Do all schools (public/private) inflate grades now, allow test retakes until the kid gets a higher grade?

[Anonymous]

My kids go to public middle and high school. They are both in seperate accelerated math/science programs. My middle school can sometimes hand in homework corrections for math, but they can only receive half credit for the corrections. No test corrections. The other middle school classes don’t allow corrections. My high schooler doesn’t regularly get to do corrections, though one time math teacher did allow corrections for one quiz at half credit. But no other corrections in any classes and even in math it was just once.

[Anonymous]

Arlington Public Schools only allows test retakes if you are below an 80 and then the highest score possible is an 80. So effectively no retakes that allow for grade inflation unless you are annoyed kids are "inflated" to a B- after having to actually learn the material.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Public Schools only allows test retakes if you are below an 80 and then the highest score possible is an 80. So effectively no retakes that allow for grade inflation unless you are annoyed kids are "inflated" to a B- after having to actually learn the material.

They are inflated because the retake doesn’t show that it was the second attempt. The grade should have an asterisk next to it so colleges can see that the kid with straight Bs is actually not a B student. They are only a B student due to retakes. There are other kids who are B students and they shouldn’t all be lumped together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Public Schools only allows test retakes if you are below an 80 and then the highest score possible is an 80. So effectively no retakes that allow for grade inflation unless you are annoyed kids are "inflated" to a B- after having to actually learn the material.

They are inflated because the retake doesn’t show that it was the second attempt. The grade should have an asterisk next to it so colleges can see that the kid with straight Bs is actually not a B student. They are only a B student due to retakes. There are other kids who are B students and they shouldn’t all be lumped together.

Colleges don’t see individual grades so that won’t work.

[Anonymous]

Our private does not ever allow retakes. They readily give out Cs and even Ds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Public Schools only allows test retakes if you are below an 80 and then the highest score possible is an 80. So effectively no retakes that allow for grade inflation unless you are annoyed kids are "inflated" to a B- after having to actually learn the material.

They are inflated because the retake doesn’t show that it was the second attempt. The grade should have an asterisk next to it so colleges can see that the kid with straight Bs is actually not a B student. They are only a B student due to retakes. There are other kids who are B students and they shouldn’t all be lumped together.

Colleges don’t see individual grades so that won’t work.

So colleges have no real idea of the type of student they are getting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our private does not ever allow retakes. They readily give out Cs and even Ds.

Same. Catholic single sex school. My DS got Cs in every math class as well as science classes involving math (physics) in school. I think he also got a D in chemistry which I can imagine was even more difficult online due to Covid.

[Anonymous]

Depends how rich your parents are

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends how rich your parents are

The richest family I know at my kid’s Catholic HS was expelled for cheating. Catholic schools don’t play.

[Anonymous]

Yes, a byproduct of the participation trophy craze. Now everyone deserves an A. Why colleges are doing away with TO, can make a decision based upon GPA alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Public Schools only allows test retakes if you are below an 80 and then the highest score possible is an 80. So effectively no retakes that allow for grade inflation unless you are annoyed kids are "inflated" to a B- after having to actually learn the material.

Loudoun is similar. Although over the years we’ve had several teachers with a more generous policy sort of on the down low. Current APUSH teacher allows test corrections for half the points back. So you can turn an 86 into a 93. A 90 into a 95, etc. It’s quite nice. I don’t think he’s supposed to be he’s old and doesn’t care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our private does not ever allow retakes. They readily give out Cs and even Ds.

Same. Catholic single sex school. My DS got Cs in every math class as well as science classes involving math (physics) in school. I think he also got a D in chemistry which I can imagine was even more difficult online due to Covid.

Yup, my DC is at a single-sex, independent, Catholic high school with no retakes and no late work allowed (rare exceptions with a good excuse). DC has about 6 Cs, but got over 1500 on the SAT and got to AP Scholar with Distinction status by end of Junior year. I'm very impressed with the few kids who get a 4.0 at this school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our private does not ever allow retakes. They readily give out Cs and even Ds.

Same. Catholic single sex school. My DS got Cs in every math class as well as science classes involving math (physics) in school. I think he also got a D in chemistry which I can imagine was even more difficult online due to Covid.

Yup, my DC is at a single-sex, independent, Catholic high school with no retakes and no late work allowed (rare exceptions with a good excuse). DC has about 6 Cs, but got over 1500 on the SAT and got to AP Scholar with Distinction status by end of Junior year. I'm very impressed with the few kids who get a 4.0 at this school.

My kids attend an independent school that is similar. And we also don’t have the 5.0 or 6.0 nonsense that many schools seem to have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Public Schools only allows test retakes if you are below an 80 and then the highest score possible is an 80. So effectively no retakes that allow for grade inflation unless you are annoyed kids are "inflated" to a B- after having to actually learn the material.

Loudoun is similar. Although over the years we’ve had several teachers with a more generous policy sort of on the down low. Current APUSH teacher allows test corrections for half the points back. So you can turn an 86 into a 93. A 90 into a 95, etc. It’s quite nice. I don’t think he’s supposed to be he’s old and doesn’t care.

Does Loudoun have a grade floor like other districts? Because if they do I don’t think this teacher is being ‘nice’. They are inflating grades and giving kids incentives to not try. If they lowest grade a teacher can enter is a 60, then why try on the test if you can just do corrections (usually copying other kids’ tests) and get an 80?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Public Schools only allows test retakes if you are below an 80 and then the highest score possible is an 80. So effectively no retakes that allow for grade inflation unless you are annoyed kids are "inflated" to a B- after having to actually learn the material.

Loudoun is similar. Although over the years we’ve had several teachers with a more generous policy sort of on the down low. Current APUSH teacher allows test corrections for half the points back. So you can turn an 86 into a 93. A 90 into a 95, etc. It’s quite nice. I don’t think he’s supposed to be he’s old and doesn’t care.

Does Loudoun have a grade floor like other districts? Because if they do I don’t think this teacher is being ‘nice’. They are inflating grades and giving kids incentives to not try. If they lowest grade a teacher can enter is a 60, then why try on the test if you can just do corrections (usually copying other kids’ tests) and get an 80?

Yes I believe the floor is 50. The entire policy is currently “under review” so we will see.

I will say, it’s shocking how many students don’t bother with retakes or test corrections. It’s very favorable to the more motivated kids.