"I thought 50% for no work was okay and I was wrong"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those rules are offensive to students who actually prioritize their schoolwork.

Only if you think the entire point of school is to rank students.

If you think it’s to get the most kids possible a basic level of knowledge so they can be productive members of society, it’s not.

Another part of school is learning to be a productive citizen who not only has a basic level of knowledge but also has a work ethic, knows how to meet expectations, handle deadlines, etc. A basic level of functioning.

Ranking students is a way to bring in people's natural competitiveness in order to help them learn these skills, it's not the end goal.

This. Plus, like it or not, ranking matters for colleges. So yeah, if some slacker or disinterested kid has a shot at the same schools as a kid who actually did the work and didt have to do constant retakes- not ok.

The idea that giving a high F on an assignment instead of a low F is going to make Lazy Larlo into your kid's competition is nonsense.

It’s not about high F v low F. It’s about kids who would normally earn a D or a C earning B’s even though they have a significant number of missing assignments due to those missing assignments being marked as 50% instead of zero. It inflates the grades A LOT.

It shouldn't inflate the grade because along with the 50% policy is the policy that assessments should make up the majority of the overall grade. I am a math teacher... my classwork/homework assignments are worth 10% of the grade, and my tests/quizzes are worth 90% of the grade. We are moving away from fluffing up the grade with "participation" and "homework" and moving toward mastery of the material as the determinant of the grade.

Well I can tell you it is not happening. My friends seem positively gleeful that their kids with missing assignments, late assignments, etc. are still able to get B's in classes. And my kid sees it on her feed and gets the feedback from upperclass friends about what classes to take ("class XXXX is super easy. I never turn in my work and I have a B.")

It inflates grades. A lot.

This must be middle school and not HS.

And is it really grade inflation to decide what assignments count towards grades? I have a ton of small, ungraded assignments as a college professor. If my students complete them, they get a better foundation for the major graded work.

If they don't, they tend to fail or do worse. That is a natural consequence If their decision. Not chasing them around to make them do the work.


If they are one of those students who doesn't need to do the extra work because they have a good handle on the material, then they're not penalized or forced to do ridiculous busy work for them

Homework and assessments aren't meant to inflate or deflate a grade.they are supposed to help them move towards mastery.

College students are experienced, mature, motivated and self-selected students.

High school students are not college students and shouldn't be expected to be. Nor should middle school students.

I completely agree, which is why it's even MORE important to have a lenient, learning curve policy on assignments at the HS and MS level.

COMPLETELY disagree with this.

[Anonymous]

This policy is really unfair for students who try but aren’t doing well. A student who takes a test and gets half the questions right should not have the same grade as a kid who doesn’t even show up for the test. That’s ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, this is one anecdotal point of view. I can give you an anecdote of the other side. My F students are continually trying because the D is close. They are working all year, vs. before when after 1st quarter they'd be behavior issues because there was statistically no way for them to pass unless they got As the rest of the year.

This is also Jay Matthews, historically not a fan of public schools.

No offense but is the goal really to try and pass through kids with D's? I mean, I suppose that gets us to the graduation percentage we seem to want but I don't take that as a sign of a an initiative working.

As the parent of a kid with a low IQ who D’d out of high school, I can tell you that it is absolutely a service to both kids and society to do what it takes to get a kid a HS diploma. A HS diploma is the gateway to a full time job with health insurance and paid sick leave,’all of which benefits both the kid and the rest of us who will not have to support him through Medicaid, public assistance and all of those other things that come with unemployment.

Kids who D out aren’t going to compete for college seats and educational monies. But they might be driving your public transportation buses and trains, fixing your cars and stocking your grocery shelves. We need them just as much as we need those who have the capability to go to college. And for those that think you can get a job that is full time with insurance and paid leave without a HS diploma, I am betting they never tried. Every vocational counselor will tell you, lack of a HS diploma is one of the most serious impediments to securing employment.

You may be right. But in that case, the students who are going to "D out" need to be put in separate vocational programs where they are not going to distract the other kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those rules are offensive to students who actually prioritize their schoolwork.

Only if you think the entire point of school is to rank students.

If you think it’s to get the most kids possible a basic level of knowledge so they can be productive members of society, it’s not.

Another part of school is learning to be a productive citizen who not only has a basic level of knowledge but also has a work ethic, knows how to meet expectations, handle deadlines, etc. A basic level of functioning.

Ranking students is a way to bring in people's natural competitiveness in order to help them learn these skills, it's not the end goal.

This. Plus, like it or not, ranking matters for colleges. So yeah, if some slacker or disinterested kid has a shot at the same schools as a kid who actually did the work and didt have to do constant retakes- not ok.

The idea that giving a high F on an assignment instead of a low F is going to make Lazy Larlo into your kid's competition is nonsense.

It’s not about high F v low F. It’s about kids who would normally earn a D or a C earning B’s even though they have a significant number of missing assignments due to those missing assignments being marked as 50% instead of zero. It inflates the grades A LOT.

It shouldn't inflate the grade because along with the 50% policy is the policy that assessments should make up the majority of the overall grade. I am a math teacher... my classwork/homework assignments are worth 10% of the grade, and my tests/quizzes are worth 90% of the grade. We are moving away from fluffing up the grade with "participation" and "homework" and moving toward mastery of the material as the determinant of the grade.

Further, a bunch of 50s is NOT going to push a C into a B or an A. And stop worrying about making kids compete against each other. It is gross and not at all the point of education. Worry about your own kid.

I don't give a flying F what you think is gross. The competition is there. It's not going away. I did not create it but we are forced to live with it. And it affects my kid so i will worry about it, whether I have your permission or not. I see how this plays out in real time between my kids' friends and my friends' kids.

My kid with an E is not actually competing with yours. I wish he were, but he's not.

The issue is high school and the issue is NOT that your kid competes with my kid. Instead, equity grading as a whole helps the weakest students. Here’s how:

Kid 1
Math hw not turned in = 50 but it doesn’t count because it homework
Math quiz taken, little effort = 28, turns into a 50 but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math quiz taken, little effort = 40, turns into a 50 but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math classwork, turns nothing in = 50, but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math test 70
Grade in math for this week is a 70. This equity helps this child.

Kid 2
Math hw = 100 but it doesn’t count because it homework
Math quiz taken = 98 but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math quiz taken= 96 but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math classwork = 100, but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math test 90
Grade in math for this week is a 90 This equity hurt this child.

Now, take this equity grading and apply it unequally throughout the school and then throughout the county. Teacher Larla counts formative grades and teacher larlo doesnt. Teacher Marlo gives 5 tests a quester, each one with 40 questions, but nothing else counts. Teacher Marla gives 4, four question tests throughout the quarter. Some allow retakes, some don’t.

Then mix those kids together and start comparing their grades against each other for admission to selective schools.

My high achieving FCPS kid graduated last year and is now at an ivy. I assure you my kid was not at all worried about the impact of whether a classmate got a c/d on their outcomes. The 50% policy did not harm my high achiever.

Also, if the kid was able to master the material at a level to get a C on the test, I don’t really understand why they shouldn’t get a C. Grading participation, HW, etc is generally done with the expectation it will benefit kids grades. It seems a little backwards to have it harm grades to the point that kids who can demonstrate mastery of the material on test still fail the class. I don’t see how that benefits anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, this is one anecdotal point of view. I can give you an anecdote of the other side. My F students are continually trying because the D is close. They are working all year, vs. before when after 1st quarter they'd be behavior issues because there was statistically no way for them to pass unless they got As the rest of the year.

This is also Jay Matthews, historically not a fan of public schools.

No offense but is the goal really to try and pass through kids with D's? I mean, I suppose that gets us to the graduation percentage we seem to want but I don't take that as a sign of a an initiative working.

As the parent of a kid with a low IQ who D’d out of high school, I can tell you that it is absolutely a service to both kids and society to do what it takes to get a kid a HS diploma. A HS diploma is the gateway to a full time job with health insurance and paid sick leave,’all of which benefits both the kid and the rest of us who will not have to support him through Medicaid, public assistance and all of those other things that come with unemployment.

Kids who D out aren’t going to compete for college seats and educational monies. But they might be driving your public transportation buses and trains, fixing your cars and stocking your grocery shelves. We need them just as much as we need those who have the capability to go to college. And for those that think you can get a job that is full time with insurance and paid leave without a HS diploma, I am betting they never tried. Every vocational counselor will tell you, lack of a HS diploma is one of the most serious impediments to securing employment.

You may be right. But in that case, the students who are going to "D out" need to be put in separate vocational programs where they are not going to distract the other kids.

Why would you presume that these kids would be distracting to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those rules are offensive to students who actually prioritize their schoolwork.

Only if you think the entire point of school is to rank students.

If you think it’s to get the most kids possible a basic level of knowledge so they can be productive members of society, it’s not.

Another part of school is learning to be a productive citizen who not only has a basic level of knowledge but also has a work ethic, knows how to meet expectations, handle deadlines, etc. A basic level of functioning.

Ranking students is a way to bring in people's natural competitiveness in order to help them learn these skills, it's not the end goal.

This. Plus, like it or not, ranking matters for colleges. So yeah, if some slacker or disinterested kid has a shot at the same schools as a kid who actually did the work and didt have to do constant retakes- not ok.

The idea that giving a high F on an assignment instead of a low F is going to make Lazy Larlo into your kid's competition is nonsense.

It’s not about high F v low F. It’s about kids who would normally earn a D or a C earning B’s even though they have a significant number of missing assignments due to those missing assignments being marked as 50% instead of zero. It inflates the grades A LOT.

It shouldn't inflate the grade because along with the 50% policy is the policy that assessments should make up the majority of the overall grade. I am a math teacher... my classwork/homework assignments are worth 10% of the grade, and my tests/quizzes are worth 90% of the grade. We are moving away from fluffing up the grade with "participation" and "homework" and moving toward mastery of the material as the determinant of the grade.

Further, a bunch of 50s is NOT going to push a C into a B or an A. And stop worrying about making kids compete against each other. It is gross and not at all the point of education. Worry about your own kid.

I don't give a flying F what you think is gross. The competition is there. It's not going away. I did not create it but we are forced to live with it. And it affects my kid so i will worry about it, whether I have your permission or not. I see how this plays out in real time between my kids' friends and my friends' kids.

My kid with an E is not actually competing with yours. I wish he were, but he's not.

The issue is high school and the issue is NOT that your kid competes with my kid. Instead, equity grading as a whole helps the weakest students. Here’s how:

Kid 1
Math hw not turned in = 50 but it doesn’t count because it homework
Math quiz taken, little effort = 28, turns into a 50 but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math quiz taken, little effort = 40, turns into a 50 but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math classwork, turns nothing in = 50, but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math test 70
Grade in math for this week is a 70. This equity helps this child.

Kid 2
Math hw = 100 but it doesn’t count because it homework
Math quiz taken = 98 but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math quiz taken= 96 but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math classwork = 100, but doesn’t count because it’s formative
Math test 90
Grade in math for this week is a 90 This equity hurt this child.

Now, take this equity grading and apply it unequally throughout the school and then throughout the county. Teacher Larla counts formative grades and teacher larlo doesnt. Teacher Marlo gives 5 tests a quester, each one with 40 questions, but nothing else counts. Teacher Marla gives 4, four question tests throughout the quarter. Some allow retakes, some don’t.

Then mix those kids together and start comparing their grades against each other for admission to selective schools.

Great. First kid has a C and second kid has an A.
C kid isn't competing with A kid for an ivy league admission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those rules are offensive to students who actually prioritize their schoolwork.

Only if you think the entire point of school is to rank students.

If you think it’s to get the most kids possible a basic level of knowledge so they can be productive members of society, it’s not.

Another part of school is learning to be a productive citizen who not only has a basic level of knowledge but also has a work ethic, knows how to meet expectations, handle deadlines, etc. A basic level of functioning.

Ranking students is a way to bring in people's natural competitiveness in order to help them learn these skills, it's not the end goal.

This. Plus, like it or not, ranking matters for colleges. So yeah, if some slacker or disinterested kid has a shot at the same schools as a kid who actually did the work and didt have to do constant retakes- not ok.

The idea that giving a high F on an assignment instead of a low F is going to make Lazy Larlo into your kid's competition is nonsense.

It’s not about high F v low F. It’s about kids who would normally earn a D or a C earning B’s even though they have a significant number of missing assignments due to those missing assignments being marked as 50% instead of zero. It inflates the grades A LOT.

It shouldn't inflate the grade because along with the 50% policy is the policy that assessments should make up the majority of the overall grade. I am a math teacher... my classwork/homework assignments are worth 10% of the grade, and my tests/quizzes are worth 90% of the grade. We are moving away from fluffing up the grade with "participation" and "homework" and moving toward mastery of the material as the determinant of the grade.

Well I can tell you it is not happening. My friends seem positively gleeful that their kids with missing assignments, late assignments, etc. are still able to get B's in classes. And my kid sees it on her feed and gets the feedback from upperclass friends about what classes to take ("class XXXX is super easy. I never turn in my work and I have a B.")

It inflates grades. A lot.

This must be middle school and not HS.

And is it really grade inflation to decide what assignments count towards grades? I have a ton of small, ungraded assignments as a college professor. If my students complete them, they get a better foundation for the major graded work.

If they don't, they tend to fail or do worse. That is a natural consequence If their decision. Not chasing them around to make them do the work.


If they are one of those students who doesn't need to do the extra work because they have a good handle on the material, then they're not penalized or forced to do ridiculous busy work for them

Homework and assessments aren't meant to inflate or deflate a grade.they are supposed to help them move towards mastery.

College students are experienced, mature, motivated and self-selected students.

High school students are not college students and shouldn't be expected to be. Nor should middle school students.

I completely agree, which is why it's even MORE important to have a lenient, learning curve policy on assignments at the HS and MS level.

COMPLETELY disagree with this.

So they SHOULD pr shouldn't be prepared for college level work? Because let me tell you, most graded coursework in college are big assessments...essays, tests. Why is it absolutely necessary to grade very single piece of work a student completes in preparing for these assessments? is it because you LIKE how it pads the grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, this is one anecdotal point of view. I can give you an anecdote of the other side. My F students are continually trying because the D is close. They are working all year, vs. before when after 1st quarter they'd be behavior issues because there was statistically no way for them to pass unless they got As the rest of the year.

This is also Jay Matthews, historically not a fan of public schools.

No offense but is the goal really to try and pass through kids with D's? I mean, I suppose that gets us to the graduation percentage we seem to want but I don't take that as a sign of a an initiative working.

As the parent of a kid with a low IQ who D’d out of high school, I can tell you that it is absolutely a service to both kids and society to do what it takes to get a kid a HS diploma. A HS diploma is the gateway to a full time job with health insurance and paid sick leave,’all of which benefits both the kid and the rest of us who will not have to support him through Medicaid, public assistance and all of those other things that come with unemployment.

Kids who D out aren’t going to compete for college seats and educational monies. But they might be driving your public transportation buses and trains, fixing your cars and stocking your grocery shelves. We need them just as much as we need those who have the capability to go to college. And for those that think you can get a job that is full time with insurance and paid leave without a HS diploma, I am betting they never tried. Every vocational counselor will tell you, lack of a HS diploma is one of the most serious impediments to securing employment.

You may be right. But in that case, the students who are going to "D out" need to be put in separate vocational programs where they are not going to distract the other kids.

Why would you presume that these kids would be distracting to others.

Because didn't you know? She read an op-ed that "proved" that lower achieving kids are wandering the halls, cutting classes, and throwing spitballs at the precious A students and don't deserve a basic education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This policy is really unfair for students who try but aren’t doing well. A student who takes a test and gets half the questions right should not have the same grade as a kid who doesn’t even show up for the test. That’s ridiculous.

Please show me HOW this would actually happen? Esp since tests are not part of the 50% grade policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those rules are offensive to students who actually prioritize their schoolwork.

Only if you think the entire point of school is to rank students.

If you think it’s to get the most kids possible a basic level of knowledge so they can be productive members of society, it’s not.

Another part of school is learning to be a productive citizen who not only has a basic level of knowledge but also has a work ethic, knows how to meet expectations, handle deadlines, etc. A basic level of functioning.

Ranking students is a way to bring in people's natural competitiveness in order to help them learn these skills, it's not the end goal.

This. Plus, like it or not, ranking matters for colleges. So yeah, if some slacker or disinterested kid has a shot at the same schools as a kid who actually did the work and didt have to do constant retakes- not ok.

The idea that giving a high F on an assignment instead of a low F is going to make Lazy Larlo into your kid's competition is nonsense.

It’s not about high F v low F. It’s about kids who would normally earn a D or a C earning B’s even though they have a significant number of missing assignments due to those missing assignments being marked as 50% instead of zero. It inflates the grades A LOT.

It shouldn't inflate the grade because along with the 50% policy is the policy that assessments should make up the majority of the overall grade. I am a math teacher... my classwork/homework assignments are worth 10% of the grade, and my tests/quizzes are worth 90% of the grade. We are moving away from fluffing up the grade with "participation" and "homework" and moving toward mastery of the material as the determinant of the grade.

Well I can tell you it is not happening. My friends seem positively gleeful that their kids with missing assignments, late assignments, etc. are still able to get B's in classes. And my kid sees it on her feed and gets the feedback from upperclass friends about what classes to take ("class XXXX is super easy. I never turn in my work and I have a B.")

It inflates grades. A lot.

This must be middle school and not HS.

And is it really grade inflation to decide what assignments count towards grades? I have a ton of small, ungraded assignments as a college professor. If my students complete them, they get a better foundation for the major graded work.

If they don't, they tend to fail or do worse. That is a natural consequence If their decision. Not chasing them around to make them do the work.


If they are one of those students who doesn't need to do the extra work because they have a good handle on the material, then they're not penalized or forced to do ridiculous busy work for them

Homework and assessments aren't meant to inflate or deflate a grade.they are supposed to help them move towards mastery.

College students are experienced, mature, motivated and self-selected students.

High school students are not college students and shouldn't be expected to be. Nor should middle school students.

I completely agree, which is why it's even MORE important to have a lenient, learning curve policy on assignments at the HS and MS level.

COMPLETELY disagree with this.

Why?

[Anonymous]

For those saying that their kids are receiving zeroes in FCPS.....is that class/school using a 4.0 scale? If so, they absolutely can receive a zero. The 50% rule only applies to those schools using a 100 point grading scale. It is very difficult to recover from a zero when using 100 point scale. That is a lot to overcome and will destroy any motivation to try.

Not saying this is a perfect solution but as others have said, the A students are not getting hurt by this policy and it gives the lower students a fighting chance and a reason to keep trying.

-FCPS teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This policy is really unfair for students who try but aren’t doing well. A student who takes a test and gets half the questions right should not have the same grade as a kid who doesn’t even show up for the test. That’s ridiculous.

Please show me HOW this would actually happen? Esp since tests are not part of the 50% grade policy.

Tests are part of 50% policy in FCPS. I had a student get 1/10 on a quiz and had to give them a 50%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, this is one anecdotal point of view. I can give you an anecdote of the other side. My F students are continually trying because the D is close. They are working all year, vs. before when after 1st quarter they'd be behavior issues because there was statistically no way for them to pass unless they got As the rest of the year.

This is also Jay Matthews, historically not a fan of public schools.

No offense but is the goal really to try and pass through kids with D's? I mean, I suppose that gets us to the graduation percentage we seem to want but I don't take that as a sign of a an initiative working.

As the parent of a kid with a low IQ who D’d out of high school, I can tell you that it is absolutely a service to both kids and society to do what it takes to get a kid a HS diploma. A HS diploma is the gateway to a full time job with health insurance and paid sick leave,’all of which benefits both the kid and the rest of us who will not have to support him through Medicaid, public assistance and all of those other things that come with unemployment.

Kids who D out aren’t going to compete for college seats and educational monies. But they might be driving your public transportation buses and trains, fixing your cars and stocking your grocery shelves. We need them just as much as we need those who have the capability to go to college. And for those that think you can get a job that is full time with insurance and paid leave without a HS diploma, I am betting they never tried. Every vocational counselor will tell you, lack of a HS diploma is one of the most serious impediments to securing employment.

You may be right. But in that case, the students who are going to "D out" need to be put in separate vocational programs where they are not going to distract the other kids.

Why would you presume that these kids would be distracting to others.

Did you read the column?

And if the kids aren’t even expected to do anything, then they should all be put together in the same class where they can be taught at their level. The kids actually participating deserve a teacher who can focus on them. We used to put students like this into “alternative schools”
and should continue. If the kid doesn’t want to do any homework or try on tests because they are happy with the automatic 50%, they can be tracked accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, this is one anecdotal point of view. I can give you an anecdote of the other side. My F students are continually trying because the D is close. They are working all year, vs. before when after 1st quarter they'd be behavior issues because there was statistically no way for them to pass unless they got As the rest of the year.

This is also Jay Matthews, historically not a fan of public schools.

No offense but is the goal really to try and pass through kids with D's? I mean, I suppose that gets us to the graduation percentage we seem to want but I don't take that as a sign of a an initiative working.

As the parent of a kid with a low IQ who D’d out of high school, I can tell you that it is absolutely a service to both kids and society to do what it takes to get a kid a HS diploma. A HS diploma is the gateway to a full time job with health insurance and paid sick leave,’all of which benefits both the kid and the rest of us who will not have to support him through Medicaid, public assistance and all of those other things that come with unemployment.

Kids who D out aren’t going to compete for college seats and educational monies. But they might be driving your public transportation buses and trains, fixing your cars and stocking your grocery shelves. We need them just as much as we need those who have the capability to go to college. And for those that think you can get a job that is full time with insurance and paid leave without a HS diploma, I am betting they never tried. Every vocational counselor will tell you, lack of a HS diploma is one of the most serious impediments to securing employment.

You may be right. But in that case, the students who are going to "D out" need to be put in separate vocational programs where they are not going to distract the other kids.

Why would you presume that these kids would be distracting to others.

Because didn't you know? She read an op-ed that "proved" that lower achieving kids are wandering the halls, cutting classes, and throwing spitballs at the precious A students and don't deserve a basic education.

these kids are not “lower achieving.” they aren’t engaged and aren’t learning. hence they need to all go into their own classes/schools and let the kids makinf an effort be taught together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those saying that their kids are receiving zeroes in FCPS.....is that class/school using a 4.0 scale? If so, they absolutely can receive a zero. The 50% rule only applies to those schools using a 100 point grading scale. It is very difficult to recover from a zero when using 100 point scale. That is a lot to overcome and will destroy any motivation to try.

Not saying this is a perfect solution but as others have said, the A students are not getting hurt by this policy and it gives the lower students a fighting chance and a reason to keep trying.

-FCPS teacher

I honestly think it helps the A student. A smart kid can do the math and decide to skip homework that will have little impact on their grade and spend the time on essays or projects that will. That's how I dealt with a packed schedules in high school and I still managed to graduate third in my class. I think there is value to teaching kids to prioritize strategically- it's a skill that they will need to learn at some point. The guaranteed 50% makes it even easier to take that approach.