Reply to Middle school grades on high school transcripts

Forum Index » Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)

Reply to "Middle school grades on high school transcripts"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is one issue that has tempted me to try and take on the MCPS bureaucracy because it's so stupid.

First of all, we have a big problem if 6th grade Spanish I is actually equivalent to 9th grade Spanish I-- I can't believe anyone thinks that is the case.

Second, the rationale is that courses that could be used to satisfy HS graduation requirements should appear on HS transcripts.  But hardly anyone actually uses 6th grade Spanish (or 7th grade algebra) to satisfy their HS graduation requirement.  It would be perfectly easy to say only those kids who actually use these classes to graduate should have them appear on their transcripts.

Third, even for kids using the classes to satisfy graduation requirements, there is no reason the actual grade should be included on transcripts.  Look at what happens if you take AP math in HS and go to UMD.  You can use the AP class to satisfy distribution/graduation requirements but that doesn't mean they take your AP grade and average into your college GPA-- because of course they realize that would be unjustified if not silly.

Fourth, the policy is having the  effect of either discouraging kids from taking Spanish in MS, or of making those kids who take it think that Spanish is actually their most important class (since it appears on their HS transcript).  Those are terrible outcomes for a stupid, unjustified policy.[/quote]

As the prior poster indicated it is the same class.   I'm sure there is some variation between teachers and schools.  Both of my kids felt that when they went from one level in middle school to the next level in high school (two different languages), the high school class was not as challenging as the previous level class they took in middle school.

Certainly, being able to use a high school class (in middle school) to satisfy a high school requirement is a consideration, but I don't see it as the only rationale for the policy.  I think the rationale should be to give people the credit they earn.  If they take a high school class, they should get high school credit.

AP claases are not counted as college classes because they ate not college classes.  Theoretically, they are designed to be equivalent to college classes, but seeing as the HIGH SCHOOLS teaching them are not accredited as colleges, colleges can't be sure about the level of instruction.  I haven't researched, but I suspect that transfer credits from another COLLEGE would be reflected on a transcript.  In this case, it is the SAME school system.  I would expect MCPS to know how MCPS classrs compare to other MCPS classes.  I think the more appropriate analogy would be for a college student working on a combined bachelor's/master's degree.  In that case the school allows an undergraduate taking a graduate level class to get graduate level credit because it's the SAME institution.

Finally, I do not see this policy as discouraging kids from taking foreign language in high school or in making them think of it as their most important course.  Perhaps parents do that.  This policy allows kids choices.  They can take foreign language in middle school or not.  They can have their grades on the transcript or not.  Why would you take choices away from kids?  Why would you refuse to let them have the credit they've earned?  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics