Reply to Changes to grading for all MCPS high school students

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I had a tougher grading scale than my kids do, I had semester and final exams, there was no such thing as retakes, and there was no 50% rule — but teachers could offer extra credit, I didn’t have to take math my senior year, I had 2-3 study halls as a senior, I didn’t need to take tons of APs to get into college, there was no SSL requirement, no one I knew did any serious prepping for the SAT. I don’t remember feeling like my college app essay was a make-or-break part of the application process. I wasn’t even a slacker; I was valedictorian and a National Merit Scholar and attended college on a full tuition scholarship.

Now you have to have an unweighted 4.0, a 1500+ SAT, take 12 APs, be a competitive athlete at the state level, have 300 documented SSL hours, have an interesting hobby, a leadership position, and a compelling life story to get into a top college.

I don’t object to bringing back a tougher grading scale and final exams, but something has to give. It’s not fair to subject today’s students to all of the most stringent requirements from the last 40 years. No other generation has had the proposed grading scale + final exams + SSL requirement + current course requirements + no study halls + such competitive college admissions.[/quote]

There is a lot of truth to this.  I graduated in 1990 as a national merit scholar, top grades, 4 APs (which was considered crazy rigorous back then!).  I had ECs that I considered fancy but now would be cosnidered basically a joke.  When my oldest was in HS, she was 1-2 years ahead of all the classes I took.  And  she had 7 classsrs when I only had six and one of them was orchestra!  Stuff is just so incredibly stressful now that being able to ride a little on that 1st q A was the only thing getting my kid thru.  She was sleeping like 4 hours a night most of senior year.  She is now at a top 10 college and finds it basically pretty easy.  She’s not commuting an hour a day to school with butt in seat in class for 7 hours plus all the ECs, so she has a ton more time to actually study!

I just feel like we’ve made Hs so insanely stressful.  I hope at least the teachers can cut down on some of the busy work assignments.  [/quote]

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