Grade scale alterations explored
The Prince William County School Board is set to discuss possible changes to the grading scale at its meeting Wednesday.
Right now, the grading scale used in Prince William County high schools defines an A as 93 to 100 percent, a B+ as 90 to 92, a B as 84 to 89, a C+ as 81 to 83, a C as 74 to 80, a D+ as 71 to 73, a D as 65 to 70 and an F as 64 and below.
The School Board is considering adopting a 10-point grading scale, which would make an A 90 to 100 percent, a B 80 to 89, and so on. An F would be anything 59 percent or below.
Board members said that they've received many e-mails from parents and students requesting the change, since Fairfax County Public Schools adopted a 10-point grading scale in January.
Many other area school divisions currently use the 10-point scale.
The Fairfax School Board adopted the change last month after thousands of parents lobbied for it, saying the tougher grading scale hurt seniors applying for scholarships and college admissions, based on grade point averages.
The Loudoun County School Board is considering a similar change.
In Manassas and Manassas Park, schools use the same seven-point scale currently in place at Prince William.
Prince William parents and students have taken their cause to the Internet. In addition to e-mailing board members, supporters of the grading scale change have started an online petition that had over 1,300 signatures as of Friday.
The petition, at http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/pwcsgradingscale, says county students are at a disadvantage because they are not one of the few counties in Virginia on a 10 point grading scale.
"Prince William County students deserve to have equal opportunity when applying for college," the petition reads.
High school students started a Facebook group to express their concerns. The group, started by Stonewall Jackson High School student Zach Goulet, had 1,122 members as of Sunday afternoon, an increase of about 130 from Friday.
Goulet said he and other students want the grading scale changed because colleges look at high school transcripts, which show a grade point average, not a percentage average.
Under the current Prince William County grading scale, a senior with a 92 percent average in class would have a B+, or a 3.4 GPA.
But a student in another school district that uses a 10-point grading scale, could have the same 92 percent average and would get an A, a 4.0.
"It really just helps the students have an equal chance in their pursuit for college," Goulet said in an e-mail.
The Prince William County School Board could vote on changing the grading scale at their meeting Wednesday.
Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.
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Reader Reactions
Many local schools are moving toward a 10% grading scale. There are many advantages of having our children evaluated equally with other school districts. College admittance, college honors programs, merit scholarships, NCAA eligibility, and good student discount for auto insurance are among some of the top reasons why there needs to be consistency. If pluses and minuses are added, it will continue to keep the same scale in our local schools for class rankings. Fairfax County resource group did their homework. Check out their site at http://www.fairgrade.org. They show statistics that support the 10% grading scale.
That’s totally fine…I just wanted to point out that either way, seems like someone loses. MY opinion is to have the ones at the top of the scale stay there and enjoy the benefit of getting there without someone else demanding a level playing field for someone who didn’t achieve the same.
I totally appreciate your viewpoint, though.
I feel like I landed in Lilliput. It is MY opinion that we should adopt the same grading scale as the majority of the country so that our children can have equal opportunities in college. That’s all..
However, I would be advocating for our county to raise its payscale instead! How about the opposite (your example)? The County next to us pays $95 and we get $100 for 8 hours of work. Would YOU advocate for us lowering our pay just to bring it in line with the other county? I wouldn’t-that is totally ridiculous and counter productive. As this whole grade lowering scheme is.
I would like the students to get the same opportunities as everyone else and this can ONLY be done if their GPA is on the same scale as everyone elses. It’s not about making them work less to achieve an A. That’s ridiculous. We could argue this all day long but bottom line, students want to have the same grade scale as counties and states across the nation. What on earth could be wrong with wanting that?
It’s like saying if you worked 8 hours a day you could be paid $95 because that is our pay scale in this county and the county over get’s $100 for 8 hours because that’s their pay scale, I think you would think it wrong.
Just because other districts are doing it, then we follow suit? I would think that we would be above the level by keeping our scale as is. That way, our kids with the 93 and above are still in the mix. Or is it the ones who are not there you are worried about?
To answer your question, do I want the 90-93ers to get the same benefit as the others?? Duh, that’s the point, in other jurisdictions, they ARE! Other jurisdictions 90-92’s are given the same consideration as OUR 93-100’s. Obviously, we will have to simply agree to disagree. I hope your child doesn’t run into a problem with the PWC grading scale. I know many parents of high achieving students that have hit roadblocks in their pursuit of a higher education.
SudleyMom, WHY would you advocate for a lowering of the grading scale when those kids who are at 93 or above are already being considered, just like others with an A, for an equal ability to get scholarships and get accepted to colleges? Are you just wanting the 90-93ers to get the same benefit without the skill or demonstrated knowledge? How does that serve those kids who sweated for the 93 and above? Would you deny them their rightful place in line by adding lesser level achievements where their accomplishments are considered over another?
The lowering of the grading scale simply adds those kids who haven’t reached the 93 level into the mix, making it even MORE competitive to obtain those scholarships and colleges! Also, getting into college is NOT all about grades. We are into the process now, and the SATs, ACTs and community service are all looked at as well. Are you suggesting that perhaps we adjust those requirements/criteria as well so that those playing fields are level as well? If so, when does it stop? When a kid who scores poorly on an SAT is given the same acceptance chance as one who scores a perfect or high score?
Just because the rest of the world seems to be content with lowering standards doesn’t mean that PWC should accept the same. It sets a dangerous precedent for the future of our children and expectations of our future workforce. If you don’t like the standard, then just lower it.
College is a PRIVILEGE, not a right, and it is a privilege that one works hard for and must demonstrate results in order to get in. Lowering the grade scale for the sole sake of matching other districts simply waters down and lessens motivation to reach this goal.
If PWC schools are truly “schools of excellence”, then we need to walk the walk and demand it-not cave into ideas which water that excellence down for sake of better test scores for schools and allowing less achieved students the same privileges that others have worked so hard for.
My daughter plans to apply for college in PA and when she does her grades will appear lower because of our grading system. All of my children fight for their grades too and all agree they would be happier if the grading system was equal to that of other counties and states across the nation. My oldest is furious that if things do change, it will be too late for her as she is applying for college now. Many students are furious about the grading system as it is unequal to the rest of the country.
You people just don’t get it. It has nothing to do with lowering the standards. It has everything to do with making them consistent with 90% of America. If the other 90% of America can be convinced to move to a 7 pt scale then I’m all for it. It’s about making things consistent across the board so that our kids have the same opportunities as everyone else. Do your homework and you will see that many kids right here in PWC have lost opportunities for grants and scholarships that they did not qualify for because of the 7 pt grading scale. These kids had higher grade percentages than many of the actual recipients but because these foundations and groups do not take “grading scale” differences into consideration, our kids have lost out.
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