THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 26, 1996 TAG: 9609260301
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 82 lines
A proposal being floated by city school officials to create a systemwide grading policy to promote student success is getting low marks from some teachers and parents.
If adopted, they worry, it would ``dumb down'' standards and send the wrong message to children.
School administrators quietly began circulating the proposal among teacher groups and PTA officers last month, and it has generated a loud storm of protest. Teachers and parents plan to attend tonight's School Board meeting at Bay View Elementary School to voice objections.
Among proposals causing concern:
Grades couldn't be lowered for ``inappropriate student behavior or noncompliance with rules,'' such as talking in class, not paying attention or arriving late. Also, grades couldn't be reduced if students fail to follow such rules as whether to write in pen or pencil, where to sign their name and what type of paper to use.
A student's final grade wouldn't be lowered for failure to hand in homework. Students who complete homework, however, could raise their final grade by 5 percent.
Teachers would be required to accept student work handed in after assigned deadlines and could give no grade lower than a 50, based on a 100-point scale.
Students would be allowed to redo assignments that receive a failing grade and could retake tests to raise their grades.
School officials said that academic performance and students' classroom behavior are separate issues, and that there are methods to deal with attitudes and behavior that don't affect grades.
Critics say the proposal contradicts a Norfolk schools policy that requires homework four nights a week.
``They're just throwing that out the door,'' said parent Mike M. Harkins, president of the Norfolk Council of PTAs. ``We would be putting our children into the work force without teaching them responsibility if we adopt this.''
Marian Flickinger, president of the Norfolk Federation of Teachers, said, ``This policy undermines the authority and the respect of teachers and doesn't do a thing to hold students accountable or teach them values they'll need to succeed in the real world. In effect, a teacher could give an assignment and students could turn their nose up at it.''
And while students could turn in work late, the proposal calls on teachers to ``evaluate and return homework promptly.''
``It's a double standard,'' said Shirley George, president of the Education Association of Norfolk. ``The people I've talked to are dumbfounded that some of those things were even proposed.''
Superintendent Roy D. Nichols Jr. has been pushing for increased academic rigor, public accountability of schools and student achievement, an agenda that critics said is at odds with the proposed grading policy.
Nichols said Wednesday he doesn't agree with all of the proposals - issued by a committee of school administrators - and that he welcomes the comments.
``We're going through a soul-searching process, and I think this is a good document to generate discussion,'' he said.
Nichols said his goal is to develop a consistent grading policy. Most of the city's schools - even teachers within the same school - use different grading practices. At least one high school, for example, has added points to students' grades for just showing up in class.
All of the policies being proposed are in use by some teachers or schools in the city, he said.
The most important thing, Nichols said, is to ensure that students have mastered the subject they are studying. If they can pass classroom tests, there's no reason to penalize them for failing to do homework, he said.
``Rather than set up hurdles and barriers that would discourage students, we're trying to find ways to encourage them to learn more,'' he said.
Nichols said he hopes to have a grading policy in place by the start of next school year.
School Board member Anna Dodson, who is on a board subcommittee reviewing the issue, said the proposal remains a work in progress. The full board has not discussed it, she said.
``We would rather have the input now,'' Dodson said, ``before we get down to the nitty-gritty of the board adopting it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Side Bar
[Ideas on grading]
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KEYWORDS: NORFOLK SCHOOLS GRADING POLICY HOMEWORK by CNB