High School Grading May 13 th , 2013 Presented by: Marysol Berrios - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

High School Grading

May 13th, 2013 Presented by: Marysol Berrios Assistant Superintendent

Purpose

• To present plans for revised high school

grading system

• Compare options for different systems
• To solicit feedback from the community for

consideration prior to implementation

Current Grading System

UNWEIGHTED WEIGHTED

• A

90+ 4.0 5.0

• B+

85-89 3.5 4.5

• B

80-84 3.0 4.0

• C+

75-79 2.5 3.5

• C

70-74 2.0 3.0

• D+

65-69 1.5 1.5

• D

60-64 1.0 1.0

• F

59.99 0.0 0.0

Why change?

• ADVANTAGES OF CURRENT SYSTEM:
• Identifies performance for students at the upper end of a grade

range through the use of a „+‟

• No negative connotation with a minus grade
• DISADVANTAGES OF CURRENT SYSTEM:
• Creates problems with averaging marking period and exam

grades to determine a final grade

• More difficult to receive a final grade of “A”
• Inflates midpoint grades of B, C, D by half a letter grade
• Does not reflect full range of student performance
• Limits comparability of transcripts when other schools utilize

different grading systems

OPTION A: STRAIGHT LETTER GRADES

• ADVANTAGES:
• Provides more ACCURACY in student grade averages
• Easily understood by students and parents
• Particularly important in areas such as PE, Choir, Writing,

etc.

• Less conflict over marking period and/or final grades
• DISADVANTAGES:
• Student at high end of range receives same grade as

student at low end of range

• Less PRECISE

OPTION B

PLUS AND MINUS GRADES

• ADVANTAGES
• Smaller grade ranges provide a more PRECISE picture of

student performance

• Upper end students with the highest averages are

rewarded with A+

• Marking period grades are easily understood
• DISADVANTAGES
• Final year average is less ACCURATE and not easily

understood

• Smaller grade ranges are more often contested
• A single event (i.e. homework/quiz) may have an

impact on a student‟s marking period average

OPTION C NUMBER GRADES

• ADVANTAGES
• The most PRECISE picture of student performance
• The grade is an exact reflection of student

achievement

• The final year average is easily determined and

understood

• DISADVANTAGES
• May be more difficult to determine number grades

in areas such as PE, Choir, Writing, etc

• A single event (i.e. homework/quiz) may have an

impact on a student‟s marking period average

WHAT ARE OTHER DISTRICTS USING?

Top performing high schools in NJ

• Millburn

Letters w/ + & -; no A+, uses D-

• West Windsor-Plainsboro

Letters only

• Livingston

Letters w/ + & -; no A+, uses D-

• Chatham

Letters w/ + & -; uses A+ & D-

• New Providence

Letters w/ -‟s only

• Glen Rock

Letters w/ + & -; uses A+ & D-

• Kinnelon

Letters w/ + & -; uses A+ & D-

• Rumson Fair Haven

Letters w/ + & -; uses A+, no D-

• Ramapo Indian Hills

Letters w/ + & -; no A+; uses D-

• Bergen County Academies

Letters w/ + & -; no A+ or D-

• Pascack Valley

Letters w/ + & -; uses A+ & D-

• Ridgewood

Letters w/ + & -; no A+, uses D-

• Tenafly

Letters w/ + & -; uses A+ & D-

• Northern Valley

Letters w/ + & -; uses A+, no D-

EXAMPLE

• Suzi Q is a top student who has the following

grades: 96, 90, 87, 94 each MP & exam grade 80

OPTION

MP1 MP2 MP3 MP4 EXAM FINAL

• A. Letter

Grades A A B A B A

• B. +/-

A A- B+ A B- A-

• C. Number

Grades 96 90 87 94 80 89.4 WAYNE A A B+ A B B+

EXAMPLE

• Sandy Beach has the following grades: 72, 68, 68, 72

each MP and exam grade 69

OPTION

MP1 MP2 MP3 MP4 EXAM FINAL

• A. Letter

Grades C D D C D D

• B. +/-

C- D+ D+ C- D+ D+

• C. Number

Grades 72 68 69 72 69 70 WAYNE C D+ D+ C D+ C

COMMENTS

NEXT STEPS

• Gather input
• Reconvene the committee
• Administrators
• Teachers
• Present recommendation to the Board of

Education in June

• Implementation 2013-14

• THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE

TIME TO SHARE YOUR INPUT

• This presentation will be made

available on our website tomorrow.