Good-bye A - F Grades, Hello 1 - 4?

In an effort to make sure that we are keeping "up to date" on our homeschooling experience, I often go online and research other schools' websites. Of course, I also find a lot of "traditional" public school policies and methods that I'd rather NOT have present in our homeschool.

But tonight, while browsing, I found the below article about a school that has changed their grading system drastically. No longer will students be earning A, B, C, D, or F (some schools use "E" instead of "F" for failing; some also grant "I" for "incomplete" and give students a week to complete missing assignments for a grade), these students will be getting papers back with 1, 2, 3, & 4. Sorry, I don't agree with that.

The comment in the article, "...a "D" can be kind of general," is not true. Not if that parent is truly interested in their child's education. Anytime a child is struggling in any area of school, the parents should never have to guess about what the problem is. Involved parents actually take their children's papers out of the backpacks every evening and go over them with their kids. Involved parents make sure their children are doing their homework, and help them as needed. Involved, interested parents would be making an appointment to talk with the teacher at the first sign of bad grades and work with the teacher to find a solution to the problem. There's nothing "general" about a "D", and they don't just suddenly show up on a child's report card with no advance warning.

I think all these "common core" changes and "conforming to the standardized tests" are not doing the children any favors. In fact, I truly believe that it is going to hurt way more than it helps the kids. The government and the schools (which unfortunately, are stuck doing what the states tell them to do) are in fact "stooping down" to a dangerous level because rather than provide a solution to helping struggling children get their grades (and more importantly, their comprehension of the subjects) up, these new changes are dropping the grade scale to make it appear that the kids are scoring higher. Not a good practice no matter how you look at it.

But hey, that's just my opinion. Read the article about the 4 Point Grading System, do your own research, and then make up your mind.


http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/08/hamilton_elementary_schools_adopt_new_four-point_scale_grading_system.html

This article explains the 1-4 system even better, with the "down side" being exposed:
http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/11/18/3374306/wake-county-to-stick-with-4-point.html