Changes to grading for all MCPS high school students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn't something the BOE votes on. It's a regulation, not a policy, so it's up to Taylor and CO to rewrite it.

Do you know if it’s final and where I can see the official version ?

It's not final.

Is there a place I can see the current version?

It's Regulation IKA-RA, last revised in 2024:

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/detail.aspx?recID=224&policyID=IKA-RA§ionID=9

[Anonymous]

Why would students not get into college? These changes just better reflect the learning in class over a full semester rather than the better quarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would students not get into college? These changes just better reflect the learning in class over a full semester rather than the better quarter.

Right, and for the 2026, you are saying all of the recorded grades don’t actually do that. And for the class of 2027, you are saying that a majority of the grades don’t do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All teachers want this. Almost all parents want this. I don’t see a reason to stop this from moving forward for all students next year.

One concern expressed at the board meeting was this having a negative effect on college admissions outcomes for the classes of 2026 and 2027.

Colleges take the information keys provided with transcripts and re-sort or recalculate the information to their own uniform scales and standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Now we are complaining about having finals and reducing grade inflation?

+1 ridiculous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All teachers want this. Almost all parents want this. I don’t see a reason to stop this from moving forward for all students next year.

One concern expressed at the board meeting was this having a negative effect on college admissions outcomes for the classes of 2026 and 2027.

Colleges take the information keys provided with transcripts and re-sort or recalculate the information to their own uniform scales and standards.

But they would have the underlying quarter grades. All they see is the final semester grade. It’s not like colleges take all the raw grades and come up with their own system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All teachers want this. Almost all parents want this. I don’t see a reason to stop this from moving forward for all students next year.

One concern expressed at the board meeting was this having a negative effect on college admissions outcomes for the classes of 2026 and 2027.

Colleges take the information keys provided with transcripts and re-sort or recalculate the information to their own uniform scales and standards.

But they would have the underlying quarter grades. All they see is the final semester grade. It’s not like colleges take all the raw grades and come up with their own system.

They would NOT have the underlying quarter grades/tests

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would students not get into college? These changes just better reflect the learning in class over a full semester rather than the better quarter.

I don't think it's about not getting into college at all, it's about some kids having a harder time getting into the more selective colleges they want, especially if the colleges are still thinking "well we know MCPS has rampant grade inflation, so getting any Bs is a big deal." And that it's especially frustrating for kids who would have made different decisions about what classes to take what year if they knew this was coming.

I personally think that the benefits for the student body as a whole of applying it to everyone immediately are important enough to balance out those concerns, but I do see why it bothers people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid who is in the class of 2026, and I object to the new system applying to that class. I’m mixed on whether it should apply to my rising 10th grader.

Me too but i want it for 26. There needs to be a consequence for them not going to school all year and trying all semester. It would be great to have year of that before college or work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would students not get into college? These changes just better reflect the learning in class over a full semester rather than the better quarter.

I don't think it's about not getting into college at all, it's about some kids having a harder time getting into the more selective colleges they want, especially if the colleges are still thinking "well we know MCPS has rampant grade inflation, so getting any Bs is a big deal." And that it's especially frustrating for kids who would have made different decisions about what classes to take what year if they knew this was coming.

I personally think that the benefits for the student body as a whole of applying it to everyone immediately are important enough to balance out those concerns, but I do see why it bothers people.

Kids who are unable to persevere through these changes don’t deserve the more selective universities. This will separate those who truly want it from those who are only half in it. This is not keeping kids from the high grades- only making sure they work throughout the whole semester to EARN the grade! A B might knock them out from HYP, but certainly not selective colleges!

[Anonymous]

All this for all grades now.

Only change I would make is adding major consequences to grades for unexcused tardies and absences

[Anonymous]

As a parent of a 2026 kid and kids in later years, I feel that all the changes should be implemented for all, with the exception that the semester grading algorithm should not be changed for the c/o 2026. We have no idea what the results are going to be, and if it’s anything negative it would be unfair to the upcoming graduating class, many of whom are already in the process of looking at post HS plans and pulling things together. It would be very much a nightmare to have to explain anything about the grade scheme to colleges/apprenticeships/scholarship committees, etc. Every one else has time to adjust and for any needed tweaks to be made. The class of 2026 not so much. And further, many of them don’t even know it’s coming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would students not get into college? These changes just better reflect the learning in class over a full semester rather than the better quarter.

I don't think it's about not getting into college at all, it's about some kids having a harder time getting into the more selective colleges they want, especially if the colleges are still thinking "well we know MCPS has rampant grade inflation, so getting any Bs is a big deal." And that it's especially frustrating for kids who would have made different decisions about what classes to take what year if they knew this was coming.

I personally think that the benefits for the student body as a whole of applying it to everyone immediately are important enough to balance out those concerns, but I do see why it bothers people.

Kids who are unable to persevere through these changes don’t deserve the more selective universities. This will separate those who truly want it from those who are only half in it. This is not keeping kids from the high grades- only making sure they work throughout the whole semester to EARN the grade! A B might knock them out from HYP, but certainly not selective colleges!

Agree with this. It will be clear who the true A students are. They deserve that edge in elite college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Op is right that it’s weird to average the two quarters instead of skit giving a semester grade. For the AP classes there are almost no assignments 4th quarter so it’s weird to weigh it as heavily as third quarter.

I have a rising junior and somehow missed the earlier thread about this. Amy change is incredibly nerve wracking at this point. We are already so stressed out aboit the whole thing. And I feel like the first year always has tough adjustments as the teachers figure it out. I really hate for the experimentation heat to be his junior year when we’re already sort of mentally hanging on by a thread. Teachers will neeec to develop new finals that they’ve never given before and it won’t necessarily all work immediately for all teachers. It might be helpful if they all bring back curved grading — my oldest is at a challenging college and often the teacher overshoots on the final, everyone gets a D and so the teacher says “sorry, I wrote a bad test — don’t worrry I’ve curve it.” Currently McPS teachers don’t have that ability. I just think there are gojng to be unanticipated wrinkles that will take a year or two to iron out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would students not get into college? These changes just better reflect the learning in class over a full semester rather than the better quarter.

I don't think it's about not getting into college at all, it's about some kids having a harder time getting into the more selective colleges they want, especially if the colleges are still thinking "well we know MCPS has rampant grade inflation, so getting any Bs is a big deal." And that it's especially frustrating for kids who would have made different decisions about what classes to take what year if they knew this was coming.

I personally think that the benefits for the student body as a whole of applying it to everyone immediately are important enough to balance out those concerns, but I do see why it bothers people.

Kids who are unable to persevere through these changes don’t deserve the more selective universities. This will separate those who truly want it from those who are only half in it. This is not keeping kids from the high grades- only making sure they work throughout the whole semester to EARN the grade! A B might knock them out from HYP, but certainly not selective colleges!

Clearly you haven’t had a recent Hs grad or don’t have a rising senior. Because yes, B’s absolutely do and are knocking kid’s out of selective colleges.