A California school is redefining the grading curve - Polidicks

[URL]http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4640349-181/rohnert-park-cotati-schools-rethink[/URL] [quote]The new system is called the equal interval scale. Essentially, it makes it harder to get a failing grade. It departs from the traditional A to F scale in which students receive F’s for scores below 59 percent. Instead, the scale awards F’s only for scores below 20 percent.[/quote] [quote]Under the new policy, grades rise in 20-point increments. For example, scores of 20 to 40 percentage points earn D- through D+ grades — and so on, up the ladder. Students get an A- for scoring between 80 and 85, which traditionally is low B territory.[/quote] [quote]Some teachers have tried to hang on to the traditional grading system but have been tripped up by a blanket new policy that students, even if they do not hand in homework or take a test, get 50 percent. Under the new rule, it’s possible for a student who skips a test to receive a better grade than a student who takes the test and does poorly.[/quote] [quote]“I found a lot under the old system that they were worried about the grades and less worried about the material,” Green said. “Within the new system, it gives more of an opportunity for them to work their way toward an understanding of the material.”[/quote] i think its pretty silly, myself

What the fuck this is a terrible idea.

[QUOTE]it’s possible for a student who skips a test to receive a better grade than a student who takes the test and does poorly.[/QUOTE] I hate tests for a plethora of reasons, but this just seems so fucking dumb.

Grade inflation is already a [url=http://www.gradeinflation.com/]massive fucking problem[/url], way to make it worse California.

[QUOTE]“I found a lot under the old system that they were worried about the grades and less worried about the material,” Green said. “Within the new system, it gives more of an opportunity for them to work their way toward an understanding of the material.”[/quote] Wholeheartedly agree, been wrestling with that issue myself. Will be interesting to see if this new way actually changes that.

I don't think this is going to go well. Sounds like at too many points they'll have more incentive to do nothing. I think they have enough of that as it is.

this just seems like an easy way to not have to do anything about the curriculum and make it seem like kids are doing better

So you get 50% no matter what? And 20% and under is an F... so you can basically only fail if you put work into trying to, and you can pass by doing dick all. This is completely retarded. I'm all for changing the grading system to make it geared towards you get graded based on what you know rather than how much you do, but this is stupid

[QUOTE]Some teachers have tried to hang on to the traditional grading system but have been tripped up by a blanket new policy that students, even if they do not hand in homework or take a test, get 50 percent. Under the new rule, it’s possible for a student who skips a test to receive a better grade than a student who takes the test and does poorly.[/QUOTE] The new grading system could actually be a good thing but this is complete bullshit. Implementing this with the grading scale would mean people would automatically get a C. Fuck that.

-snip

[QUOTE=TheTalon;48963057]So you get 50% no matter what? And 20% and under is an F... so you can basically only fail if you put work into trying to, and you can pass by doing dick all. This is completely retarded. I'm all for changing the grading system to make it geared towards you get graded based on what you know rather than how much you do, but this is stupid[/QUOTE] Maybe I misunderstood it, but I think the 50 points for everyone thing was a new policy that applied to the previous system. Which would be a serious problem, because in the previous system, >69 is passing, meaning you can do dick all the entire year then do 10% of the work and pass. I think that the article meant that this new 20% thing is meant to put a stop to that. I may be wrong but I think it's just confusing the way they worded it.

I never understood why there was a 0-50 if it was all an f. if there's 5 grades, a 20 point grading scale mae more logical sense to me, but I don't think it should be used to make things easier

I appreciate the idea because of how weird it always seemed to me my whole life that letter grades only existed from F skipping E to D through to A, but only ever covered about 40% of the numbers involved in, going from 59-100, just seemed weird. So the visual element of that is a lot better. We'll have to see how this plays out though. Something has to be done to help kids in the US schools.

[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;48963183]I appreciate the idea because of how weird it always seemed to me my whole life that letter grades only existed from F skipping E to D through to A, but only ever covered about 40% of the numbers involved in, going from 59-100, just seemed weird. So the visual element of that is a lot better. We'll have to see how this plays out though. Something has to be done to help kids in the US schools.[/QUOTE] It seems like the rational would be that whether you know the material at a 20% level or a 50% level doesn't really matter because either way you don't know it well enough to pass.

Title is completely misleading. this isn't california, rather a city in california that tries this.

sweet

This is Ontario's grading scale from Wikipedia's article on academic grading in Canada: -A (Level 4, beyond government standards) 80% and above -B (Level 3, at government standards) 70-79% -C (Level 2, approaching government standards) 60-69% -D (Level 1, well below government standards) 50-59% -R (Remedial standards-used in elementary schools), or F (Failing standards-used in high schools), 49% and below. Also, apparently if you at least sometimes show up for class you get a minimum of 35% (I don't know why??). The Ontario education system has a lot of flaws in general, though. I feel like California's general grading scale and this scale that's being introduced in one district are both worse, though.

Fuck that [editline]22nd October 2015[/editline] As someone who got royally screwed by grade inflation multiple times through highschool and college, California can cram this wherever its traditional to cram it in california

In finnish schools you had to get about 20-25% points or what ever to pass.

[QUOTE=Sableye;48963519]Fuck that [editline]22nd October 2015[/editline] As someone who got royally screwed by grade inflation multiple times through highschool and college, California can cram this wherever its traditional to cram it in california[/QUOTE] They can cram it in their longboard and ride it.

by california you mean a single school district, right? nothing like sensationalizing the fuck out of headlines

There's nothing more annoying sitting around and listening to other college students talk about how their schools had 5.0 scales and weighted grades. A lot of my colleges students come from very well off private schools around Chicago

The best part is, with the way things already are, a C is generally considered as essentially being a failing grade.

Not going to do jack except reject more people the times it comes to get a job or goto college. You have to get a 3.0 gpa, if not you're the bottom of the barrel unless your appealing with something else not intellect wise.

title should be fixed now

I remember my first semester, I took CS and my teacher outright told us "The lowest grade I will give you is a 50%, so it's easier to recover. that class sucked though

[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;48963051]this just seems like an easy way to not have to do anything about the curriculum and make it seem like kids are doing better[/QUOTE] It's so Cali can brag about having the highest test scores in the country while ignoring their broke as fuck grading scale.

okay so this in sonoma county, north of the county had has san fran as a city.

[QUOTE=Bradyns;48963036]I hate tests for a plethora of reasons, but this just seems so fucking dumb.[/QUOTE] literally encouraging slacking off

tbh, I feel that we need to make a move away from the current educational model we have in place. it's all about rote memorization and tests, and of course, the grade. There has to be a better system, one which is more enjoyable and productive for both student and teacher. This I feel is only a small step to that. And I will say, it is a lot easier to learn something when you're not stressing over a grade, so tbh I feel they're on to something.