Over the summer, District 219 decided to opt for a different grading system. Most of the old policies would be the same, but now grades are being accumulated per semester instead of per quarter, like last year. Additionally, progress reports will be accessible via PIV instead of being mailed to student households.
Dr. Jason Ness, assistant principal of student services, commented mostly on consistency.
“You want a student’s grades to accurately show how the student is doing. Consistency between classes means that there are no discrepancies. For example, if a student and his or her friend were in the same class but had different teachers, there would no longer be the issue of one student getting an A while the other gets a B if the two were equally as intelligent. Inconsistency will only lead to confusion.”
The new grading policy will now implement a system in which the grade percentages for each student will be the same, with set percentages for homework, class participation, quizzes/tests, and common assessments.
“I think that the new policy can only affect students in a positive way. The new grading system helps the students understand what is required of them and informs them about what is out there that can assist them with what they need,” said Ness.
Director of English, Sanlida Cheng, agrees.
“I think that these changes are good for the district, including students in English/reading classes. I have always believed that a grade should be indication of a student’s progress in a given course, not the end goal or the sole focus. Eliminating quarter grades allows shifts from ‘grades’ to ‘progress,” she said.
Director of Sciences, Lois Wisniewski, commented similarly, saying, “The new grading policy could have either a neutral or positive affect on most students’ science grades. It will provide students with a clearer and more accurate accounting of their grade at any moment in time. The previous system gave some students and parents the impression that grades started over at each quarter and some may have had a misconception of how each quarter grade contributed to the overall semester grade. The new system should allow parents and students to be more in tune to their academic progress.”
In some cases, the new grading system appears to be a positive change due to the fact that it will make it easier for teachers to evaluate a student’s abilities in a certain class.
Bob Williams, director of mathematics at Niles West said, ” At the end of the semester, the teacher can determine the proficiency level of the student relative to the course learning targets and give them a grade which reflects this proficiency level. The new grading system more clearly reveals the actual method of grade calculation and helps make possible the use of current and accurate assessment practices. I believe it is a positive change for our district.”
In general, many teachers believe that the new grading system will be better for students because it makes the whole system in general more accurate. Grading will be based more on multi-faceted abilities in the classroom than being able to do well on tests and quizzes.
Scott Dahlberg, director of social studies, said, “I believe the new system for grading will provide students and parents more accurate grade and learning progress information throughout the semester… I do believe that it is a positive step for student learning.”
