Equity-grading/ SBG - all FCPS high schools? (or only some)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Related to the article, what is the reason that schools and colleges use a 4.0 rather than a 5.0 scale to measure grades they were measuring at 10 point increments? People seem too dumb to understand that a 0 doesn't make sense because we don't have a 10 letter grading scale and one letter shouldnt comprise of 60 points and the rest of the letters 10 (and this is not the first article where people can't understand this basic observation) why not just have a 5.0 grading system? It would still use 10 points between grades and give people their zero they are so adamant to have? Why 4.0 when there are typically five letter grades?

This whole "one letter shouldn't comprise 60 points" argument is a red herring. Nobody cares about the letters. Most other countries don't even use the stupid letters.
Getting a D should mean that the student showed mastery of 64% of the content, so roughly two-thirds, which is the minimum acceptable level to be considered to have passed the class. Less than two thirds is unacceptable. Of course, with the relentless grade inflation we have, many students are passed who shouldn't pass because not passing them is such a ridiculous hassle.

[Anonymous]

I think replacing the grade from the past is supposed to show that students are learning the standard better like you mentioned showing growth in the standard and therefore it's not an issue to have lower grades first quarter because they can be replaced but in practice it doesn't work this way. Kids get more discouraged early on and have a harder time following their grade with all the changes. Fcps uses to have first second third and fourth quarter standards to follow. Do they not have these now? This made it easy to teach and grade to these quarter standards. You got an A to F based on first quarter standards instead of fourth quarter standards and this told you whether you were on track for the quarter or not which would help predict if you were on track for the year. To me this is more straightforward than hoping you do better on the next assessment which will replace the one before. Also for the teacher. How easy is it for them to know if their student who got a C last time will get a B now and show improvement? Add in having only whole letter grades and the growth could end up not showing up at all.

[Anonymous]

And if SBG is supposed to be more accurate grading than why introduce replacing grades as a way to demonstrate more accuracy? The logic isn't there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the policy now county-wide in FFX?

Or, are only certain high schools doing this? Is there a list??

(anyone know specifically if McLean HS is implementing equity/SBG trading?

This is my fondest hope. That this madness will extend to the schools with powerful PTAs who will lobby against it for the rest of us.

i'm confused why you think a public PTA is "powerful" or will have the money to take this on????

I have faith in the Langley parents.

You're mistaken. At Madison, it was presented to the parents after the school hired outside people to explore how to implement it. I believe they even have information they presented to the admin that was released explaining how to respond when parents push back. Parents were only told about it after it was going to happen. Last year's seniors spoke at a PTA meeting and explained it is horrible. Parents complain. Teachers complain. The admin is in la la land and thinks it is great because the bottom is brought up. PERIOD. There was never a period where they solicited input from parents or students and then considered what to do. Instead, it was 100% a done deal and presented only after it was being implemented. There is no push back. There is no powerful PTA who can override this.

OMG.

This all-dem school board is horrible!

And, we just voted for another 4 years of this nightmare in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the policy now county-wide in FFX?

Or, are only certain high schools doing this? Is there a list??

(anyone know specifically if McLean HS is implementing equity/SBG trading?

This is my fondest hope. That this madness will extend to the schools with powerful PTAs who will lobby against it for the rest of us.

i'm confused why you think a public PTA is "powerful" or will have the money to take this on????

I have faith in the Langley parents.

You're mistaken. At Madison, it was presented to the parents after the school hired outside people to explore how to implement it. I believe they even have information they presented to the admin that was released explaining how to respond when parents push back. Parents were only told about it after it was going to happen. Last year's seniors spoke at a PTA meeting and explained it is horrible. Parents complain. Teachers complain. The admin is in la la land and thinks it is great because the bottom is brought up. PERIOD. There was never a period where they solicited input from parents or students and then considered what to do. Instead, it was 100% a done deal and presented only after it was being implemented. There is no push back. There is no powerful PTA who can override this.

OMG.

This all-dem school board is horrible!

And, we just voted for another 4 years of this nightmare in FCPS.

People are getting exactly what they deserve. Good luck convincing Melanie Meren to object to what’s happening at Madison.

[Anonymous]

Is “equity” the new “CRT”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is “equity” the new “CRT”?

That’s off topic.

Equity is the number one priority of the school board and Dr. Reid; they have emphasized this repeatedly.

FCPS has a highly-paid Chief Equity Officer, who has a paid staff.

Most government agencies (federal and state) have a Chief Equity Officer (or rather, Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity). Check your own employer; they have one.

We are specifically discussing in this thread the “equity grading / SBG” schemes FCPS is implementing against our children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think replacing the grade from the past is supposed to show that students are learning the standard better like you mentioned showing growth in the standard and therefore it's not an issue to have lower grades first quarter because they can be replaced but in practice it doesn't work this way. Kids get more discouraged early on and have a harder time following their grade with all the changes. Fcps uses to have first second third and fourth quarter standards to follow. Do they not have these now? This made it easy to teach and grade to these quarter standards. You got an A to F based on first quarter standards instead of fourth quarter standards and this told you whether you were on track for the quarter or not which would help predict if you were on track for the year. To me this is more straightforward than hoping you do better on the next assessment which will replace the one before. Also for the teacher. How easy is it for them to know if their student who got a C last time will get a B now and show improvement? Add in having only whole letter grades and the growth could end up not showing up at all.

I agree. My son is at McLean and has one teacher who randomly uses a very confusing and discouraging system (average test scores are between 30 and 50%) that sounds a lot like SBG. I don’t understand why she tests things they aren’t expected to have learned yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Equity is the number one priority of the school board and Dr. Reid; they have emphasized this repeatedly.
FCPS has a highly-paid Chief Equity Officer, who has a paid staff.
Most government agencies (federal and state) have a Chief Equity Officer (or rather, Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity). Check your own employer; they have one.
We are specifically discussing in this thread the “equity grading / SBG” schemes FCPS is implementing against our children.

+1 (former FCPS employee)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is “equity” the new “CRT”?

That’s off topic.

Equity is the number one priority of the school board and Dr. Reid; they have emphasized this repeatedly.

FCPS has a highly-paid Chief Equity Officer, who has a paid staff.

Most government agencies (federal and state) have a Chief Equity Officer (or rather, Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity). Check your own employer; they have one.

We are specifically discussing in this thread the “equity grading / SBG” schemes FCPS is implementing against our children.

Where is SBG labeled “equity grading”?

[Anonymous]

Is it coming to TJ and to the IB schools?

[Anonymous]

My son just started Churchill for kindergarten! Can someone summarize to parents like me who are just starting the school process what equity based grading and SBG is?
Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son just started Churchill for kindergarten! Can someone summarize to parents like me who are just starting the school process what equity based grading and SBG is?
Thanks!

I'm not sure there are changes to the elementary school. It will change three times before your kid hits 6th grade. I don't think this applies to your kid and I wouldn't worry about it. Kindergarten is a fun year and should not be about grades at all.

[Anonymous]

So do you all think the grading at Madison bring down the number of families trying to parent request their kids to attend there? Or is it effectively happening or about to happen at McLean and Oakton that is no difference?

[Anonymous]

For a parent with a rising 9th grader, what is SBG? I've read through this thread and there are puzzle pieces missing.