Explain how grades are inflated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in another state, but my sister lives in MCPS. Based on our conversations ...

1.) Her kids can always retake tests/quizzes. Mine have almost never had that option.
2.) Written work. In my kids' district, a pretty good term paper with a couple of lapses in logic, sourcing, etc., might get an 86. They'd get some detailed feedback and edits. In my niece's and nephew's, the same paper would get an A, with very little feedback.
3.) Extra credit. I remember her telling me once that her kid had a 110 in Spanish, LOL.

The above post is completely false. One retake for a quiz per quarter. Tests cannot be retaken. No extra credit assignments. This is flat out prohibited by MCPS regulations.

The main reason grades are inflated is from the following: an 89.5 (q1) and 79.6 (q2) = an A.

But that rarely or never happens.

Maybe, but there is definitely an incentive for kids who get an A in the first semester to slack off in the second semester.

No student who intends on going to college will play this kind of game purposefully.
From your post I can see you're not an MCPS parent.

Actually a lot of them do in our MCPS hs.

I call BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in another state, but my sister lives in MCPS. Based on our conversations ...

1.) Her kids can always retake tests/quizzes. Mine have almost never had that option.
2.) Written work. In my kids' district, a pretty good term paper with a couple of lapses in logic, sourcing, etc., might get an 86. They'd get some detailed feedback and edits. In my niece's and nephew's, the same paper would get an A, with very little feedback.
3.) Extra credit. I remember her telling me once that her kid had a 110 in Spanish, LOL.

The above post is completely false. One retake for a quiz per quarter. Tests cannot be retaken. No extra credit assignments. This is flat out prohibited by MCPS regulations.

The main reason grades are inflated is from the following: an 89.5 (q1) and 79.6 (q2) = an A.

But that rarely or never happens.

It happened to my kid 4 times in 4 years. B/C = B and the A/B = A.

He ended up with a 3.8 and got into T25 schools.

LOL
You're telling us that 4 times your kid got exactly an 89.5 and 79.6 to get an A for the semester? Forget college and top 25 school. He should have played the lottery.
BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in another state, but my sister lives in MCPS. Based on our conversations ...

1.) Her kids can always retake tests/quizzes. Mine have almost never had that option.
2.) Written work. In my kids' district, a pretty good term paper with a couple of lapses in logic, sourcing, etc., might get an 86. They'd get some detailed feedback and edits. In my niece's and nephew's, the same paper would get an A, with very little feedback.
3.) Extra credit. I remember her telling me once that her kid had a 110 in Spanish, LOL.

The above post is completely false. One retake for a quiz per quarter. Tests cannot be retaken. No extra credit assignments. This is flat out prohibited by MCPS regulations.

The main reason grades are inflated is from the following: an 89.5 (q1) and 79.6 (q2) = an A.

But that rarely or never happens.

Maybe, but there is definitely an incentive for kids who get an A in the first semester to slack off in the second semester.

No student who intends on going to college will play this kind of game purposefully.
From your post I can see you're not an MCPS parent.

Strongly disagree. If kids get A's in the first and third quarters, there is a lot of settling for B's in the second and fourth quarters because they know they'll be rounded up to A's for the semester. There are no quarter grades on transcripts.

You obviously don't know many College-bounds MCPS kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in another state, but my sister lives in MCPS. Based on our conversations ...

1.) Her kids can always retake tests/quizzes. Mine have almost never had that option.
2.) Written work. In my kids' district, a pretty good term paper with a couple of lapses in logic, sourcing, etc., might get an 86. They'd get some detailed feedback and edits. In my niece's and nephew's, the same paper would get an A, with very little feedback.
3.) Extra credit. I remember her telling me once that her kid had a 110 in Spanish, LOL.

What is this lovely school district?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in another state, but my sister lives in MCPS. Based on our conversations ...

1.) Her kids can always retake tests/quizzes. Mine have almost never had that option.
2.) Written work. In my kids' district, a pretty good term paper with a couple of lapses in logic, sourcing, etc., might get an 86. They'd get some detailed feedback and edits. In my niece's and nephew's, the same paper would get an A, with very little feedback.
3.) Extra credit. I remember her telling me once that her kid had a 110 in Spanish, LOL.

The above post is completely false. One retake for a quiz per quarter. Tests cannot be retaken. No extra credit assignments. This is flat out prohibited by MCPS regulations.

The main reason grades are inflated is from the following: an 89.5 (q1) and 79.6 (q2) = an A.

But that rarely or never happens.

Maybe, but there is definitely an incentive for kids who get an A in the first semester to slack off in the second semester.

No student who intends on going to college will play this kind of game purposefully.
From your post I can see you're not an MCPS parent.

Strongly disagree. If kids get A's in the first and third quarters, there is a lot of settling for B's in the second and fourth quarters because they know they'll be rounded up to A's for the semester. There are no quarter grades on transcripts.

You obviously don't know many College-bounds MCPS kids.

Colleges have no knowledge of the Bs. That's the whole point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in another state, but my sister lives in MCPS. Based on our conversations ...

1.) Her kids can always retake tests/quizzes. Mine have almost never had that option.
2.) Written work. In my kids' district, a pretty good term paper with a couple of lapses in logic, sourcing, etc., might get an 86. They'd get some detailed feedback and edits. In my niece's and nephew's, the same paper would get an A, with very little feedback.
3.) Extra credit. I remember her telling me once that her kid had a 110 in Spanish, LOL.

The above post is completely false. One retake for a quiz per quarter. Tests cannot be retaken. No extra credit assignments. This is flat out prohibited by MCPS regulations.

The main reason grades are inflated is from the following: an 89.5 (q1) and 79.6 (q2) = an A.

But that rarely or never happens.

Maybe, but there is definitely an incentive for kids who get an A in the first semester to slack off in the second semester.

No student who intends on going to college will play this kind of game purposefully.
From your post I can see you're not an MCPS parent.

Actually a lot of them do in our MCPS hs.

I call BS

The kids know the game.

[Anonymous]

I know someone who teaches at an mcps W school. She says there is enormous pressure from the students and especially their parents to give high grades. If they grade too low, parents will email/call/threaten/escalate till the grade is changed. Teachers are scared to grade too low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I constantly see people talk about how MCPS inflates grades and makes things too easy, but many private schools—both local and national—have similar, if not identical, grading scales. Retakes aren’t that common either. Maybe it’s just my kid’s school, but it seems normal to me. Maybe there’s something I’m missing. Thanks!

My daughter had a 4.4 and wasn’t in the top quarter of her class. Honors classes getting the same GPA bump as AP classes, retakes, having a 79.5 and an 89.5 equal an A for the semester. All examples of things which inflate grades.

Seriously? That’s wild.

I have a relative in HS in the area and we were talking about grades. She had over a 4.0 and I assumed that was pretty great but she said that’s normal. I guess she wasnt just being self deprecating!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in another state, but my sister lives in MCPS. Based on our conversations ...

1.) Her kids can always retake tests/quizzes. Mine have almost never had that option.
2.) Written work. In my kids' district, a pretty good term paper with a couple of lapses in logic, sourcing, etc., might get an 86. They'd get some detailed feedback and edits. In my niece's and nephew's, the same paper would get an A, with very little feedback.
3.) Extra credit. I remember her telling me once that her kid had a 110 in Spanish, LOL.

You have second hand information.

I have a child at an MCPS HS.

Retakes are limited to certain assignments at teacher’s discretion.

I have never seen extra credit.

On my 12th year in a row with kids at MCPS HSs. Agree. And retakes are limited formstives after a student demonstrates that they have done additional work/study of the material.

I know a lot of people don’t like the retakes but I personally think there is significant value. They are only offered for quizzes leading up to the point where the material is completely covered and knowledge will be tested by a summative test. There is no benefit to those formatives to be gotcha moments when they can be opportunity to identify where the student doesn’t fully grasp the material followed by a period of additional learning and a new opportunity to see if they have been able to internalize the material. It promotes learning which is why we send our kids to school in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in another state, but my sister lives in MCPS. Based on our conversations ...

1.) Her kids can always retake tests/quizzes. Mine have almost never had that option.
2.) Written work. In my kids' district, a pretty good term paper with a couple of lapses in logic, sourcing, etc., might get an 86. They'd get some detailed feedback and edits. In my niece's and nephew's, the same paper would get an A, with very little feedback.
3.) Extra credit. I remember her telling me once that her kid had a 110 in Spanish, LOL.

You have second hand information.

I have a child at an MCPS HS.

Retakes are limited to certain assignments at teacher’s discretion.

I have never seen extra credit.

On my 12th year in a row with kids at MCPS HSs. Agree. And retakes are limited formstives after a student demonstrates that they have done additional work/study of the material.

I know a lot of people don’t like the retakes but I personally think there is significant value. They are only offered for quizzes leading up to the point where the material is completely covered and knowledge will be tested by a summative test. There is no benefit to those formatives to be gotcha moments when they can be opportunity to identify where the student doesn’t fully grasp the material followed by a period of additional learning and a new opportunity to see if they have been able to internalize the material. It promotes learning which is why we send our kids to school in the first place.

I like retakes and redo's as the important thing is for kids to learn and understand the material. I appreciate if a teacher will review it again, then do a retake.

[Anonymous]

Why not all retakes but give them as a HW grade? That’s what my kid’s private school does. They learn the material but it doesn’t teach them that the first assessment is a try out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I constantly see people talk about how MCPS inflates grades and makes things too easy, but many private schools—both local and national—have similar, if not identical, grading scales. Retakes aren’t that common either. Maybe it’s just my kid’s school, but it seems normal to me. Maybe there’s something I’m missing. Thanks!

My daughter had a 4.4 and wasn’t in the top quarter of her class. Honors classes getting the same GPA bump as AP classes, retakes, having a 79.5 and an 89.5 equal an A for the semester. All examples of things which inflate grades.

Seriously? That’s wild.

I have a relative in HS in the area and we were talking about grades. She had over a 4.0 and I assumed that was pretty great but she said that’s normal. I guess she wasnt just being self deprecating!

Over half of last year's senior class at Churchill had a 4.51 or higher.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-MevGENlVsQgpIrCb0kwKYEw2a4tewQp/view

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not all retakes but give them as a HW grade? That’s what my kid’s private school does. They learn the material but it doesn’t teach them that the first assessment is a try out.

The retakes essentially fall within the 10% of the grade that homework falls into. And in deer to qualify for a retake you have to have demonstrated that you did additional study. It’s not really any different when it comes to pints in the grade. And by requiring a retake instead of turning in homework you ensure it’s actual mastery because there’s no possibility of assistance with the retake.

[Anonymous]

Over half of last year's senior class at Churchill had a 4.51 or higher.

https://drive.google.com/...tewQp/view


60% are over 4.0 at BCC ,

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RuP2fKPN3GGr9N6qEq6b5jEdOawRaKox/view?usp=drivesdk

If 74% of students attend 4 year colleges then the majority of college bound are 4.0 or higher.

[Anonymous]

While the 89.5/79.5 scenario is rare, the same inflation takes place with more common scenarios, like 92/84.

MCPS could average those quarter grades to arrive at an 88B, but they don't.

MCPS could use the trend method and assign a B because the quarter grades were trending down, but they don't.

MCPS could still have final exams which would break the tie, and since scoring an A on a final exam could be challenging, the student could likely end up with a B. But MCPS doesn't have final exams.

What MCPS DOES do in the 92/84 situation is simply this: The student gets an A.