New DCPS grading policy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope the teachers are still flexible if there is confusion with deadlines, which I feel like there frequently is

This is my worry too. That and not providing clear feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fully agree with this policy, the one thing I will say is that it's a weird, abrupt change to make mid-stream on the same kids. It will make it look like some kids suddenly became much worse students in a way that isn't actually accurate.

We barely figured it out for last year (6th) and now it all changed for 7th, which is an important year for HS admissions. I don’t think the policy is crazy but they already made very, very little effort to help kids with organization and the system is a morass of confusing platforms (I think I counted 16). A massive change like this w/out support is really unfair. This also connects to the insufficient home-school communication caused by the lack of a clear homework-classwork-test feedback cycle. I see NOTHING in terms of completed work …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fully agree with this policy, the one thing I will say is that it's a weird, abrupt change to make mid-stream on the same kids. It will make it look like some kids suddenly became much worse students in a way that isn't actually accurate.

We barely figured it out for last year (6th) and now it all changed for 7th, which is an important year for HS admissions. I don’t think the policy is crazy but they already made very, very little effort to help kids with organization and the system is a morass of confusing platforms (I think I counted 16). A massive change like this w/out support is really unfair. This also connects to the insufficient home-school communication caused by the lack of a clear homework-classwork-test feedback cycle. I see NOTHING in terms of completed work …

7th is not an important year for college admissions. I hope that was some kind of typo and not evidence that you’re insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fully agree with this policy, the one thing I will say is that it's a weird, abrupt change to make mid-stream on the same kids. It will make it look like some kids suddenly became much worse students in a way that isn't actually accurate.

We barely figured it out for last year (6th) and now it all changed for 7th, which is an important year for HS admissions. I don’t think the policy is crazy but they already made very, very little effort to help kids with organization and the system is a morass of confusing platforms (I think I counted 16). A massive change like this w/out support is really unfair. This also connects to the insufficient home-school communication caused by the lack of a clear homework-classwork-test feedback cycle. I see NOTHING in terms of completed work …

Have you asked for it?

I’m a teacher who uses mostly paper so that kids can study from them and take them home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fully agree with this policy, the one thing I will say is that it's a weird, abrupt change to make mid-stream on the same kids. It will make it look like some kids suddenly became much worse students in a way that isn't actually accurate.

We barely figured it out for last year (6th) and now it all changed for 7th, which is an important year for HS admissions. I don’t think the policy is crazy but they already made very, very little effort to help kids with organization and the system is a morass of confusing platforms (I think I counted 16). A massive change like this w/out support is really unfair. This also connects to the insufficient home-school communication caused by the lack of a clear homework-classwork-test feedback cycle. I see NOTHING in terms of completed work …

7th is not an important year for college admissions. I hope that was some kind of typo and not evidence that you’re insane.

HS admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fully agree with this policy, the one thing I will say is that it's a weird, abrupt change to make mid-stream on the same kids. It will make it look like some kids suddenly became much worse students in a way that isn't actually accurate.

We barely figured it out for last year (6th) and now it all changed for 7th, which is an important year for HS admissions. I don’t think the policy is crazy but they already made very, very little effort to help kids with organization and the system is a morass of confusing platforms (I think I counted 16). A massive change like this w/out support is really unfair. This also connects to the insufficient home-school communication caused by the lack of a clear homework-classwork-test feedback cycle. I see NOTHING in terms of completed work …

Have you asked for it?

I’m a teacher who uses mostly paper so that kids can study from them and take them home.

I don’t think they’re going to do paper just for my kid. Another issue is that he has terrible EF skills and doesn’t remember paper (so that actually makes the online format potentially better in some ways). Yes we have an IEP. No it is not implemented.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year, my kid had a teacher who capped grades for any retake at 86.

The 86% max was the correct DCPS grading policy for retakes/revisions.

The 86% ceiling for late work applies to revision work and work submitted late due to unexcused absences, with the rationale that on-time submission should be incentivized. "

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/Secondary-Grading-and-Reporting-Policy-8621.pdf

[Anonymous]

I have to wonder how much the teachers union pushed for this to streamline their work. This cuts down on the number of retakes and I bet will also cut down on the number of students that ask for extra help to learn a subject better. Regardless of who pushed for this, it seems like a windfall for teachers that wanted less work. I also bet the number of students who have some sort of grading grievance, even informally, will increase since that would be their only path to a remedy where before a teacher could just say they should retake it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to wonder how much the teachers union pushed for this to streamline their work. This cuts down on the number of retakes and I bet will also cut down on the number of students that ask for extra help to learn a subject better. Regardless of who pushed for this, it seems like a windfall for teachers that wanted less work. I also bet the number of students who have some sort of grading grievance, even informally, will increase since that would be their only path to a remedy where before a teacher could just say they should retake it.

Imagine the policy last year- a HS teacher with 140 students would have to accept ANY assignment up until the last day of the advisory. There are a minimum of nine grades per advisory. Teachers were inundated with late assignments on the last day. It needed to change. The retake policy is a bit harsh in my opinion but the previous one was over the top- kids could revise or redo any assignment below a B as many times as they wanted. That is untenable as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to wonder how much the teachers union pushed for this to streamline their work. This cuts down on the number of retakes and I bet will also cut down on the number of students that ask for extra help to learn a subject better. Regardless of who pushed for this, it seems like a windfall for teachers that wanted less work. I also bet the number of students who have some sort of grading grievance, even informally, will increase since that would be their only path to a remedy where before a teacher could just say they should retake it.

How many retakes did you take when you were in school?

[Anonymous]

We also got a summary that said it was an automatic 30% reduction for late work. This was from a Deal science teacher.

My reading of the new policy also suggests that retakes are only available if the grade is below a D, and that the highest available grade for retakes is a C. Why even bother allowing a retake at all if you aren’t going to allow the student to markedly improve the grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to wonder how much the teachers union pushed for this to streamline their work. This cuts down on the number of retakes and I bet will also cut down on the number of students that ask for extra help to learn a subject better. Regardless of who pushed for this, it seems like a windfall for teachers that wanted less work. I also bet the number of students who have some sort of grading grievance, even informally, will increase since that would be their only path to a remedy where before a teacher could just say they should retake it.

How many retakes did you take when you were in school?

The old policy may have been over the top in one direction and this may be the same in the other direction now, but regardless I believe educational philosophy and investment has evolved in many ways over the past 2-3 decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/Secondary%20Grading%20and%20Reporting%20Policy%20-%20English.pdf

Note the new policy talks about what is allowed for an excused or unexcused absence, (defined here https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/Attendance%20Policy%20SY%2022-23.pdf)

So know when your child could get into a problem. For example missing 40% of a school day is counted as missing the whole day, so a long appointment, interview, event that allows your child to be in school for half a day may be an unexcused absence and cause a markdown of an assignment unless you jump through the hoops that are allowed to make it an excused absence and make sure the school recorded it correctly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to wonder how much the teachers union pushed for this to streamline their work. This cuts down on the number of retakes and I bet will also cut down on the number of students that ask for extra help to learn a subject better. Regardless of who pushed for this, it seems like a windfall for teachers that wanted less work. I also bet the number of students who have some sort of grading grievance, even informally, will increase since that would be their only path to a remedy where before a teacher could just say they should retake it.

How many retakes did you take when you were in school?

+1.

The retake policy is supposed to help kids who are in danger of not passing a course. It was relaxed during COVID but it was never supposed to lead to the rampant grade inflation we see now.

As a parent of a “straight A” student who would be an A- student but for all the retakes, I applaud the change. I’d rather DC find out that they need to work hard and do their best the first time while in high school than be shell shocked in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to wonder how much the teachers union pushed for this to streamline their work. This cuts down on the number of retakes and I bet will also cut down on the number of students that ask for extra help to learn a subject better. Regardless of who pushed for this, it seems like a windfall for teachers that wanted less work. I also bet the number of students who have some sort of grading grievance, even informally, will increase since that would be their only path to a remedy where before a teacher could just say they should retake it.

Oh yeah, sure. DCPS loves the teachers union and gives them whatever they want. Like a contract…. Please…. STFU.