In July, the Boise School District announced a new grading policy making the lowest possible grade a student can receive a 50 percent on any project, assignment or test regardless of their effort or punctuality. The “no zero” policy is a system that various other districts around the country have also implemented, and every school has received mixed reactions.
Now that midterms are over and I’ve reflected on the possible test outcomes in each of my college classes, I found myself dreaming how great it would be to know the lowest grade I could receive on an exam is a 50 percent. Granted, that grade is still a failing one and I hope that isn’t the outcome. But, the fact that that I could not technically earn anything lower is a nice thought.
Still, I quickly realized the idea behind the policy is great in theory, but poor in practice. No student gets accepted to a university by banking on a grading system that allows them to work less and get by with a middle-of-the-road grade.
The students who learn under this policy will inevitably find a much less sympathetic grading system when they venture out into the college world.
Still, I commend the school district for trying new things when it comes to grading. It is no secret that Idaho falls toward the lower end of the national spectrum when it comes to education. Even taking a stab at reinventing one district’s grading system is a sign of progress. However, I doubt this policy is what anyone had in mind when it comes to grading reform.
A 50 percent on any assignment is a failing grade, but it won’t be entirely detrimental to a student’s overall GPA. According to a KTVB news report from July, the system encourages students to keep trying until their grade is satisfactory. But who decides when a grade is “satisfactory?” If a student didn’t complete the assignment in the first place, they still receive a grade and get the chance to better that grade even though they didn’t care to try.
This aspect of the policy doesn’t seem like it will engage students — it will only enable them. Unfortunately, some students will take advantage of the system by not trying on the first attempt, but by taking advantage of the reward that is getting a 50 percent for an assignment with no effort.
The report detailed that students must attend study sessions and show that they are truly working to improve their grade instead of using the policy negatively. This may be the only characteristic of the policy that makes sense.
The fact that the school district aims to change the way students learn and receive grades is a step in the right direction. But, there are certainly other options to implement that would better prepare Idaho students for the real world.
Extra credit assignments, study groups and test retakes are all ways in which students can attempt to improve their grades. It takes a little extra work and of course students might have to work their way up from a zero instead of a 50 percent, but the learning process is more compliant with that of the world outside the K-12 setting.
In college, professors don’t often allow students to turn in nothing and still receive a grade. A busy professor will not always be there to work through a project one-on-one. Some professors barely even get the chance to know their students through anything other than their last name. This is just how college is.
Instead of teaching that there will always be something to fall back on, it is time to let students take the initiative for themselves. They must be the ones to fail and pick back up when it comes to grades. It can be done.
I truly believe that when given the chance, a student who cares and wants to prepare for real life will do what it takes to get there without relying on an over-enabling policy.
Hailey Stewart can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @Hailey_ann97
Tammy Unzicker
I don't know why Boise School District would bother to even grade students or take attendance, or even have a teacher in the classroom at this point. Don't think for a minute that students won't figure out the formula to do the minimum and pass. It's probably in the range of pulling two A's. These two A's can probably be received by turning in parent signed papers. This is just a repackaging of social promotion. Social promotion is the largest underlying factor that erodes our system. Good job! At least the students in the BSD won't get their feelings hurt or feel any stress... They'll graduate and realize that the system tricked them by enabling them to control their futures before they were able to comprehend that it's hard work, not the path of least resistance that gets you where you want to be. Well done!