eyebrows raised over city school policy that sets 50% as minimum score
1+1=3? In city schools, it's half right
Pittsburgh Public Schools officials say they want to give struggling children a chance, but the district is raising eyebrows with a policy that sets 50 percent as the minimum score a student can receive for assignments, tests and other work.
The district and teachers union last week issued a joint memo to ensure staff members' compliance with the policy, which was already on the books but enforced only at some schools. Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers President John Tarka said the policy is several years old.
While some districts use "F" as a failing grade, the city uses an "E."
"The 'E' is to be recorded no lower than a 50 percent, regardless of the actual percent earned. For example, if the student earns a 20 percent on a class assignment, the grade is recorded as a 50 percent," said the memo from Jerri Lippert, the district's executive director of curriculum, instruction and professional development, and Mary VanHorn, a PFT vice president.
In each subject, a student's percentage scores on tests and other work are averaged into a grade for each of the four marking periods. Percentages for marking periods later are averaged into semester and year-end grades.
A student receives an "A" for scores ranging from 100 percent to 90 percent, a "B" for scores ranging from 89 percent to 80 percent, a "C" for scores ranging from 79 percent to 70 percent, a "D" for scores ranging from 69 percent to 60 percent and an "E" for scores ranging from 59 percent to the cutoff, 50 percent.
The district and union insist the policy still holds students accountable for performance.
"A failing grade is a failing grade," district spokeswoman Ebony Pugh said.
At the same time, they said, the 50 percent minimum gives children a chance to catch up and a reason to keep trying. If a student gets a 20 percent in a class for the first marking period, Ms. Pugh said, he or she would need a 100 percent during the second marking period just to squeak through the semester.
"We want to create situations where students can recover and not give up," she said, adding a sense of helplessness can lead to behavior and attendance problems.
"It's not grade inflation. We're not saying, 'Give people passing grades,' " Ms. Pugh said.
But the policy strikes some teachers and parents as rewarding bad work and at odds with the district's "Excellence for All" improvement campaign.
"Clearly, some people will not be pleased with this policy," Mr. Tarka said. But he added, "We stand by that decision."
Judy Leonardi, a Stanton Heights resident and retired district home economics teacher, said she objected to the notion that a student could "walk in the door, breathe the air and get 50 percent for that."
"I don't think it sets kids up properly for college, for competition in life," she said.
To Ms. Leonardi, a 20 percent score means a student isn't trying or needs more help with the material. Automatically putting 50 percent in the grade book, she said, doesn't help the student in either case.
"To me, it's morally wrong," she said.
Ms. Leonardi worries that the policy could cause high-performing students to goof off from time to time, safe in the knowledge that they wouldn't have to bounce back from anything lower than a 50 percent.
And she said one teacher she knows already worries about how awkward it will look when a student correctly answers three of 10 questions on a math quiz -- and gets a 50 percent.
The state Department of Education doesn't regulate grading scales, and schools and districts across the state use various models. Districts nationwide have debated use of a 50 percent minimum.
Northside Urban Pathways, a Downtown charter school, gives students zero credit for any work below a "C." Linda Clautti, chief executive officer, said that approach complements the school's college-preparatory mission.
"I have not had any complaints. We do parent surveys every year," Ms. Clautti said.
In a recent article in Harvard Educational Review, Freedom Area School District Superintendent Ron Sofo recounted an experimental program that he said helped to dramatically raise the math scores of struggling sixth-graders. Among other features, the program included "A, B, Not Yet" grading, in which students were required to redo work until it merited an A or B.
Some Freedom Area teachers opposed the special grading scale, calling it coddling of bad students, Dr. Sofo said.
In suburban Philadelphia, a Bensalem School District task force on testing and grading has recommended that 50 percent be the minimum score a student receive.
Superintendent James Lombardo said he's in favor of implementing the idea, partly as a fairness issue. He noted that a failing grade carries far more mathematical weight than any other grade if the "E" or "F" has a range of zero to 59 percent.
"I guess I laud the Pittsburgh district for recognizing some of the foibles of our numerical system," he said, adding low percentage scores sometimes are given to students because of their attitude or work ethic, rather than their level of accomplishment.
Asked whether she agreed with the 50 percent minimum, Regina Holley, principal of Pittsburgh Lincoln K-8 and president of the Pittsburgh Administrators Association, said: "Well, that's the board's policy, and that's what we have to use."
She said teachers and principals should take other steps to give parents a clearer picture of how their children are performing in class.
"Our school provides that to the parents in a conference. We provide it in a letter. We give it to the parents in a phone call," Dr. Holley said.
1+1=3? In city schools, it's half right
Pittsburgh Public Schools officials say they want to give struggling children a chance, but the district is raising eyebrows with a policy that sets 50 percent as the minimum score a student can receive for assignments, tests and other work.
The district and teachers union last week issued a joint memo to ensure staff members' compliance with the policy, which was already on the books but enforced only at some schools. Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers President John Tarka said the policy is several years old.
While some districts use "F" as a failing grade, the city uses an "E."
"The 'E' is to be recorded no lower than a 50 percent, regardless of the actual percent earned. For example, if the student earns a 20 percent on a class assignment, the grade is recorded as a 50 percent," said the memo from Jerri Lippert, the district's executive director of curriculum, instruction and professional development, and Mary VanHorn, a PFT vice president.
In each subject, a student's percentage scores on tests and other work are averaged into a grade for each of the four marking periods. Percentages for marking periods later are averaged into semester and year-end grades.
A student receives an "A" for scores ranging from 100 percent to 90 percent, a "B" for scores ranging from 89 percent to 80 percent, a "C" for scores ranging from 79 percent to 70 percent, a "D" for scores ranging from 69 percent to 60 percent and an "E" for scores ranging from 59 percent to the cutoff, 50 percent.
The district and union insist the policy still holds students accountable for performance.
"A failing grade is a failing grade," district spokeswoman Ebony Pugh said.
At the same time, they said, the 50 percent minimum gives children a chance to catch up and a reason to keep trying. If a student gets a 20 percent in a class for the first marking period, Ms. Pugh said, he or she would need a 100 percent during the second marking period just to squeak through the semester.
"We want to create situations where students can recover and not give up," she said, adding a sense of helplessness can lead to behavior and attendance problems.
"It's not grade inflation. We're not saying, 'Give people passing grades,' " Ms. Pugh said.
But the policy strikes some teachers and parents as rewarding bad work and at odds with the district's "Excellence for All" improvement campaign.
"Clearly, some people will not be pleased with this policy," Mr. Tarka said. But he added, "We stand by that decision."
Judy Leonardi, a Stanton Heights resident and retired district home economics teacher, said she objected to the notion that a student could "walk in the door, breathe the air and get 50 percent for that."
"I don't think it sets kids up properly for college, for competition in life," she said.
To Ms. Leonardi, a 20 percent score means a student isn't trying or needs more help with the material. Automatically putting 50 percent in the grade book, she said, doesn't help the student in either case.
"To me, it's morally wrong," she said.
Ms. Leonardi worries that the policy could cause high-performing students to goof off from time to time, safe in the knowledge that they wouldn't have to bounce back from anything lower than a 50 percent.
And she said one teacher she knows already worries about how awkward it will look when a student correctly answers three of 10 questions on a math quiz -- and gets a 50 percent.
The state Department of Education doesn't regulate grading scales, and schools and districts across the state use various models. Districts nationwide have debated use of a 50 percent minimum.
Northside Urban Pathways, a Downtown charter school, gives students zero credit for any work below a "C." Linda Clautti, chief executive officer, said that approach complements the school's college-preparatory mission.
"I have not had any complaints. We do parent surveys every year," Ms. Clautti said.
In a recent article in Harvard Educational Review, Freedom Area School District Superintendent Ron Sofo recounted an experimental program that he said helped to dramatically raise the math scores of struggling sixth-graders. Among other features, the program included "A, B, Not Yet" grading, in which students were required to redo work until it merited an A or B.
Some Freedom Area teachers opposed the special grading scale, calling it coddling of bad students, Dr. Sofo said.
In suburban Philadelphia, a Bensalem School District task force on testing and grading has recommended that 50 percent be the minimum score a student receive.
Superintendent James Lombardo said he's in favor of implementing the idea, partly as a fairness issue. He noted that a failing grade carries far more mathematical weight than any other grade if the "E" or "F" has a range of zero to 59 percent.
"I guess I laud the Pittsburgh district for recognizing some of the foibles of our numerical system," he said, adding low percentage scores sometimes are given to students because of their attitude or work ethic, rather than their level of accomplishment.
Asked whether she agreed with the 50 percent minimum, Regina Holley, principal of Pittsburgh Lincoln K-8 and president of the Pittsburgh Administrators Association, said: "Well, that's the board's policy, and that's what we have to use."
She said teachers and principals should take other steps to give parents a clearer picture of how their children are performing in class.
"Our school provides that to the parents in a conference. We provide it in a letter. We give it to the parents in a phone call," Dr. Holley said.
Thats a lil to much work for a kid to have to do. Under Obama if a kid can manage to stick his head out of his Sec 8 covers and scream "Racisim" he will get a diploma, a countrywide home loan and community organizer job paying minimum wage of $85,000 a yr..
I'd say those that just barely "graduate" HS will need two years of community college to be equal to a HS graduate of my era, or even be somewhat literate.
Like the USA isn't dumb enough, already !
McCain doesn't know where Spain is. Obama doesn't know how many states there are......
Bush is borderline illiterate...
US is on the fast track to becoming a 3rd world nation.
Like the USA isn't dumb enough, already !
McCain doesn't know where Spain is. Obama doesn't know how many states there are......
Bush is borderline illiterate...
US is on the fast track to becoming a 3rd world nation.
I guess it should be no surprise that Pittsburgh has a low graduation rate. They probably already produce "Grads" that can't read, and couldn't multiply 9X9 with pencil and paper.
...........................................................................................................
PITTSBURGH -- Nearly 8 percent of Pennsylvania's high schools have high dropout rates, with 60 percent or less of their incoming freshmen making it to graduation.Forty-seven of the state's high schools are among about 1,700 nationwide that were identified by Johns Hopkins University researchers as having exceptionally high dropout rates.More than half of the Pennsylvania schools on the list are in Philadelphia. Five are in Pittsburgh.They also include schools in smaller urban districts, such as Erie, Reading and Harrisburg, and those in rural districts, such as Grove City Area in Mercer County and Susquenita in Perry County.The list also includes six charter schools.High-school graduation rates are one factor that determines whether Pennsylvania schools and school districts are complying with the federal No Child Left Behind law.List Of Schools With High Dropout Rates:
Aliquippa School District: Aliquippa SHS
Allentown: Roberto Clemente Charter School
Armstrong School District: Elderton JSHS
Armstrong School District: Kittanning SHS
Armstrong School District: West Shamokin JSHS
Chester-Upland School District: Chester HS
Erie School District: Central HS
Grove City Area School District: George Jr. Republic HS
Harrisburg School District: Harrisburg HS
Lancaster School District: Buehrle Alternative School
Latrobe: Ridgeview Academy Charter School
Philadelphia School District: Benjamin Franklin HS
Philadelphia School District: CEP/Hunting Park
Philadelphia School District: Dobbins Technical HS
Philadelphia School District: Edison HS/Fareira Skills Center
Philadelphia School District: Bok Technical HS
Philadelphia School District: Fels Samuel HS
Philadelphia School District: Frankford HS
Philadelphia School District: Furness Horace HS
Philadelphia School District: George Washington HS
Philadelphia School District: Germantown HS
Philadelphia School District: Gratz Simon HS
Philadelphia School District: John Bartram HS
Philadelphia School District: Martin Luther King Jr. HS
Philadelphia School District: Lincoln HS
Philadelphia School District: Mastbaum AVTS
Philadelphia School District: Overbrook HS
Philadelphia School District: Parkway Northwest HS
Philadelphia School District: Roxborough HS
Philadelphia School District: South Philadelphia HS
Philadelphia School District: Strawberry Mansion HS
Philadelphia School District: University City HS
Philadelphia School District: W.B. Saul Agricultural School
Philadelphia School District: West Philadelphia HS
Philadelphia School District: William Penn HS
Philadelphia: Freire Charter School
Philadelphia: Multi-Cultural Academy Charter School
Philadelphia: Nueva Esperanza Academy Charter School
Philadelphia: World Communications Charter School
Pittsburgh School District: Carrick HS
Pittsburgh School District: Langley HS
Pittsburgh School District: Oliver HS
Pittsburgh School District: Peabody HS
Pittsburgh School District: Westinghouse HS
Reading School District: Reading SHS
Susquenita School District: Susquenita HS
York School District: William Penn SHS
Hey, we can't have our children feeling bad about themselves can we? I mean, if we hold a race at school let's give everyone a ribbon for just being in the race. Same for schools. If a kid shows up a certain percentage of the time he/she should pass right?
Kind of like our financial system. If the financial institutions make mistakes let's bail them out so no one loses all their money.
Kind of like our financial system. If the financial institutions make mistakes let's bail them out so no one loses all their money.
