averages quality points and always rounds up. Your information hasn’t been accurate for quite some time in DCPS.

Ex:

A, B, B, B+
4.0 +3+3+3.3 =13.3
13.3/4=3.325. And that is an A-. This is where the true grade inflation exists.

Wait, what? 3.325 is an A- ?

Yup. That is why grades are so high. And honestly why they mean nothing. A kid with the following grades also gets an A-
A-, A-, A-, B+

Doesn’t seem to push kids to try very hard.

This really depends on the teacher. If the teacher never gives a grade above B, no math will get the year-end grade to an A-.

What teacher never gives a grade above a B? Seems difficult to achieve with retakes, late work policy, floor of 50%, lowest grade on submitted work 63%, etc. Your example is exceedingly rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t feed in/average as a GPA but as a numerical percentage. An A (93 and above for the quarter/term) is a 100. (I know this sounds insane but it is true). A B+ is an 89. Most other grades calculate at the highest possible percentage for that grade.

So do the math - your kid can prob get a B-and still end up with an A because those 100s make a huge difference.

This is false. It averages quality points and always rounds up. Your information hasn’t been accurate for quite some time in DCPS.

Ex:

A, B, B, B+
4.0 +3+3+3.3 =13.3
13.3/4=3.325. And that is an A-. This is where the true grade inflation exists.

Wait, what? 3.325 is an A- ?

Yup. That is why grades are so high. And honestly why they mean nothing. A kid with the following grades also gets an A-
A-, A-, A-, B+

Doesn’t seem to push kids to try very hard.

This really depends on the teacher. If the teacher never gives a grade above B, no math will get the year-end grade to an A-.

What teacher never gives a grade above a B? Seems difficult to achieve with retakes, late work policy, floor of 50%, lowest grade on submitted work 63%, etc. Your example is exceedingly rare.

I’m talking about grades on individual assignments. Nothing stops a teacher from giving Bs on everything. The retake policy doesn’t stop that; you can’t retake a B. The 50% floor doesn’t stop that; 50% isn’t higher than a B. The 63% policy doesn’t stop that; 63% isn’t higher than a B. Where is the DCPS policy that forces a teacher to say an assignment is an A? There isn’t one.

Now maybe teachers give out a lot of As, but that’s their choice. Nothing in the DCPS grading policy forces teachers to give everyone (or anyone) an A.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t feed in/average as a GPA but as a numerical percentage. An A (93 and above for the quarter/term) is a 100. (I know this sounds insane but it is true). A B+ is an 89. Most other grades calculate at the highest possible percentage for that grade.

So do the math - your kid can prob get a B-and still end up with an A because those 100s make a huge difference.

This is false. It averages quality points and always rounds up. Your information hasn’t been accurate for quite some time in DCPS.

Ex:

A, B, B, B+
4.0 +3+3+3.3 =13.3
13.3/4=3.325. And that is an A-. This is where the true grade inflation exists.

Wait, what? 3.325 is an A- ?

Yup. That is why grades are so high. And honestly why they mean nothing. A kid with the following grades also gets an A-
A-, A-, A-, B+

Doesn’t seem to push kids to try very hard.

This really depends on the teacher. If the teacher never gives a grade above B, no math will get the year-end grade to an A-.

What teacher never gives a grade above a B? Seems difficult to achieve with retakes, late work policy, floor of 50%, lowest grade on submitted work 63%, etc. Your example is exceedingly rare.

I’m talking about grades on individual assignments. Nothing stops a teacher from giving Bs on everything. The retake policy doesn’t stop that; you can’t retake a B. The 50% floor doesn’t stop that; 50% isn’t higher than a B. The 63% policy doesn’t stop that; 63% isn’t higher than a B. Where is the DCPS policy that forces a teacher to say an assignment is an A? There isn’t one.

Now maybe teachers give out a lot of As, but that’s their choice. Nothing in the DCPS grading policy forces teachers to give everyone (or anyone) an A.

What are you talking about? If your child has teachers who are just “giving Bs” without using rubrics, or grading consistently as compared to other students you need to complain. It seems like you have an axe to grind with someone at your kid’s school. Students earn grades. In a math class I would find it really difficult if a child got every multiple choice question right and every free response correct with correct work that the teacher just feels like giving a B.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t feed in/average as a GPA but as a numerical percentage. An A (93 and above for the quarter/term) is a 100. (I know this sounds insane but it is true). A B+ is an 89. Most other grades calculate at the highest possible percentage for that grade.

So do the math - your kid can prob get a B-and still end up with an A because those 100s make a huge difference.

This is false. It averages quality points and always rounds up. Your information hasn’t been accurate for quite some time in DCPS.

Ex:

A, B, B, B+
4.0 +3+3+3.3 =13.3
13.3/4=3.325. And that is an A-. This is where the true grade inflation exists.

Is that correct that everything is rounded up regardless of how close to the lower grade? The DCPS grading policy online does not seem to discuss rounding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t feed in/average as a GPA but as a numerical percentage. An A (93 and above for the quarter/term) is a 100. (I know this sounds insane but it is true). A B+ is an 89. Most other grades calculate at the highest possible percentage for that grade.

So do the math - your kid can prob get a B-and still end up with an A because those 100s make a huge difference.

This is false. It averages quality points and always rounds up. Your information hasn’t been accurate for quite some time in DCPS.

Ex:

A, B, B, B+
4.0 +3+3+3.3 =13.3
13.3/4=3.325. And that is an A-. This is where the true grade inflation exists.

Is that correct that everything is rounded up regardless of how close to the lower grade? The DCPS grading policy online does not seem to discuss rounding.

It’s not in the policy, it’s in the way Aspen is programmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t feed in/average as a GPA but as a numerical percentage. An A (93 and above for the quarter/term) is a 100. (I know this sounds insane but it is true). A B+ is an 89. Most other grades calculate at the highest possible percentage for that grade.

So do the math - your kid can prob get a B-and still end up with an A because those 100s make a huge difference.

This is false. It averages quality points and always rounds up. Your information hasn’t been accurate for quite some time in DCPS.

Ex:

A, B, B, B+
4.0 +3+3+3.3 =13.3
13.3/4=3.325. And that is an A-. This is where the true grade inflation exists.

Is that correct that everything is rounded up regardless of how close to the lower grade? The DCPS grading policy online does not seem to discuss rounding.

Yes. It’s not really policy so much as what Aspen is programmed to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t feed in/average as a GPA but as a numerical percentage. An A (93 and above for the quarter/term) is a 100. (I know this sounds insane but it is true). A B+ is an 89. Most other grades calculate at the highest possible percentage for that grade.

So do the math - your kid can prob get a B-and still end up with an A because those 100s make a huge difference.

This is false. It averages quality points and always rounds up. Your information hasn’t been accurate for quite some time in DCPS.

Ex:

A, B, B, B+
4.0 +3+3+3.3 =13.3
13.3/4=3.325. And that is an A-. This is where the true grade inflation exists.

Is that correct that everything is rounded up regardless of how close to the lower grade? The DCPS grading policy online does not seem to discuss rounding.

Yes. It’s not really policy so much as what Aspen is programmed to do.

Why is it programmed that way? Because of policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does anyone not get an A in all classes DCPS with this completely insane grade inflation?

The only way not to get an A IMO is if you are lazy and don't follow up/get all assignments in. Sad!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t feed in/average as a GPA but as a numerical percentage. An A (93 and above for the quarter/term) is a 100. (I know this sounds insane but it is true). A B+ is an 89. Most other grades calculate at the highest possible percentage for that grade.

So do the math - your kid can prob get a B-and still end up with an A because those 100s make a huge difference.

This is false. It averages quality points and always rounds up. Your information hasn’t been accurate for quite some time in DCPS.

Ex:

A, B, B, B+
4.0 +3+3+3.3 =13.3
13.3/4=3.325. And that is an A-. This is where the true grade inflation exists.

Is that correct that everything is rounded up regardless of how close to the lower grade? The DCPS grading policy online does not seem to discuss rounding.

Yes. It’s not really policy so much as what Aspen is programmed to do.

Why is it programmed that way? Because of policy.

Eh I’ve been in the system a long time. I’ve never gotten the impression that DCPS cares about GPAs or how a kid earns an A. They care about kids graduating and not failing. Beyond that I don’t think they thought much about this “policy”. Probably just default when they switched to automated final grade calculation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t feed in/average as a GPA but as a numerical percentage. An A (93 and above for the quarter/term) is a 100. (I know this sounds insane but it is true). A B+ is an 89. Most other grades calculate at the highest possible percentage for that grade.

So do the math - your kid can prob get a B-and still end up with an A because those 100s make a huge difference.

This is false. It averages quality points and always rounds up. Your information hasn’t been accurate for quite some time in DCPS.

Ex:

A, B, B, B+
4.0 +3+3+3.3 =13.3
13.3/4=3.325. And that is an A-. This is where the true grade inflation exists.

Is that correct that everything is rounded up regardless of how close to the lower grade? The DCPS grading policy online does not seem to discuss rounding.

Yes. It’s not really policy so much as what Aspen is programmed to do.

Why is it programmed that way? Because of policy.

Eh I’ve been in the system a long time. I’ve never gotten the impression that DCPS cares about GPAs or how a kid earns an A. They care about kids graduating and not failing. Beyond that I don’t think they thought much about this “policy”. Probably just default when they switched to automated final grade calculation.

Definitely possible that it’s just the factory default. The grading policy doesn’t say anything about it. And I agree that DCPS doesn’t care one whit whether a kid gets an A or a B — their policies are directed towards getting kids to graduation. Teachers who give As easily are not responding to DCPS but to belligerent parents.

[Anonymous]

So what's the weighting?
A=4
A- = 3.7?
B+ = 3.3?
B =3?
B- =2.7?
C+ =2.3?
etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what's the weighting?
A=4
A- = 3.7?
B+ = 3.3?
B =3?
B- =2.7?
C+ =2.3?
etc

Yes, exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what's the weighting?
A=4
A- = 3.7?
B+ = 3.3?
B =3?
B- =2.7?
C+ =2.3?
etc

Depends on AP. honors, or regular. The chart is here:
https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/Calculating%20High%20School%20GPAs_SY23-24_FINAL_0.pdf

[Anonymous]

So, if you get a B, B, B+, A ... you end up with an A- for the class. That is just wild to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, if you get a B, B, B+, A ... you end up with an A- for the class. That is just wild to me.

But a B-, B, B+, A is a B+

The process of reducing life to numbers always produces some oddities around the edges.