Another change to the grading policy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is grading policy on the next BOE meeting agenda? Wouldn't the members need to vote on this?

No, that's why this seems highly unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a college professor, let me tell you: the # of kids who have done poorly on tests or assignments this year who have come to me saying "can't I retake this? I could always retake things high school" is alarming. I'm familiar with the concept because my kid can also retake things, but it's a really problematic disjoint between HS and college. This never happened before the pandemic (in the before times they just asked for extra credit).

The best thing you can do for your kids is tell them starting in middle school that retakes are not setting them up for success and if they want to train themselves to be less stressed out and more successful over time, they need to develop study habits that make retakes unnecessary. One here and there isn't going to be a catastrophe, but relying on the option of a retake is detrimental.

Yeah yeah I know in the real world if you don't do something well at work the first time you just fix it and don't get fired, and that's good, but tests are tests. It's like a big presentation to a client: you don't get to redo that.

I have encouraged my kids to do well the first time, because retakes can be detrimental for another reason. It makes you behind in a class. You are busy study the old material, while the class has moved on to new material. Also, retakes usually are at lunch with less time than the original assessment. Also, high school kids NEED to eat lunch! I wish retakes were after school. In any event, I know my kids' teachers cut out units of learning during Covid in both foreign language and in math, causing gaps in their education.

I do this with my theater and sports kids too. I tell them to never practice because it's determenatal to developing their skills. Oh wait....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also wonder if AP and Honors being default for our middle of the road or better kids isn't driving these policies? APs and Honors used to be for exceptional learners. These are the kids who can typically handle these stressors. Maybe there are more stressed out kids now, in part, because we are forcing them into unnecessarily stressful situations for the sake of our pride or "college admissions" or to keep up with the neighbors' kids.

I remember only certain kids were invited to take some APs, but when the less advanced kids didn't get in, their parents would lobby the school. Once all those kids were admitted they had to dumb down the classes. My point is parents have themselves to blame.

Have they dumbed down the AP tests, too?

Yes… and it gets worse with each re-write.

I think a 1500 on the SAT is equivalent to 1100 back in the 70s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a college professor, let me tell you: the # of kids who have done poorly on tests or assignments this year who have come to me saying "can't I retake this? I could always retake things high school" is alarming. I'm familiar with the concept because my kid can also retake things, but it's a really problematic disjoint between HS and college. This never happened before the pandemic (in the before times they just asked for extra credit).

The best thing you can do for your kids is tell them starting in middle school that retakes are not setting them up for success and if they want to train themselves to be less stressed out and more successful over time, they need to develop study habits that make retakes unnecessary. One here and there isn't going to be a catastrophe, but relying on the option of a retake is detrimental.

Yeah yeah I know in the real world if you don't do something well at work the first time you just fix it and don't get fired, and that's good, but tests are tests. It's like a big presentation to a client: you don't get to redo that.

I have encouraged my kids to do well the first time, because retakes can be detrimental for another reason. It makes you behind in a class. You are busy study the old material, while the class has moved on to new material. Also, retakes usually are at lunch with less time than the original assessment. Also, high school kids NEED to eat lunch! I wish retakes were after school. In any event, I know my kids' teachers cut out units of learning during Covid in both foreign language and in math, causing gaps in their education.

I do this with my theater and sports kids too. I tell them to never practice because it's determenatal to developing their skills. Oh wait....

Homework is practice. Tests, like sports games/matches and performances, are the culmination of that. No retakes on a sporting game/match or a performance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a college professor, let me tell you: the # of kids who have done poorly on tests or assignments this year who have come to me saying "can't I retake this? I could always retake things high school" is alarming. I'm familiar with the concept because my kid can also retake things, but it's a really problematic disjoint between HS and college. This never happened before the pandemic (in the before times they just asked for extra credit).

The best thing you can do for your kids is tell them starting in middle school that retakes are not setting them up for success and if they want to train themselves to be less stressed out and more successful over time, they need to develop study habits that make retakes unnecessary. One here and there isn't going to be a catastrophe, but relying on the option of a retake is detrimental.

Yeah yeah I know in the real world if you don't do something well at work the first time you just fix it and don't get fired, and that's good, but tests are tests. It's like a big presentation to a client: you don't get to redo that.

I have encouraged my kids to do well the first time, because retakes can be detrimental for another reason. It makes you behind in a class. You are busy study the old material, while the class has moved on to new material. Also, retakes usually are at lunch with less time than the original assessment. Also, high school kids NEED to eat lunch! I wish retakes were after school. In any event, I know my kids' teachers cut out units of learning during Covid in both foreign language and in math, causing gaps in their education.

I do this with my theater and sports kids too. I tell them to never practice because it's determenatal to developing their skills. Oh wait....

Some of you are raising veal instead of children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is grading policy on the next BOE meeting agenda? Wouldn't the members need to vote on this?

When did the BOE vote that the retake grade didn’t replace the original grade if the original grade was higher? Because that is a new policy this year and I don’t remember the BOE ever discussing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is grading policy on the next BOE meeting agenda? Wouldn't the members need to vote on this?

No, that's why this seems highly unlikely.

Not on the 10/11 meeting agenda. We'll see if it is on the one 2 weeks after that. They have enacted change in prior years basically "effectively immediately" and this would not surprise me.

No idea if the OP was a troll or not, but I think the original post does have some truth to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is grading policy on the next BOE meeting agenda? Wouldn't the members need to vote on this?

When did the BOE vote that the retake grade didn’t replace the original grade if the original grade was higher? Because that is a new policy this year and I don’t remember the BOE ever discussing it.

OP has a misleading title. There is no proposed change to grading Policies, which would go through an entire committee review and public comment period, before the BOE votes on it.

What OP is sharing is a rumor that the guidance for implementing the policies may change. This has nitty gritty details that are intended to ensure uniform practices across MCPS and became necessary to describe in detail during the pandemic. You can find the guidance here:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/report-cards-secondary.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a college professor, let me tell you: the # of kids who have done poorly on tests or assignments this year who have come to me saying "can't I retake this? I could always retake things high school" is alarming. I'm familiar with the concept because my kid can also retake things, but it's a really problematic disjoint between HS and college. This never happened before the pandemic (in the before times they just asked for extra credit).

The best thing you can do for your kids is tell them starting in middle school that retakes are not setting them up for success and if they want to train themselves to be less stressed out and more successful over time, they need to develop study habits that make retakes unnecessary. One here and there isn't going to be a catastrophe, but relying on the option of a retake is detrimental.

Yeah yeah I know in the real world if you don't do something well at work the first time you just fix it and don't get fired, and that's good, but tests are tests. It's like a big presentation to a client: you don't get to redo that.

I have encouraged my kids to do well the first time, because retakes can be detrimental for another reason. It makes you behind in a class. You are busy study the old material, while the class has moved on to new material. Also, retakes usually are at lunch with less time than the original assessment. Also, high school kids NEED to eat lunch! I wish retakes were after school. In any event, I know my kids' teachers cut out units of learning during Covid in both foreign language and in math, causing gaps in their education.

I do this with my theater and sports kids too. I tell them to never practice because it's determenatal to developing their skills. Oh wait....

Homework is practice. Tests, like sports games/matches and performances, are the culmination of that. No retakes on a sporting game/match or a performance.

Just take a deep breath and simply imagine the first test as homework. You can get through this. It will all work out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is grading policy on the next BOE meeting agenda? Wouldn't the members need to vote on this?

When did the BOE vote that the retake grade didn’t replace the original grade if the original grade was higher? Because that is a new policy this year and I don’t remember the BOE ever discussing it.

OP has a misleading title. There is no proposed change to grading Policies, which would go through an entire committee review and public comment period, before the BOE votes on it.

What OP is sharing is a rumor that the guidance for implementing the policies may change. This has nitty gritty details that are intended to ensure uniform practices across MCPS and became necessary to describe in detail during the pandemic. You can find the guidance here:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/report-cards-secondary.aspx

Thanks, PP. I'm so tired of these fictions from crazy right-wing MCPS board trolls just sowing public resentment and mistrust.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is grading policy on the next BOE meeting agenda? Wouldn't the members need to vote on this?

When did the BOE vote that the retake grade didn’t replace the original grade if the original grade was higher? Because that is a new policy this year and I don’t remember the BOE ever discussing it.

OP has a misleading title. There is no proposed change to grading Policies, which would go through an entire committee review and public comment period, before the BOE votes on it.

What OP is sharing is a rumor that the guidance for implementing the policies may change. This has nitty gritty details that are intended to ensure uniform practices across MCPS and became necessary to describe in detail during the pandemic. You can find the guidance here:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/report-cards-secondary.aspx

Thanks, PP. I'm so tired of these fictions from crazy right-wing MCPS board trolls just sowing public resentment and mistrust.

And we’re so tired of you calling anyone who raises a concern with the state of MCPS or MoCo government “right wing” and “crazy.” It’s bizarre, frankly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a college professor, let me tell you: the # of kids who have done poorly on tests or assignments this year who have come to me saying "can't I retake this? I could always retake things high school" is alarming. I'm familiar with the concept because my kid can also retake things, but it's a really problematic disjoint between HS and college. This never happened before the pandemic (in the before times they just asked for extra credit).

The best thing you can do for your kids is tell them starting in middle school that retakes are not setting them up for success and if they want to train themselves to be less stressed out and more successful over time, they need to develop study habits that make retakes unnecessary. One here and there isn't going to be a catastrophe, but relying on the option of a retake is detrimental.

Yeah yeah I know in the real world if you don't do something well at work the first time you just fix it and don't get fired, and that's good, but tests are tests. It's like a big presentation to a client: you don't get to redo that.

I have encouraged my kids to do well the first time, because retakes can be detrimental for another reason. It makes you behind in a class. You are busy study the old material, while the class has moved on to new material. Also, retakes usually are at lunch with less time than the original assessment. Also, high school kids NEED to eat lunch! I wish retakes were after school. In any event, I know my kids' teachers cut out units of learning during Covid in both foreign language and in math, causing gaps in their education.

I do this with my theater and sports kids too. I tell them to never practice because it's determenatal to developing their skills. Oh wait....

Homework is practice. Tests, like sports games/matches and performances, are the culmination of that. No retakes on a sporting game/match or a performance.

Just take a deep breath and simply imagine the first test as homework. You can get through this. It will all work out.

You're right. Tests are morphing into homework.

[Anonymous]

Retakes are a giant pain in the ass for teachers. Can you imagine having to schedule retakes with dozens of students every time you give a quiz/test? Lunch? Time to plan during your planning period? Drink coffee and chat with coworkers in the morning? Nope!

Of course, you don't have to give a retake if you make the quiz/test super easy and lower the standards, or better yet, leave the field for a cushy work from home job! Or a higher paying job working as a tipped minimum wage employee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Retakes are a giant pain in the ass for teachers. Can you imagine having to schedule retakes with dozens of students every time you give a quiz/test? Lunch? Time to plan during your planning period? Drink coffee and chat with coworkers in the morning? Nope!

Of course, you don't have to give a retake if you make the quiz/test super easy and lower the standards, or better yet, leave the field for a cushy work from home job! Or a higher paying job working as a tipped minimum wage employee.

That would be a lot. Would you also have to write a new test each time too or do students keep re-taking the same test?

[Anonymous]

Can you imagine how MCPS students will do after they graduate high school? There’s no retakes in college or free homework points. Less grades do not equate to less stress - often quite the opposite because less grades means each assignment/test has greater weight. Students need to learn how to manage time and expectations not ask for the standards to be lowered.