Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:My understanding is that college admission offices often / try to have a sense of schools grade culture, so have a sense of what an A means at an high grade inflation school, vs. a low grade inflation school. Also, my understanding is that grade inflation is a problem across the country, and so colleges don't "trust" grades as much, which is why score on APs have become more important over the past years / decades, and why kids are now taking 5 - 10 - 12 APs, precisely because college rely on them more as they are a national standard. So..... the grade inflation does give kids a false sense of safety, which will hit them hard in college. But, in the end, they still have to focus on their APs.

So..... does it really really matter. I'm not being snarky. Just trying wondering.

Anything that increases randomness matters. When grades are useless, motivation to get good grades and the feedback value of grades are undermined. When top colleges don't know how to evaluate students at a school, they just move along. And making the only point of distinction AP tests just really reduces the whole high school experience.

Nobody wins.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to this article in Walls’ school newspaper, there is rampant post-quarantine grade inflation now.

“The junior class at Walls has an average GPA of 3.93, a number school counselor Kathryn Moore called “very high.” She also noted that the median GPA was over a 4.0. That means that well over half the class had a GPA above 4.0 at the start of the 2022-23 school year. This number will likely only increase, as juniors take on more AP classes, which are graded on a 5.0 scale.”

https://www.swwrookery.com/post/hugely-inflated-are-pandemic-era-grading-policies-doing-more-harm-than-good

My rising 9th grader is heading to Walls in the fall, but this article gives me pause. She’s an excellent, hardworking student, but how will she be able to distinguish herself from more middling, less hardworking, students if their grades are pretty much the same when applying to college? Can any current Walls parents offer insight? Especially parents of juniors and seniors. Thanks!

Wow--massive grade inflation!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to this article in Walls’ school newspaper, there is rampant post-quarantine grade inflation now.

“The junior class at Walls has an average GPA of 3.93, a number school counselor Kathryn Moore called “very high.” She also noted that the median GPA was over a 4.0. That means that well over half the class had a GPA above 4.0 at the start of the 2022-23 school year. This number will likely only increase, as juniors take on more AP classes, which are graded on a 5.0 scale.”

https://www.swwrookery.com/post/hugely-inflated-are-pandemic-era-grading-policies-doing-more-harm-than-good

My rising 9th grader is heading to Walls in the fall, but this article gives me pause. She’s an excellent, hardworking student, but how will she be able to distinguish herself from more middling, less hardworking, students if their grades are pretty much the same when applying to college? Can any current Walls parents offer insight? Especially parents of juniors and seniors. Thanks!

Wow--massive grade inflation!

+1. This is not good for the school and especially the kids. Speaks to the decline of rigor and hard work. Things are way too easy and it hurts kids from working hard to reach their fullest potential.

It’s bad enough they can retake tests, not get 0, etc….and now everyone doesn’t need to do much to even get an A.

Just when you think there is still 1 high school with high standards, you have DCPS trying to destroy it. Just get out of DCPS and their sh*tshow as soon as you can.

Way to passive aggressively dismiss the education of 12000 teens.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously, this massive grade inflation was in effect at other DCPS schools, not just Walls.

As a result, the pool of 500 kids that Walls drew from was a pool of kids with vastly inflated grades, at least those from DCPS. Too bad for kids at private schools, charters, and non-DC schools that didn't benefit from the DCPS' grade inflationary policies.

There are going to be a lot of kids going to Walls in the fall who are not as qualified as previous applicants, and just happened to benefit from DCPS' ridiculous pandemic-era grade inflation.

That is yet another reason why Walls' refusal to bring back the entrance exam was a huge blunder.

This is just another nail in the coffin for Walls' status as the most selective public school in DC.

A lot of private schools and the like have grade inflation, retakes, etc. The entrance exam benefited those from schools with a good cohort. It didn't necessarily identify the most qualified students. I doubt the test comes back but I do expect another indicator for entry. There are seniors and juniors(both test in classes) that probably should have left SWW. Good students will always shine. No way to measure work ethic and desire.

The DC top privates don't have grade deflation. There are no retakes and no late work is accepted. You are a day late? That's a zero. There is no GPA bump for honors or AP classes My daughter (from DCPS) is at NCS and they are proud of saying that they have not had a 4.0 grad in 45 years. A "very strong" student will gradate with something like a 3.7
It's the opposite of DCPS.
You are spreading an absolute falsehood.

Oops. They don't have "grade INFLATION". They deflate.

Anonymous wrote:I thought the same about Deal when so many posted about their kids having 4.0s to even apply to Walls. I suspect its a national issue as teachers know how impactful grades are to college admissions.

A 3.5 used to be a really good GPA and now it's treated like a C average.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the same about Deal when so many posted about their kids having 4.0s to even apply to Walls. I suspect its a national issue as teachers know how impactful grades are to college admissions.

A 3.5 used to be a really good GPA and now it's treated like a C average.

I agree. This a national issue driven by colleges. No one is getting an “A” in DCPS based on 50s and 63s alone. Those policies raise graduation rates; they don’t give anyone a weighted GPA over 4.0.

Before you try to get DCPS to unilaterally disarm, take a good look at what happened in college admissions this year to unhooked smart kids from private schools that tried unilateral disarmament.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the same about Deal when so many posted about their kids having 4.0s to even apply to Walls. I suspect its a national issue as teachers know how impactful grades are to college admissions.

A 3.5 used to be a really good GPA and now it's treated like a C average.

I agree. This a national issue driven by colleges. No one is getting an “A” in DCPS based on 50s and 63s alone. Those policies raise graduation rates; they don’t give anyone a weighted GPA over 4.0.

Before you try to get DCPS to unilaterally disarm, take a good look at what happened in college admissions this year to unhooked smart kids from private schools that tried unilateral disarmament.

BUT...won't this bite colleges in the butt? If the applicant pool is watered down with kids who aren't used to working hard, it doesn't seem like this is in the schools' best interest. I know people complain about millennials not liking to work hard, seems this next generation will be even worse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the same about Deal when so many posted about their kids having 4.0s to even apply to Walls. I suspect its a national issue as teachers know how impactful grades are to college admissions.

A 3.5 used to be a really good GPA and now it's treated like a C average.

I agree. This a national issue driven by colleges. No one is getting an “A” in DCPS based on 50s and 63s alone. Those policies raise graduation rates; they don’t give anyone a weighted GPA over 4.0.

Before you try to get DCPS to unilaterally disarm, take a good look at what happened in college admissions this year to unhooked smart kids from private schools that tried unilateral disarmament.

BUT...won't this bite colleges in the butt? If the applicant pool is watered down with kids who aren't used to working hard, it doesn't seem like this is in the schools' best interest. I know people complain about millennials not liking to work hard, seems this next generation will be even worse.

It does not appear that colleges are particularly concerned about this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the same about Deal when so many posted about their kids having 4.0s to even apply to Walls. I suspect its a national issue as teachers know how impactful grades are to college admissions.

A 3.5 used to be a really good GPA and now it's treated like a C average.

I agree. This a national issue driven by colleges. No one is getting an “A” in DCPS based on 50s and 63s alone. Those policies raise graduation rates; they don’t give anyone a weighted GPA over 4.0.

Before you try to get DCPS to unilaterally disarm, take a good look at what happened in college admissions this year to unhooked smart kids from private schools that tried unilateral disarmament.

BUT...won't this bite colleges in the butt? If the applicant pool is watered down with kids who aren't used to working hard, it doesn't seem like this is in the schools' best interest. I know people complain about millennials not liking to work hard, seems this next generation will be even worse.

It does not appear that colleges are particularly concerned about this.

Getting into a top college is not the primary goal. The goal is to prepare your kid to be able to handle the work and rigor of college.

Reality is top colleges don’t care, because there will always be alot if kids coming from better schools with the rigor and academic challenge. The issue is yourkid from walls will struggle against these kids and it will be sink or swim

Anonymous wrote:The kids that are gaming the system would do so regardless. Hopefully things will go back to normal next year. Just make sure your kid is organized and working hard. The rest will take care of itself.

A "WS" can also indicate a lot of unorganized and less than stellar teachers. Numerous times they have been entered when assignments have been completed and in Canvas. Those missing assignments can be the difference b/t a C and an A. I know teachers lose things all the time but stop blaming the kids for everything.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the same about Deal when so many posted about their kids having 4.0s to even apply to Walls. I suspect its a national issue as teachers know how impactful grades are to college admissions.

A 3.5 used to be a really good GPA and now it's treated like a C average.

I agree. This a national issue driven by colleges. No one is getting an “A” in DCPS based on 50s and 63s alone. Those policies raise graduation rates; they don’t give anyone a weighted GPA over 4.0.

Before you try to get DCPS to unilaterally disarm, take a good look at what happened in college admissions this year to unhooked smart kids from private schools that tried unilateral disarmament.

BUT...won't this bite colleges in the butt? If the applicant pool is watered down with kids who aren't used to working hard, it doesn't seem like this is in the schools' best interest. I know people complain about millennials not liking to work hard, seems this next generation will be even worse.

It does not appear that colleges are particularly concerned about this.

Getting into a top college is not the primary goal. The goal is to prepare your kid to be able to handle the work and rigor of college.

Reality is top colleges don’t care, because there will always be alot if kids coming from better schools with the rigor and academic challenge. The issue is yourkid from walls will struggle against these kids and it will be sink or swim

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the same about Deal when so many posted about their kids having 4.0s to even apply to Walls. I suspect its a national issue as teachers know how impactful grades are to college admissions.

A 3.5 used to be a really good GPA and now it's treated like a C average.

I agree. This a national issue driven by colleges. No one is getting an “A” in DCPS based on 50s and 63s alone. Those policies raise graduation rates; they don’t give anyone a weighted GPA over 4.0.

Before you try to get DCPS to unilaterally disarm, take a good look at what happened in college admissions this year to unhooked smart kids from private schools that tried unilateral disarmament.

BUT...won't this bite colleges in the butt? If the applicant pool is watered down with kids who aren't used to working hard, it doesn't seem like this is in the schools' best interest. I know people complain about millennials not liking to work hard, seems this next generation will be even worse.

It does not appear that colleges are particularly concerned about this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the same about Deal when so many posted about their kids having 4.0s to even apply to Walls. I suspect its a national issue as teachers know how impactful grades are to college admissions.

A 3.5 used to be a really good GPA and now it's treated like a C average.

I agree. This a national issue driven by colleges. No one is getting an “A” in DCPS based on 50s and 63s alone. Those policies raise graduation rates; they don’t give anyone a weighted GPA over 4.0.

Before you try to get DCPS to unilaterally disarm, take a good look at what happened in college admissions this year to unhooked smart kids from private schools that tried unilateral disarmament.

BUT...won't this bite colleges in the butt? If the applicant pool is watered down with kids who aren't used to working hard, it doesn't seem like this is in the schools' best interest. I know people complain about millennials not liking to work hard, seems this next generation will be even worse.

It does not appear that colleges are particularly concerned about this.

Not yet. Once these colleges see the outcomes, things will change and they’ll revert back to “the sure thing.”