MCPS announces grading, course load changes
By Dermott Foley
By Dermott Foley
Montgomery County Public Schools officials are seeking to relieve academic pressure on students amid the pandemic, with changes to the grading system and required course load.
Shortly after the end of the 1st quarter, the school system revealed that more MCPS students are failing math and English during remote learning than before to the pandemic. Students living in poverty, who are English language learners, or in special education were especially vulnerable to negative changes to their grades.
In response to the problem and to complaints from parents and teachers about increased anxiety and stress during virtual learning, MCPS has asked teachers to focus on core concepts, reduce the workload, be more flexible on deadlines, and to give students at least a grade of 50 percent for work that is incomplete or missing.
Eastern MS Principal Matt Johnson said that “after the first marking period you looked at student grades and it was pretty clear that there were a higher number of Cs and Ds than the same time period last year.” He said the two significant changes in this second marking period are: One, that the total number of assignments that should be given in any class have been reduced. Second, all “deadlines” - the last day you can turn in an assignment without it being a grade of zero - will be the end of the quarter.
Mr. Johnson explained: “Let's say you forgot to turn something in in December before we went on break. And the teacher might normally say, ‘You know what, I needed to have it before you went on break. I'm not going to accept after after.’ But now the big change is that anything that is late or missing can be turned in up until the very last day of the marking period.”
On Tuesday at a meeting of the Board of Education, MCPS staff announced several new changes. Starting in the second semester, middle school and high school students will be given more flexibility to drop classes to reduce their course load so they have an abbreviated schedule. In the past this was only allowed for “extenuating circumstances.”
Students would also be allowed to take classes pass/fail if they wish. This was already allowed in high schools, but this option was not commonly enacted. MCPS said going forward it would “relax some restrictions” that would allow students to take more classes pass/fail.
MCPS said it would share more detailed information with schools and counselors this week, and send out more detailed information to the community.
Shortly after the end of the 1st quarter, the school system revealed that more MCPS students are failing math and English during remote learning than before to the pandemic. Students living in poverty, who are English language learners, or in special education were especially vulnerable to negative changes to their grades.
In response to the problem and to complaints from parents and teachers about increased anxiety and stress during virtual learning, MCPS has asked teachers to focus on core concepts, reduce the workload, be more flexible on deadlines, and to give students at least a grade of 50 percent for work that is incomplete or missing.
Eastern MS Principal Matt Johnson said that “after the first marking period you looked at student grades and it was pretty clear that there were a higher number of Cs and Ds than the same time period last year.” He said the two significant changes in this second marking period are: One, that the total number of assignments that should be given in any class have been reduced. Second, all “deadlines” - the last day you can turn in an assignment without it being a grade of zero - will be the end of the quarter.
Mr. Johnson explained: “Let's say you forgot to turn something in in December before we went on break. And the teacher might normally say, ‘You know what, I needed to have it before you went on break. I'm not going to accept after after.’ But now the big change is that anything that is late or missing can be turned in up until the very last day of the marking period.”
On Tuesday at a meeting of the Board of Education, MCPS staff announced several new changes. Starting in the second semester, middle school and high school students will be given more flexibility to drop classes to reduce their course load so they have an abbreviated schedule. In the past this was only allowed for “extenuating circumstances.”
Students would also be allowed to take classes pass/fail if they wish. This was already allowed in high schools, but this option was not commonly enacted. MCPS said going forward it would “relax some restrictions” that would allow students to take more classes pass/fail.
MCPS said it would share more detailed information with schools and counselors this week, and send out more detailed information to the community.