TO CHANGE OR NOT:

Published 12:00 am Friday, September 26, 2008

School trustees square off over grades

The discussion was divided Thursday as Vicksburg Warren School District trustees moved toward a scheduled vote in October on whether to expand the grading scale here to allow lower numerical averages to achieve higher letters and more points in their overall scores.

“As an educator, I have a heavy problem with this, said Zelmarine Murphy of District 2, the longest-serving of the five school board members. “But I understand we would be keeping our students from receiving awards and accolades. We’d be lowering our standards, so it is important that the teachers should not. Our kids still have to stand in the marketplace with everyone else.”

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

Her comments summed the contradictions in whether to expand to the 10-point scale, as other districts have done, or continue to have student work gauged by the existing, more narrow scale.

“Students who are motivated to excel are going to excel,” said Jan Daigre of District 4. “It’s dumbing down in my point of view.”

The district follows a scale where numerical averages in courses are: 93-100 is an A, 85-92 is a B, 75-84 is a C, 70-74 is a D and 69 and below is an F, or failing grade. With the new 10-point scale, a grade of 90-100 would be an A; 80-89, B; 70-79, C; 65-69, D; and 64 and below, F.

Once letter grades are assigned, grade point averages, or GPAs, are calculated with an A assigned 4 points, a B assigned 3 points, a C assigned 2 points, a D assigned 1 point and an F no points.

The 10-point scale up for adoption is a slight variation on the typical 10-point scale; if passed, a 64 and below would be an F rather than a 59 and below. The altered scale was adopted by Alabama; Florida follows the traditional 10-point scale.

Not changing would mean students with lower numerical class averages might achieve higher grades and grade point averages, tilting chances of college admission and scholarships in their favor.

“So many things play in to grades,” said Betty Tolliver of District 3. “I’ve known too many kids who’ve not graduated from one or two points. I have never liked that.”

Many believe the move to be for athletes, Superintendent James Price said, because the change is backed  by the Mississippi High School Activities Association. The National Collegiate Athletic Association sets scholarship minimums for sports. Under one component, the higher a student’s grade point average in his or her school, the lower he or she can score on the neutral American College Test and still be eligible.

Price, however, said the change is not about athletics or sending more students to college; rather it is about allowing Vicksburg’s students to compete fairly.

“I don’t like it, but we cannot keep them from being competitive in the South,” said Price.

On a secret faculty ballot taken at both junior highs and high school, teachers overwhelmingly favored the change.

For the grading scale to be changed an amendment must be made to board policy. The board will vote at its next meeting, on Oct. 30, on whether the amendment will be made.

Also Thursday, trustees:

• Accepted $2,820 in donations.

• The “Opting Out” policy was brought for discussion. Currently in the district, students are required to have 23.5 Carnegie units, or class credits, to graduate. The Misssissippi Department of Education recently set guidelines that require all students to have 24 class credits to graduate. The “Opting Out” policy would allow the students already in high school to graduate with the previously required 23.5 to prevent them from being penalized. Next year’s freshmen would be held to the state standard of 24. The policy will be voted on in the Oct. 30 meeting.