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'No zeros' grading policy awards students half credit for work they don't turn in


Auburn85

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http://www.al.com/ne...8_teachers.html

A "no zeros" policy at Birmingham's W.J. Christian K-8 School has some teachers upset, and concerned that students are taking advantage of the policy.

A policy instituted by Principal Nichole Davis Williams in the fall states that "Students should not receive a grade lower than 50." This means that students at the school can fail to turn in work, and still receive some credit for the work.

Two teachers from W.J. Christian came to AL.com with their concerns with the policy. The teachers, who asked that their names not be used, said they were representing the concerns of a larger group of teachers at the school.

The policy, which is not a district-wide policy, was implemented after a parent questioned her child's low score on a progress report, the teachers said. Some students who are aware of the policy aren't doing classwork and projects, and just taking 50s.

The teachers said they have noticed behavioral problems they believe to be connected to that policy.

"Students aren't learning because we can't get them to do the work," one of the teachers told AL.com. "When do we hold the students accountable?"

Birmingham City Schools spokesperson Adrienne Mitchell spoke with Principal Williams about the policy.

"[Principal Williams] didn't have a problem with teachers assigning students whatever grades they got on assignments, she just was not satisfied with a teacher giving a student a poor grade and then leaving it there without addressing any type of performance plan or any time of academic management plan to help those students pull those grades up," Mitchell said.

"Because, clearly, if there's someone scoring below a 50 percent, there's something there that didn't connect for the student."

The "no zeros" policy is meant to give students "opportunities, when they are failing, to be successful in some other way," Mitchell said. It's a floor from which a student can climb back up. She noted that according to district policy, any grade below a 60 is a "F" grade.

The teachers say the policy doesn't apply to students who bomb a test and make a zero - in those cases, something went wrong, and teachers will work to fix it. But it does apply to students who fail to turn in homework, classwork, and assigned projects.

"They aren't learning, they're just passing," one of the teachers said.

The teachers told AL.com that they first went to Principal Williams with their concerns, and followed up with supervisor Frankie Gray. They then went to their respective unions, and reached out to AL.com columnist Edward Bowser.

Mitchell told AL.com that the "no zeros" policy "is no violation of any existing policy that we have." Administrators are free to implement practices at their schools that benefit students, so long as those policies don't conflict with current board policy.

"Schools have the autonomy to implement measures that they think will help students reach a higher level of achievement," she said.

She said the policy lines up with a classroom management system, called CHAMPS, that the school uses. The teachers said that CHAMPS is a system they use to manage and improve classroom behavior, but they were never told that the grading policy was directly connected to the program.

Birmingham Education Foundation Executive Director J.W. Carpenter said he could imagine a scenario in which a student who had troubles at home for half the year could work hard for the other half of the year and pass, which would perhaps be beneficial. But he is concerned that "students would be denied the high expectations they need to succeed."

"A child who does 50 percent of the work and a child who does zero percent of the work could end up with the same grade,"

Carpenter said. "Therefore, you're telling the kid who did 50 percent of the work that their effort is equivalent to the kid who did zero percent of the work, and that, to me, doesn't send a very good message to that child."

Carpenter cautioned that he hadn't spoken with W.J. Christian School about the rationale for the policy, or fully evaluated it, but he saw some areas of potential concern.

One was measurement from school-to-school. Carpenter said it's important to have consistent policy throughout the district so schools can be measured against each other fairly and consistently. A school that does not award zeros may have higher grades than a school that does, though the work might be same. "You need transparency, and you need consistency," he said.

Ultimately, we use grades not just as a way to evaluate the student's performance, but as a way to know as educators what that individual child needs, and in a broader sense, what that class needs," Carpenter said. "If we are changing grades and manipulating grades in that way, then we could be doing a disservice to what is best for the kid."

Mitchell said it would be hard to say the "no zeros" policy gave students at W.J. Christian a leg up on other schools.

"I think it would be hard to say that without knowing what every teacher is doing in every classroom," Mitchell said. "Some grade on a curve, some give extra credit, some allow kids to come in on Saturday and work."

Richard Franklin, the president of the Birmingham local American Federation of Teachers union, said some teachers had come to him with concerns about the policy.

"I've been telling my members to follow district policy, because if you give the wrong grade, you could lose your job," Franklin said. He said none of the teachers he represents have been written up for not following the policy.

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PC + lib feel good policy= dumb failures in life.

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Birmingham City Schools spokesperson Adrienne Mitchell spoke with Principal Williams about the policy.

"[Principal Williams] didn't have a problem with teachers assigning students whatever grades they got on assignments, she just was not satisfied with a teacher giving a student a poor grade and then leaving it there without addressing any type of performance plan or any time of academic management plan to help those students pull those grades up," Mitchell said.

"Because, clearly, if there's someone scoring below a 50 percent, there's something there that didn't connect for the student."

B'ham city schools needs a new spokesperson. Yikes...

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So, fifty is the new zero? :dunno:/>

Everyone gets a trophy.

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Can't make kids upset by telling them that they need to improve or study harder, that would upset their precious self-esteem. Better to just give them good grades without effort and prepare them for the real world because employers will be on the street corner just giving away $80,000 per year jobs to everyone!

It only does one thing, sets them up for dependency on the government.

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Can't make kids upset by telling them that they need to improve or study harder, that would upset their precious self-esteem. Better to just give them good grades without effort and prepare them for the real world because employers will be on the street corner just giving away $80,000 per year jobs to everyone!

It only does one thing, sets them up for dependency on the government.

In fairness, a 50 is still an F.

I'd have less of a problem if they were still willing to give 0s for work not turned in. I don't have a problem with limiting the grade at 50 on an assignment if the kid is actually putting forth the effort.

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This is what would concern me:

"A child who does 50 percent of the work and a child who does zero percent of the work could end up with the same grade," Carpenter said. "Therefore, you're telling the kid who did 50 percent of the work that their effort is equivalent to the kid who did zero percent of the work, and that, to me, doesn't send a very good message to that child."

Why would kids put forth any effort if they will just receive half credit for nothing? This will lead to kids just barely getting by.

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This is what would concern me:

"A child who does 50 percent of the work and a child who does zero percent of the work could end up with the same grade," Carpenter said. "Therefore, you're telling the kid who did 50 percent of the work that their effort is equivalent to the kid who did zero percent of the work, and that, to me, doesn't send a very good message to that child."

Why would kids put forth any effort if they will just receive half credit for nothing? This will lead to kids just barely getting by.

A fail is a fail. I don't think the "free" 50 points counts for squat.

But if it sends a message to a kid that he's not worthless - as a zero might imply - then why not? After all, he has to show up in class to get it, and showing up is a large part of life. We don't know what a lot of these kids are dealing with at home. Perhaps giving them a message there is always hope is not such a bad thing.

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So if a class wide project is due, and a kid knows that even if he or she doesn't even try, they will still get credit, that sends a good message? That does more harm than good. It rewards laziness. Now if there is a kid that is struggling in class and does turn something in and shows effort, I have no problem with half-credit. But not even trying does not benefit at all from half-credit.

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This is what would concern me:

"A child who does 50 percent of the work and a child who does zero percent of the work could end up with the same grade," Carpenter said. "Therefore, you're telling the kid who did 50 percent of the work that their effort is equivalent to the kid who did zero percent of the work, and that, to me, doesn't send a very good message to that child."

Why would kids put forth any effort if they will just receive half credit for nothing? This will lead to kids just barely getting by.

A fail is a fail. I don't think the "free" 50 points counts for squat.

But if it sends a message to a kid that he's not worthless - as a zero might imply - then why not? After all, he has to show up in class to get it, and showing up is a large part of life. We don't know what a lot of these kids are dealing with at home. Perhaps giving them a message there is always hope is not such a bad thing.

Apparently there's Brawndo in the water fountains at that school....and apparently Homer and Ben are drinking there with the Principal as well.

And let's see Homey, did you actually take math in school? Let's take a hypothetical...a kid gets 10 grades...and makes a 70 on 5 assignments and doesn't turn anything in 5 times. In a real world scenario that says you get a 0 for not turning in something; the kids class average would be a 35; and an F; rightfully so. In the Brawndo school that you seem to embrace; the kid gets a 50 score for failing to turn in the work and the kids would actually have a 60 class average; make a D; and move on to the next grade. Yep...that is education in action...

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Can't make kids upset by telling them that they need to improve or study harder, that would upset their precious self-esteem. Better to just give them good grades without effort and prepare them for the real world because employers will be on the street corner just giving away $80,000 per year jobs to everyone!

It only does one thing, sets them up for dependency on the government.

You are correct. Sadly, THAT is their GOAL!!!
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I think you guys are way over analyzing this. (But making mountains out of molehills is one of your favorite tactics, so it's hardly surprising. :rolleyes: )

Personally I don't think a grade should be applied to not filling assignments other than incomplete. If the kid wants to pass the class, he has to fulfill every assignment, even if late.

Frankly, this is more about the parents than it is the kids.

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And one of the tactics used here is saying that some are "making too big of a deal about this" when you know that this isn't a good policy.

Instead of rewarding excellence, it rewards laziness. And in the end, these same kids who were given grades, will then blame the school, their teachers, and their families for not doing their jobs, and for putting them in their current position.

"If the schools and teachers did their job of preparing me and pushing me, I wouldn't be without a job."

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And one of the tactics used here is saying that some are "making too big of a deal about this" when you know that this isn't a good policy.

Instead of rewarding excellence, it rewards laziness. And in the end, these same kids who were given grades, will then blame the school, their teachers, and their families for not doing their jobs, and for putting them in their current position.

"If the schools and teachers did their job of preparing me and pushing me, I wouldn't be without a job."

Well stated Weegle. Also lacking in public schools today is discipline. I mean to say there is almost ZERO discipline. Teachers, the good teachers, live in fear of lawsuits from certain parents and their advocates. The private sector can do a far better job for this reason alone. That is the direction education is headed in the not too distant future. IMHO
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And one of the tactics used here is saying that some are "making too big of a deal about this" when you know that this isn't a good policy.

Instead of rewarding excellence, it rewards laziness. And in the end, these same kids who were given grades, will then blame the school, their teachers, and their families for not doing their jobs, and for putting them in their current position.

"If the schools and teachers did their job of preparing me and pushing me, I wouldn't be without a job."

It's one ****** principal in one ****** school for Crissakes! So thanks for proving my point. :-\

The principal is the one responsible for outcomes, so let her do her job.

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And one of the tactics used here is saying that some are "making too big of a deal about this" when you know that this isn't a good policy.

Instead of rewarding excellence, it rewards laziness. And in the end, these same kids who were given grades, will then blame the school, their teachers, and their families for not doing their jobs, and for putting them in their current position.

"If the schools and teachers did their job of preparing me and pushing me, I wouldn't be without a job."

It's one ****** principal in one ****** school for Crissakes! So thanks for proving my point. :-\/>

The principal is the one responsible for outcomes, so let her do her job.

I never said that it was nationwide. Relax, it's just a discussion. Nothing to make a huge deal about.
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I'm with weegs on this one.

I just can't see the point or benefit in this policy. Stick with what works. If you don't turn the work in you get a zero. Give the zero, put an asterisk beside it, inform the parents and give the deadline to complete the work, and if they do the work then change the grade. If not, the grade sticks.

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And one of the tactics used here is saying that some are "making too big of a deal about this" when you know that this isn't a good policy.

Instead of rewarding excellence, it rewards laziness. And in the end, these same kids who were given grades, will then blame the school, their teachers, and their families for not doing their jobs, and for putting them in their current position.

"If the schools and teachers did their job of preparing me and pushing me, I wouldn't be without a job."

It's one ****** principal in one ****** school for Crissakes! So thanks for proving my point. :-\/>

The principal is the one responsible for outcomes, so let her do her job.

I never said that it was nationwide. Relax, it's just a discussion. Nothing to make a huge deal about.

Good grief. :slapfh:

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Can't make kids upset by telling them that they need to improve or study harder, that would upset their precious self-esteem. Better to just give them good grades without effort and prepare them for the real world because employers will be on the street corner just giving away $80,000 per year jobs to everyone!

It only does one thing, sets them up for dependency on the government.

In fairness, a 50 is still an F.

I'd have less of a problem if they were still willing to give 0s for work not turned in. I don't have a problem with limiting the grade at 50 on an assignment if the kid is actually putting forth the effort.

Apparently you missed the part where a student that actually tried can score LESS than the student that did nothing.
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