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For those of you who think I only bash euro things, heres stupidiy of a grand sort.
Metro zeros in on grades that crush kids
GEORGE WALKER IV / STAFF
A good book means smiling faces for 5-year-old students Jaumeesha Campbell, left, and Lauren Paige Carter as they work with reading teacher Alice Myles at Alex Green Elementary. Myles agrees with proposed grading guidelines for elementary students that would ensure youngsters won't get a zero if they flub an assignment.
By DIANE LONG
Staff Writer
No more zeroes.
Assigning a grade no lower than 50 for Metro's youngest students is the most startling proposal in a new set of grading guidelines up for final discussion next month.
But eliminating the goose eggs is an idea that makes sense, Chief Instructional Officer Sandy Johnson said.
''To me, the most critical piece is that these are 6- to 9-year-old children,'' Johnson said. ''When children are in kindergarten through fourth grade, our goal is to teach them the skills.
''I think we have to be really careful about grading, that we don't do things that really devastate children and don't give an accurate reflection of their work.''
The guidelines, which could go into effect this spring or next fall, flesh out the bare framework in the district's current elementary grading policy. A committee of principals, reading specialists and district officials worked to develop the suggestions.
Under the proposals, teachers would be encouraged to give a minimum number of assignments to average for the final grade. Letter grades would be assigned on a 10-point scale, with 90-100 equal to an A and grades 59 or lower rating an F.
Homework grades would rarely be used in computing the final mark.
''We didn't want homework to become a major component of the grade (because) children might not have support at home or help at home,'' said Martha Hayes, Metro's executive director for grades 4-12. ''Sometimes it's appropriate to grade homework, especially in terms of long-term projects. But we don't want that to be the major part of a child's grade.''
The proposal under closest scrutiny is the 50 rule, one of the reasons that the Metropolitan Nashville Education Association asked for a 30-day comment period when the guidelines were first announced early this month.
''That is the thing that is offensive to the logical side of grading,'' said Harry McMackin, MNEA president.
''If a kid does zero, why does he get a 50?''
Johnson uses this example: Suppose a child gets two zeros at the start of a grading period. But the next eight grades are 80, a B. The average is 64, a low D that doesn't really reflect the quality of work.
I had to put in a comment here.....It doesnt represent the overall quality of the work, but DOES teach that actions have repurcussions and that they may be long lasting. Kids need to learn this as well
''When you're doing your average, in order to get a more accurate representation of the student's ability, use that 50 as your low point,'' Johnson said. ''As children get older, you have to get into some different consequences. But we keep saying these children are 6 to 9 years old.''
Reading teacher Alice Myles, who served on the committee, said she and her fellow teachers at Alex Green Elementary were comfortable with the 50 rule.
''If you're doing a skill and that child makes a 20 or a zero, the discussion was to make sure the child had a fighting chance to succeed,'' said Myles, who is recognized as a master teacher by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
''And 50 would be a good recommended cutoff point. We talked about it in our faculty meeting. They were very enthusiastic and receptive about the policy.''
A student who flubs an entire assignment is sending a red-light warning that the teacher needs to reteach and retest, she added. ''If a child does make a zero on a skill, then you want to go back and see what happened and make sure the child does understand,'' she said. ''We want to make sure every child has the possibility of getting the most out of the learning experience.''
Parent Duane Dominy agrees that Metro needs the elementary guidelines so grades aren't ''skewed from one school to another.'' But he's mulling over the 50 rule. ''I understand the rationale, but I don't know if I agree with it,'' he said. ''I have been in a position where I have made a zero and worked my rear end off to keep from getting an F, and that's life.''
In his mind, student effort makes a big difference.
''If they do the work and turn it in, I think that would be fine to give them a 50,'' Dominy said. ''If they don't do the work, I don't think they should give a 50 because that's giving them something for nothing. And I don't agree with that.''
Still, a collection of 50s will eventually mean a failing grade, Hayes said. ''If we truly have a child that we have tried and tried and tried to get work from, and the child is simply not doing the assignments, those 50s will add up,'' she said. ''An F is an F. That will still be the grade that you get.''
Other teachers are coming around to the idea, McMackin said.
''A 50 is an F. To go for that 0, it's like you want to give them an F-minus,'' he said. ''When it was first expressed to teachers … it was a great big alarm. I've discovered it's not really that big a deal. We always have to keep in mind that we want these kids to make progress.''
Yeah lets keep from letting the kids deal with reality and the results of their failures...its important for them to feel good even if they aren't doing well.
[ 02-25-2003, 03:06 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]
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