Fairfax Grading Tough -- 94% an A

<p>Anyone else out there in CCland where a high school A is 94% or higher? From the 1/3/09 Washington Post:</p>

<p>"The report was prompted by a year-long parent-led campaign to change the grading policy and level the playing field for students, who policy opponents say are not being graded fairly. Fairfax high school students are required to earn at least 94 percent to earn an A and at least 64 percent to pass a class. Most school systems in the country use a 10-point scale, meaning that 90 percent gets an A and 60 is a passing grade. Many already give students' GPAs a bigger boost for more challenging courses. </p>

<p>Montgomery and Arlington counties, Falls Church and the District are among those that use the 10-point grading scale. The report documented a clear national trend toward standardizing what has historically been a piecemeal and confusing grading process".</p>

<p>Sure, it's that way in geek_son's high school. 90% to 93% is an A-. There are B+'s, but no A+'s. Also no curves, but most of the teachers offer options for extra credit. Also no weighted grades, which has had an unfortunate effect on class ranking and student motivation -- and some interesting Val/Sal combinations in the past couple of years. They've made some progress on that problem with new requirements this year, but I don't think they've quite licked it yet.</p>

<p>Lol man they have it easier than us. 94 is an A-, lowest possible A of any scale is a 94, and you must get at least a 67 to pass a class. Also we don't curve grades at all.</p>

<p>I'd have a perfect 4.0 if we used the 10 point scale.</p>

<p>Not that this is particularly relevant, but back when I was in school (when we sat at old wooden desks and walked 4 miles uphill to school and back) you needed 94 for an A. I think B was 87 or so. Colleges know the grading scales of the schools. If you deal with private schools enough with all their strange grading scales (E,V, G or 6,5,4 etc) you won't worry about comparisons from one district to another.</p>

<p>I have to get a 93 or higher.</p>

<p>See aMak that is what gets me...all my B's have been 93's. It is really annoying.</p>

<p>Our very large public sch. system (NC) uses this scale: A (93-100), B(85-92), C(77-85),D(70-76) F (anything less than 70). </p>

<p>This same scale applies to AP classes in our system which many have protested should be on a ten point scale since they are supposed to be college level class that can be used for college credit.</p>

<p>Our public hs has a policy of 93+ for an A, and a passing grade is 70+. We also do not weight gpa calculations or provide rank other than decile.</p>

<p>S's public school uses no pluses or minuses. A is 92-100, B is 83-91, C is 74-82, etc. GPA is on a 5.0 scale, with both Honors and AP classes getting an extra point.</p>

<p>Our public sch. system in New England used this scale: A (93-100), B(85-92), C(77-84),D(70-76) F (anything less than 70). </p>

<p>For S., Jr. year, the scale was changed to 10 point . . . HOWEVER, the school guide sent to colleges, described the 10 point scale without explaining that the current graduating seniors had two years of grades under the old system. For example, an 84 sophomore year was a C+ vs a B junior and senior year. Huge discrepancy impacting correct evaluation of GPA.</p>

<p>Grading standards are ARBITRARY. Nobody is comparing from district to district what it takes to get a 94 or any other percentage or grading points grade. </p>

<p>Amazon.com:</a> Wad-Ja-Get? the Grading Game in American Education: Howard Kirschenbaum: Books </p>

<p>See my FAQ (linked to in the signature block below) on college admission tips for more on grades on how little they can mean in the admission process.</p>

<p>^^token is spot-on. The Fairfax parents should be careful for which they wish for. While our competitive district uses a 91% cutoff for an A-, the curves are such that few A's are earned. For example, AP English teachers believe that ~10% of A's are plenty. Thus, we could change to a 94 scoring grid, but the grades themselves would not change.</p>

<p>In the school system where I grew up, 92 was a B+, 93 and 94 were A-, only 95 and above were an A. I thought that was the norm everywhere until my kids entered schools where 90 and above were considered A's.</p>

<p>lolz, at my school, a 69 is failing. Better make that 70!</p>

<p>90-93 = A-
94 = A</p>

<p>It's not that hard.</p>

<p>You could make 98 the cut-off but if 25% still made A's ..........it's not that hard. It's just a number.</p>

<p>We have a 75% passing minimum - and very few teachers offer extra credit (those who do are 9th/10th-grade-only teachers). No curves, very little weighting for honors classes (we don't offer APs). I understand the gripe about 94 being the A minimum, but how is anyone complaining about a 64 passing grade?</p>

<p>It's all about the context. The High School Profile, which clarifies what the grading scale is and, ideally, what % of kids earn those A's, etc.</p>

<p>We also come from a 94=A high school. I'd say the right percentage of kids get into the uber-selective elites anyway.</p>

<p>The colleges all recalculate GPAs anyway.</p>

<p>The outfit that is lobbying the school system for change is called Fairgrade -- Debate</a> Over Fairfax's Grading System</p>

<p>One of the main gripes is that the county gpas are lower than they should be for the scores on standarized tests, thus effecting admissions and scholarships.</p>

<p>When I went to HS in Virginia many, many years ago, an A was 95-100. Failing was at 74. There were no weighted classes. There was no extra credit. Oh, and I did not live in Fairfax but in a rural VA county.</p>

<p>
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One of the main gripes is that the county gpas are lower than they should be for the scores on standarized tests, thus effecting admissions and scholarships.

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<p>Affecting admission and scholarships where? Maybe the gripe should be with colleges that don't look to how much grading standards can differ from one high school to another.</p>