Final High School Grades and Distance Learning

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Jan 23, 2020
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Hello. I was wondering if someone who has some knowledge of how the Academy looks at final semester grades could give their opinion. Some of the schools here in California are just continuing the grades that students had before distance learning if they are meeting the minimum distance learning standards. Some of the schools, including some that are on quarters instead of semesters, are going to a default of "pass/fail" for the last quarter which has all been conducted under distance learning. In some cases, the default is pass/fail, but the students may be able to opt in to receiving a letter grade instead. I was just wondering if someone "in the know" has a perspective on this. In other words, how does admissions at the Academy look at final semester grades ordinarily and how are they looking at them now based upon the impact of COVID-19 and distance learning, etc? Just wondering..... Thanks.
 
Nothing to worry about as long as you pass all your classes. I'm sure it will be the same this year.
 
Nothing to worry about as long as you pass all your classes. I'm sure it will be the same this year.

I cannot imagine how the academies will factor in the Covid semesters/quarter for the classes of 2025! Sounds like a nightmare to me, but I'm sure they'll come up with a methodology and formula. :)
 
I think the general consensus is that Q3 and 4 are a wash. In almost every district including DoDEA, the kids are being given the higher of two quarter scores between Q3 and Q4. I think the expectation is that most colleges will drop semester II 2020 for a kid's GPA. Students are being given options for P/F or Grades, obviously if your are competitive, you want a numeric grade. It will be interesting to see what institutions ask for. Class ranking may go out the door too. I think institutions will look at course rigor, AP,IB and dual credit classes a little more closely. I know my own kids lost interest in academics after the district announced that a student can no longer get a grade lower than the Q3 grade in Q4 and that if a student "attempts" work they get an automatic 50%. I thought the policy was demoralizing, but then you have to realize that there are a LOT of kids in crisis right now and in various situations that are antithetical to academic achievement, these are the kids in need a buffer.
 
For me, Q3 was not throw away but Q4 was absolutely inflated. Q4 was when school was cancelled, and many teachers gave all 100s for completion of online activities. I would love to see SAs factor out Q4 and focus on Q1,2,and 3 if possible. I guess we will have to see when July comes around!
 
For me, Q3 was not throw away but Q4 was absolutely inflated. Q4 was when school was cancelled, and many teachers gave all 100s for completion of online activities. I would love to see SAs factor out Q4 and focus on Q1,2,and 3 if possible. I guess we will have to see when July comes around!
A lot of schools shut down before the end of Q3.
 
I teach in the 10th largest district in the country. One in the not too distant past that had a stellar reputation. For the most part we are now just another school system. Anyway, here's how we are finishing the year. We locked down on 13 March and didn't start back until four weeks later. We couldn't assign new work until fourth quarter which was delayed a few days. The final grade will be the average of Q 1, 2 ,and 3 and the third quarter grade could not lower that grade. Fourth quarter we are finishing the curriculum, I guess, online but the students know it is over. Last week I had two of 18 Biotechnology students click in. I'm getting about half the roster showing up for my lower level classes which is mostly 10th graders and ESOL students.

@carpelucem wrote, "I thought the policy was demoralizing, but then you have to realize that there are a LOT of kids in crisis right now and in various situations that are antithetical to academic achievement, these are the kids in need a buffer."

That's a huge reason we started so late compared to other districts. The other reason was they over-promised what we could do and had platform and other problems. Equity is huge these days and in a district that has immigrant kids in the same building and at least in the same county with kids of high rolling politicians, military officers, captains of industry, and diplomats, the superintendent had to balance screaming lawn mower parents and the families with no WiFi and several other challenges. It's about over though. I'm glad I'm not the one who has to figure out how to do next school year with rooms at half capacity in a system that is overcrowded as it is.
 
I teach in the 10th largest district in the country. One in the not too distant past that had a stellar reputation. For the most part we are now just another school system. Anyway, here's how we are finishing the year. We locked down on 13 March and didn't start back until four weeks later. We couldn't assign new work until fourth quarter which was delayed a few days. The final grade will be the average of Q 1, 2 ,and 3 and the third quarter grade could not lower that grade. Fourth quarter we are finishing the curriculum, I guess, online but the students know it is over. Last week I had two of 18 Biotechnology students click in. I'm getting about half the roster showing up for my lower level classes which is mostly 10th graders and ESOL students.

@carpelucem wrote, "I thought the policy was demoralizing, but then you have to realize that there are a LOT of kids in crisis right now and in various situations that are antithetical to academic achievement, these are the kids in need a buffer."

That's a huge reason we started so late compared to other districts. The other reason was they over-promised what we could do and had platform and other problems. Equity is huge these days and in a district that has immigrant kids in the same building and at least in the same county with kids of high rolling politicians, military officers, captains of industry, and diplomats, the superintendent had to balance screaming lawn mower parents and the families with no WiFi and several other challenges. It's about over though. I'm glad I'm not the one who has to figure out how to do next school year with rooms at half capacity in a system that is overcrowded as it is.
HS Teacher here too.
 
In SC they finally decided to open the first spring grading period back up, and have all grades go into that one.

They also retroactively decided all assignments must have numerical grades to maintain their gpa calculations. This after nearly a month of checkmark only grades.
 
My son graduated high school late in June and his final grades were not available until he had to report to Indoc. I contacted the admissions office for him and told them that. I had to go to high school and have them mail his final grades while he was already at USMMA.
 
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