July 31, 1997
Padding grades
Proposal to inflate class results questioned
Keeping track of a student's progress and encouraging the
development of young minds are among the essential elements of
being a teacher.
How best, then, to encourage this development while at the same
time imposing a good bit of firmness in guiding a student along?
At the McAllen school district, these issues are part of a discussion over a proposed grading system in which students would not receive grades lower than 50 during the first six-week period of each semester. Proponents of such a system say it would give
struggling students a better chance of gaining a passing grade by
the end of the semester.
But there is, of course, a flip side. School board President Dora
Saaverda, a professor at the University of Texas-Pan American,
wonders if the proposed grading system would provide much of an
incentive for students. And she has a point. Even if a student, for example, was failing with scores in the 20s and 30s, the score would be raised to a 50 after the first six-week period.
Perhaps such a strategy could encourage borderline students and
allow them to pass a course if they show improvement later in the
semester. Proponents say teachers can give a failing student a
grade of 50, and try to help them with tutoring programs or other
assistance.
But isn't it just as likely that such a strategy would give struggling students a false sense of security in thinking improvements could be made on the cheap before a semester is completed?
It's disturbing to think that students who need strong motivation
could be further lulled into not applying themselves. Those who
oppose this grading system also note that the same policy has been tried before and discarded.
It's hard to see how bringing back this system can bring any
positive results for students. If anything, it sorts of cheapens the good grades of those students who strive to do well each day.
This appears to be just one more effort to bolster the self-esteem of students at all costs. It falls in with such practices as letting those who completed course work, but failed necessary courses, to participate in graduation ceremonies.
These endeavors are misguided. If a student is passed along
through grade padding and social promotion, what will happen to
the student's self-esteem when it turns out that he or she doesn't have the skills needed to get and hold a job?
This proposed system may also be an additional effort to raise
grade averages for schools, and make them look better when
reviewed by the Texas Education Agency or agencies that bestow
educational grants.
School board members should forget about devising artificial ways
to boost student scores. Their primary purpose is to educate
children, not to show off grade averages.
Too much energy is being spent trying to hide bad performances.
Grading systems should be built on the foundation of firm
incentives which give proper encouragement--and not the easy
way out.
