Toxic Grading Practices

I am venturing off my usual---although sparse--blog post topics to talk about a personal dilemma I have had over my son's years at Chapin High School.  A little background--My third son grew up sooner than I had hoped for given he had two older brothers to lead the way. He crawled out of his crib and came down the stairs belly side down at the age of six months, was walking at nine months.  He started preschool at age three and-- because the law for how old you must be to enter first grade changed the year he was born and he is a September baby--stayed in kindergarten for two years.  He was selected for the gifted and talented program in second grade and remained there throughout elementary and middle school.  In fact, he was on the honor roll thru eighth grade and was selected as a Duke TIP scholar. 

Then high school happened-- and the bottom fell out so to speak.  He was in put Honors classes and struggled.  I encouraged him to join a pre-engineering class in ninth grade because his talents were in mathematics and science.  The teacher flunked him because he did not turn in his work.  (Luckily that teacher retired the next year.  The designer of the program would have been shocked and dismayed that the way this class was taught turned my son off of pursuing an engineering career.) But that was not his only bad experience.  His English teacher did the same.  Conferences were scheduled, consequences were dealt out at home, hands were wrung, fingers were pointed.  This has gone on each of his years in high school.  (What has amazed me as an educator is that at each conference, the teachers pointed their fingers at Eric--he didn't turn in the work, he didn't take advantage of enrichment class; he didn't take grades seriously, doesn't study enough, on and on.  Not one teacher or administrator for that matter said, "if he is not learning--as evidenced by the fact that he is failing my class--I need to examine my practices, strategies, and craft to figure out why. Why is it acceptable that any child makes an F in any class?"  )   Now my son has actually helped make the data look good at the school--he passed the HSAPs the first time, ditto with end-of-course tests.  So he didn't require intervention as defined by the accountability criteria.  In fact, he always seemed to "pull it out" in crunch time.  You would think that he would be a problem in class, right?  Not so. His teachers have all said he is not a discipline problem, he participates in class, a pleasant student, never tardy.  Just doesn't do his homework. Or turn in projects.  The one bright spot for him in high school has been his opportunity to play baseball.  He loves it. Given the story about his grade history, you can see the train wreck that happened a couple of months ago, right?

It seems that his failing classes stem from mostly getting all those 0's from not turning in work.  This year it caught up with him when it was ruled he was academically ineligible to play baseball.  It came down to a half semester course he failed because he did not turn in a PowerPoint project.  Regardless that he had a 90 average. Regardless that he made a 91 on the semester exam.  The project was not turned in--0.  He is struggling with Physics and English but he is working to bring those up.  No can do with the flunked class-- says his teacher and supported by the administration.  As a parent, I feel badly that he hasn't played the game of school well enough to be at least half way successful.  He is a bright child that has had the motivation sucked out of him from bad experiences at high school. Yet he goes everyday and even goes to baseball games as a manager of sorts although he can't play.  I have not ever wanted him to get a free ride for not doing his work.  But as an educator, I can't help but think someone at his school could have tried to look past the grades in the gradebook to see what was happening.  As a parent, I constantly wonder what I should have, could have done differently to avoid this situation.   He has not been in any trouble with drugs, drinking, smoking, never gotten a speeding ticket, is always where he says he is, comes home by curfew, a model son.  What lesson does the school think its giving him by not letting him make up the work because the semester is over and the grade is "final"?  Probably not the one they think.

My consolation is that after May, hopefully high school will be behind him.  High school grades only serve to determine the next "level" of school--and if a child has not been successful in school, why would they choose to bring on more pain upon themselves?  My son was hoping to play baseball for a college next year but that dream has been blown away by a rigid one size fits all grading system that doesn't make exceptions.  And this in one of the "best" districts in the state. It makes me shudder to think about these kinds of kids in less than stellar school districts.   And we wonder why so many kids drop out.  My son is going to be fine no matter the outcome this year.  I believe he has a good heart, a good foundation and will make good choices about his future.  Said like a mom, right?!

When I saw this video, I thought YES! This expresses my sentiments exactly--as a parent and an educator.  Are you paying attention high school teachers and administrators?

 

 

Comments

[eeburrah]

from what you said, he seems to be making As when he puts his mind to it. if that's true, it doesn't seem like a matter of him struggling with the material. it sounds to be a matter of him not doing the work. we all know that intellect can only get you so far and then hard work has to kick in. if he's not doing the work, especially work in which he obviously can excel, then he should suffer the consequences. i did and learned from it.