50% of all high school seniors have an A average GPA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading a lot about grade inflation and easy A's at in AP classes. I have no idea what school district or specific schools you are talking about, but that's not happening at my kids school. There are no easy "A"s in AP classes

I have noticed that a lot (one or a few?) private school parents come on here to bash the public school system for grade inflation (ironic the article states that this is more prevalent in private schools). I never saw grade inflation at my children's MCPS. My kids were prepared very well for college by their high school, and I feel very thankful and blessed that I was able to send my children to the public school they attended. At the same time, I believe that being well prepared for college may also depend upon a person's personality (maybe personality is the wrong word here?)-- do they like school? do they work hard? do they care about school? etc. There are some kids who simply hate school and will not be prepared for college no matter what we do for them.

It doesn't matter. The regional college admissions directors for every college know the schools in this area. It is their region. It is their focus. They know how each country, district, and private school grade. They know which ones inflate, which ones abuse inflated AP's and offer too many honors classes. Which schools basic classes are harder than other schools honors classes. They know which schools don't even offer AP classes but know the kids are better prepared and still take the AP exam for those and can get and do get a 5. They know what a 4.0 student at TJ can do compared to a 4.0 student at Wilson. They know what a 4.0 student at Sidwell can do compared to a 4.0 at Whitman student. They know some privates inflate, they know that some publics inflate. They know the schools that require final exams like all colleges do (can you make it thru a finals week at college?) and ones that have started to waive them or still offer them, but it doesn't count due to a grading table or policy. They know how to compare two kids in the same school based on non 100 point grading systems. They know which recommendations or EC's mean more than others. It is their job. So many parents are clueless about this. They see A's and think their kid is going to ace college admissions. Huge mistake

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, the book this article derived from is being widely scorned in the college admissions world as nothing but a College Board-supported effort to counter the growing “test-free” admissions movement. Part of its very specious argument is that because of grade inflation, colleges can no longer ascertain which students are truly qualified and need standardized tests more than ever. The reality, of course, is that colleges are realizing what a limited tool they are, which is why they’re going test-free, or at least dropping SAT II and SAT essay requirements

Thanks for raising this point. That's what I was thinking when I read this: "The new findings come courtesy of two researchers: Michael Hurwitz of the College Board, the folks who bring you the SAT; and Jason Lee, a doctoral student at the University of Georgia’s Institute of Higher Education."

Always consider the source when looking at statistics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading a lot about grade inflation and easy A's at in AP classes. I have no idea what school district or specific schools you are talking about, but that's not happening at my kids school. There are no easy "A"s in AP classes

I have noticed that a lot (one or a few?) private school parents come on here to bash the public school system for grade inflation (ironic the article states that this is more prevalent in private schools). I never saw grade inflation at my children's MCPS. My kids were prepared very well for college by their high school, and I feel very thankful and blessed that I was able to send my children to the public school they attended. At the same time, I believe that being well prepared for college may also depend upon a person's personality (maybe personality is the wrong word here?)-- do they like school? do they work hard? do they care about school? etc. There are some kids who simply hate school and will not be prepared for college no matter what we do for them.

What the F are you smoking lady? MCPS is known everywhere in the DMV and by all Maryland college admissions to be the most inflated.

1. No final exams anymore since kids were doing so bad
2. Retakes on tests are allowed. The test scores aren't even combined. The 2nd score is the final score. Get a 64 on first test and a 90 on the second. You get a 90.
3. Projects, papers, and homework can be turned in late without penality
4. They have a weighted country-wide grade policy. No number grades are submitted to colleges for 100 point scale. All letter grades. A+B will always equal A for a semester. So a 79.5 + 89.5 always equals an A? In MCPS - absolutely!!
5. They give an entire GPA point for AP classes. So that 79.5 and 89.5 now all of a sudden equal a 5.0 on the GPA scale.
6. They give an entire GPA point higher for honors classes. Same as above
7. Most kids minus remedial are taking at least 2 honors courses Freshman year. Honors courses in MCPS are basic courses. There is nothing honors about them.
8. You are allowed to take college AP courses as a freshman and are unlimited the entire 4 years.


You have honestly have to be the biggest idiot to not get honor roll every semester at a MCPS school. This helps lazy kids and punishes the hard working kids. Nothing to distinguish between a child that gets a 97 and a 95 for their semester when a kid that gets a 79.5 and a 89.5 gets the SAME EXACT grade sent to college admissions. It is impossible for them to weed out the kids who are high achievers. Yes, certain tracks are tougher but barely scraping by getting A's and clearly mastering the class is two very different things. Having kids that are high achieving it is a terrible policy. But MCPS rather hide behind a grading table than a 100 point scale. They teach kids to find ways to master the system then to show colleges they have actually mastered the class.

Wow, I didn’t realize that was the way at MCPS. At my FCPS school, retakes are allowed, but the highest score you could get was an 80 on the retake. No averages taken, that was it. It was an opportunity to re-study the material, but the potential to get a “high score” was not the purpose.

[Anonymous]

So let's take these one at a time:


1. No final exams anymore since kids were doing so bad WHY IS THIS A BAD THING? WHO SAYS TESTING IS THE BEST EVIDENCE THAT YOU LEARNED THE MATERIAL?
2. Retakes on tests are allowed. The test scores aren't even combined. The 2nd score is the final score. Get a 64 on first test and a 90 on the second. You get a 90. AGAIN, IF THE GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF THE MATERIAL, WHY IS THIS BAD? ARE YOU SAYING THE KID DIDN'T LEARN THE MATERIAL TO GET THE 90?
3. Projects, papers, and homework can be turned in late without penality DITTO -- FINE YOU MISS A DEADLINE, THAT'S NOT GREAT. BUT IF YOU DO THE WORK...
4. They have a weighted country-wide grade policy. No number grades are submitted to colleges for 100 point scale. All letter grades. A+B will always equal A for a semester. So a 79.5 + 89.5 always equals an A? In MCPS - absolutely!! IS THIS REALLY UNCOMMON? I DON'T THINK SO?
5. They give an entire GPA point for AP classes. So that 79.5 and 89.5 now all of a sudden equal a 5.0 on the GPA scale. I THINK THIS IS COMMON AND NOT SURE IT'S 'INFLATION.'
6. They give an entire GPA point higher for honors classes. Same as above OK THIS IS A BIT UNUSUAL
7. Most kids minus remedial are taking at least 2 honors courses Freshman year. Honors courses in MCPS are basic courses. There is nothing honors about them. I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS
8. You are allowed to take college AP courses as a freshman and are unlimited the entire 4 years. THAT IS UNUSUAL TOO


BTW, Virginia schools (Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun I'm familiar with) really aren't like the above. Some MSs allow retakes, but you can rarely get more than an 80. And you def get docked a letter grade for late projects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So let's take these one at a time:


1. No final exams anymore since kids were doing so bad WHY IS THIS A BAD THING? WHO SAYS TESTING IS THE BEST EVIDENCE THAT YOU LEARNED THE MATERIAL?
2. Retakes on tests are allowed. The test scores aren't even combined. The 2nd score is the final score. Get a 64 on first test and a 90 on the second. You get a 90. AGAIN, IF THE GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF THE MATERIAL, WHY IS THIS BAD? ARE YOU SAYING THE KID DIDN'T LEARN THE MATERIAL TO GET THE 90?
3. Projects, papers, and homework can be turned in late without penality DITTO -- FINE YOU MISS A DEADLINE, THAT'S NOT GREAT. BUT IF YOU DO THE WORK...
4. They have a weighted country-wide grade policy. No number grades are submitted to colleges for 100 point scale. All letter grades. A+B will always equal A for a semester. So a 79.5 + 89.5 always equals an A? In MCPS - absolutely!! IS THIS REALLY UNCOMMON? I DON'T THINK SO?
5. They give an entire GPA point for AP classes. So that 79.5 and 89.5 now all of a sudden equal a 5.0 on the GPA scale. I THINK THIS IS COMMON AND NOT SURE IT'S 'INFLATION.'
6. They give an entire GPA point higher for honors classes. Same as above OK THIS IS A BIT UNUSUAL
7. Most kids minus remedial are taking at least 2 honors courses Freshman year. Honors courses in MCPS are basic courses. There is nothing honors about them. I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS
8. You are allowed to take college AP courses as a freshman and are unlimited the entire 4 years. THAT IS UNUSUAL TOO


BTW, Virginia schools (Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun I'm familiar with) really aren't like the above. Some MSs allow retakes, but you can rarely get more than an 80. And you def get docked a letter grade for late projects.

FCPS mom here: I think the problem of a liberal retake policy is that kids can game the system. For example, purposely bomb the first time to get a chance to retake. That’s why there a policy of only being able to score a highest possible 80 on the retake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I'm the odd one out. I'm also a college professor.

I wish students could keep taking tests, writing papers, etc. until they learn the material. If someone takes two months to learn it, great! Move them on. If someone takes two years to learn it, great!

Of course, in reality, it costs more for it to take two years, so we won't do that. But in between is a model where the only thing that matters is that you get the material. If everyone can reach an "A" level in a subject eventually, I'd like to see a system where they can do so if they want to, or can stop at the "C" level if they're not interested in mastering the subject.

This might actually mean that kids would do a better job of self-selecting for fields that match their interests + aptitude without worries about the various structural issues of formal schooling that trip a lot of people up (being called on in class, timed tests, one-chance projects).

And yes, I get that projects in the real world have deadlines. The point is not "no deadlines." The point is retaking tests, rewriting papers, reattempting projects, etc.. I would assume that employers would then look at how long it took someone to complete the course of study in their field before hiring that person as, say, a journalist working under time pressure.

I'd settle for matriculating students who can think critically and solve problems. Very few of these 4.7GPA/1500 SAT kids can do these things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So let's take these one at a time:


1. No final exams anymore since kids were doing so bad WHY IS THIS A BAD THING? WHO SAYS TESTING IS THE BEST EVIDENCE THAT YOU LEARNED THE MATERIAL?
2. Retakes on tests are allowed. The test scores aren't even combined. The 2nd score is the final score. Get a 64 on first test and a 90 on the second. You get a 90. AGAIN, IF THE GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF THE MATERIAL, WHY IS THIS BAD? ARE YOU SAYING THE KID DIDN'T LEARN THE MATERIAL TO GET THE 90?
3. Projects, papers, and homework can be turned in late without penality DITTO -- FINE YOU MISS A DEADLINE, THAT'S NOT GREAT. BUT IF YOU DO THE WORK...
4. They have a weighted country-wide grade policy. No number grades are submitted to colleges for 100 point scale. All letter grades. A+B will always equal A for a semester. So a 79.5 + 89.5 always equals an A? In MCPS - absolutely!! IS THIS REALLY UNCOMMON? I DON'T THINK SO?
5. They give an entire GPA point for AP classes. So that 79.5 and 89.5 now all of a sudden equal a 5.0 on the GPA scale. I THINK THIS IS COMMON AND NOT SURE IT'S 'INFLATION.'
6. They give an entire GPA point higher for honors classes. Same as above OK THIS IS A BIT UNUSUAL
7. Most kids minus remedial are taking at least 2 honors courses Freshman year. Honors courses in MCPS are basic courses. There is nothing honors about them. I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS
8. You are allowed to take college AP courses as a freshman and are unlimited the entire 4 years. THAT IS UNUSUAL TOO


BTW, Virginia schools (Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun I'm familiar with) really aren't like the above. Some MSs allow retakes, but you can rarely get more than an 80. And you def get docked a letter grade for late projects.

1. Why do colleges have finals then? They do, they are important, and high school kids need to learn how to take them.
2. If you bomb a test and have more time to learn the material than your peers, understand how the actual test will be given by your teachers, and can get a higher grade in the end - yes, that is gaming the system.
3. A kid making a deadline vs a kid missing a deadline are two very different type of people in all aspects of life. If a kid is given extra time for a better grade, you believe that is just fair?
4, 5, and 6. Yes it is absolutely uncommon for a high C and a high B to equal a 5.0 on a GPA scale for countless AP and honors courses given. Have your seen the grading table for MCPS? An A and a D automatically equal a B. No matter if the A and the D were the lowest grades. Still equals a B. Then if it was an honors course, it equals an A with an entire point increase. That is massive grade inflation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading a lot about grade inflation and easy A's at in AP classes. I have no idea what school district or specific schools you are talking about, but that's not happening at my kids school. There are no easy "A"s in AP classes

I have noticed that a lot (one or a few?) private school parents come on here to bash the public school system for grade inflation (ironic the article states that this is more prevalent in private schools). I never saw grade inflation at my children's MCPS. My kids were prepared very well for college by their high school, and I feel very thankful and blessed that I was able to send my children to the public school they attended. At the same time, I believe that being well prepared for college may also depend upon a person's personality (maybe personality is the wrong word here?)-- do they like school? do they work hard? do they care about school? etc. There are some kids who simply hate school and will not be prepared for college no matter what we do for them.

What the F are you smoking lady? MCPS is known everywhere in the DMV and by all Maryland college admissions to be the most inflated.

1. No final exams anymore since kids were doing so bad
2. Retakes on tests are allowed. The test scores aren't even combined. The 2nd score is the final score. Get a 64 on first test and a 90 on the second. You get a 90.
3. Projects, papers, and homework can be turned in late without penality
4. They have a weighted country-wide grade policy. No number grades are submitted to colleges for 100 point scale. All letter grades. A+B will always equal A for a semester. So a 79.5 + 89.5 always equals an A? In MCPS - absolutely!!
5. They give an entire GPA point for AP classes. So that 79.5 and 89.5 now all of a sudden equal a 5.0 on the GPA scale.
6. They give an entire GPA point higher for honors classes. Same as above
7. Most kids minus remedial are taking at least 2 honors courses Freshman year. Honors courses in MCPS are basic courses. There is nothing honors about them.
8. You are allowed to take college AP courses as a freshman and are unlimited the entire 4 years.


You have honestly have to be the biggest idiot to not get honor roll every semester at a MCPS school. This helps lazy kids and punishes the hard working kids. Nothing to distinguish between a child that gets a 97 and a 95 for their semester when a kid that gets a 79.5 and a 89.5 gets the SAME EXACT grade sent to college admissions. It is impossible for them to weed out the kids who are high achievers. Yes, certain tracks are tougher but barely scraping by getting A's and clearly mastering the class is two very different things. Having kids that are high achieving it is a terrible policy. But MCPS rather hide behind a grading table than a 100 point scale. They teach kids to find ways to master the system then to show colleges they have actually mastered the class.

I don't understand how those two grades just equal an A. It is obviously a B, not even a B+. How can MCPS just give an A for those grades?

[Anonymous]

Colleges receive a copy of the grading scale and weighting with the transcript, so they know MCPS grades are sketchy. I’m sure they adjust and recalculate before considering a student for admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I'm the odd one out. I'm also a college professor.

I wish students could keep taking tests, writing papers, etc. until they learn the material. If someone takes two months to learn it, great! Move them on. If someone takes two years to learn it, great!

Of course, in reality, it costs more for it to take two years, so we won't do that. But in between is a model where the only thing that matters is that you get the material. If everyone can reach an "A" level in a subject eventually, I'd like to see a system where they can do so if they want to, or can stop at the "C" level if they're not interested in mastering the subject.

This might actually mean that kids would do a better job of self-selecting for fields that match their interests + aptitude without worries about the various structural issues of formal schooling that trip a lot of people up (being called on in class, timed tests, one-chance projects).

And yes, I get that projects in the real world have deadlines. The point is not "no deadlines." The point is retaking tests, rewriting papers, reattempting projects, etc.. I would assume that employers would then look at how long it took someone to complete the course of study in their field before hiring that person as, say, a journalist working under time pressure.

I agree whole-heartedly. I hope my kids take your class(es) some day This is what education should be about = learning the material.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges receive a copy of the grading scale and weighting with the transcript, so they know MCPS grades are sketchy. I’m sure they adjust and recalculate before considering a student for admissions.

How do they recalculate if MCPS doesn’t provide number grades to the colleges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges receive a copy of the grading scale and weighting with the transcript, so they know MCPS grades are sketchy. I’m sure they adjust and recalculate before considering a student for admissions.

How do they recalculate if MCPS doesn’t provide number grades to the colleges?

If they don’t have numbers, they likely just assume the worst case scenario, and lean more on test scores. It seems like the top students in MCPS are screwed, and the mediocre students don’t even realize that they’re not the top students!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading a lot about grade inflation and easy A's at in AP classes. I have no idea what school district or specific schools you are talking about, but that's not happening at my kids school. There are no easy "A"s in AP classes

I have noticed that a lot (one or a few?) private school parents come on here to bash the public school system for grade inflation (ironic the article states that this is more prevalent in private schools). I never saw grade inflation at my children's MCPS. My kids were prepared very well for college by their high school, and I feel very thankful and blessed that I was able to send my children to the public school they attended. At the same time, I believe that being well prepared for college may also depend upon a person's personality (maybe personality is the wrong word here?)-- do they like school? do they work hard? do they care about school? etc. There are some kids who simply hate school and will not be prepared for college no matter what we do for them.

What the F are you smoking lady? MCPS is known everywhere in the DMV and by all Maryland college admissions to be the most inflated.

1. No final exams anymore since kids were doing so bad
2. Retakes on tests are allowed. The test scores aren't even combined. The 2nd score is the final score. Get a 64 on first test and a 90 on the second. You get a 90.
3. Projects, papers, and homework can be turned in late without penality
4. They have a weighted country-wide grade policy. No number grades are submitted to colleges for 100 point scale. All letter grades. A+B will always equal A for a semester. So a 79.5 + 89.5 always equals an A? In MCPS - absolutely!!
5. They give an entire GPA point for AP classes. So that 79.5 and 89.5 now all of a sudden equal a 5.0 on the GPA scale.
6. They give an entire GPA point higher for honors classes. Same as above
7. Most kids minus remedial are taking at least 2 honors courses Freshman year. Honors courses in MCPS are basic courses. There is nothing honors about them.
8. You are allowed to take college AP courses as a freshman and are unlimited the entire 4 years.


You have honestly have to be the biggest idiot to not get honor roll every semester at a MCPS school. This helps lazy kids and punishes the hard working kids. Nothing to distinguish between a child that gets a 97 and a 95 for their semester when a kid that gets a 79.5 and a 89.5 gets the SAME EXACT grade sent to college admissions. It is impossible for them to weed out the kids who are high achievers. Yes, certain tracks are tougher but barely scraping by getting A's and clearly mastering the class is two very different things. Having kids that are high achieving it is a terrible policy. But MCPS rather hide behind a grading table than a 100 point scale. They teach kids to find ways to master the system then to show colleges they have actually mastered the class.

I don't understand how those two grades just equal an A. It is obviously a B, not even a B+. How can MCPS just give an A for those grades?

79.5=B 89.5=A A+B=A

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading a lot about grade inflation and easy A's at in AP classes. I have no idea what school district or specific schools you are talking about, but that's not happening at my kids school. There are no easy "A"s in AP classes

I have noticed that a lot (one or a few?) private school parents come on here to bash the public school system for grade inflation (ironic the article states that this is more prevalent in private schools). I never saw grade inflation at my children's MCPS. My kids were prepared very well for college by their high school, and I feel very thankful and blessed that I was able to send my children to the public school they attended. At the same time, I believe that being well prepared for college may also depend upon a person's personality (maybe personality is the wrong word here?)-- do they like school? do they work hard? do they care about school? etc. There are some kids who simply hate school and will not be prepared for college no matter what we do for them.

What the F are you smoking lady? MCPS is known everywhere in the DMV and by all Maryland college admissions to be the most inflated.

1. No final exams anymore since kids were doing so bad
2. Retakes on tests are allowed. The test scores aren't even combined. The 2nd score is the final score. Get a 64 on first test and a 90 on the second. You get a 90.
3. Projects, papers, and homework can be turned in late without penality
4. They have a weighted country-wide grade policy. No number grades are submitted to colleges for 100 point scale. All letter grades. A+B will always equal A for a semester. So a 79.5 + 89.5 always equals an A? In MCPS - absolutely!!
5. They give an entire GPA point for AP classes. So that 79.5 and 89.5 now all of a sudden equal a 5.0 on the GPA scale.
6. They give an entire GPA point higher for honors classes. Same as above
7. Most kids minus remedial are taking at least 2 honors courses Freshman year. Honors courses in MCPS are basic courses. There is nothing honors about them.
8. You are allowed to take college AP courses as a freshman and are unlimited the entire 4 years.


You have honestly have to be the biggest idiot to not get honor roll every semester at a MCPS school. This helps lazy kids and punishes the hard working kids. Nothing to distinguish between a child that gets a 97 and a 95 for their semester when a kid that gets a 79.5 and a 89.5 gets the SAME EXACT grade sent to college admissions. It is impossible for them to weed out the kids who are high achievers. Yes, certain tracks are tougher but barely scraping by getting A's and clearly mastering the class is two very different things. Having kids that are high achieving it is a terrible policy. But MCPS rather hide behind a grading table than a 100 point scale. They teach kids to find ways to master the system then to show colleges they have actually mastered the class.

I don't understand how those two grades just equal an A. It is obviously a B, not even a B+. How can MCPS just give an A for those grades?

79.5=B 89.5=A A+B=A

Here's the MCPS explanation http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/assessment-strategy/faq.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges receive a copy of the grading scale and weighting with the transcript, so they know MCPS grades are sketchy. I’m sure they adjust and recalculate before considering a student for admissions.

How do they recalculate if MCPS doesn’t provide number grades to the colleges?

If they don’t have numbers, they likely just assume the worst case scenario, and lean more on test scores. It seems like the top students in MCPS are screwed, and the mediocre students don’t even realize that they’re not the top students!

Agree