Postpone the introduction of MPE grades in Highcrest Middle School

7 years ago Featured

This vague grading system accepts mediocrity and does not encourage children to challenge themselves. They need a couple years of experiencing true grades before moving on to high school. By not providing a clearer grading assessment of achievement, our children are being put at a disadvantage when applying to more advanced programs or moving out of public school system if they choose.

7 years ago Featured

I am not opposed to SBGs in theory, but definitely opposed to the way they are currently utilized in our elementary schools. Further, I am disappointed that parent feedback wasn't solicited on the current MPE system (which has provided truly meaningless information about our elementary students' progress) before D39 decided to role it out more broadly.

I have a 3rd grader and we would prefer A-F grading system, which will give us a much clear idea what position my kid is at, and how much he actually improved from the 1st to the 2nd semester.

This system is too vague. Too much coddling of kids. This is how millennial generation was formed

Please postpone the change in the grading system until this decision can be reviewed by the parents and community.

Please defer this change, and consider it more carefully before moving ahead in the future. Letter grades have given my daughter the clearest feedback on her performance that she has ever had in District 39. The traditional rubric also seems to have been of great use to her wonderful educational team at Highcrest to identify gaps, spot intervention opportunities and evaluate their success in teaching. She thrived with letter grades. The District needs to do two things before moving ahead with this change. First, assemble and provide the evidence that this system will better serve our children. This systems is not just "standards-based progress indications" but the suite of changes to instruction, assessment, and intervention that must accompany the changed indicators. Surely, you have research-based evidence that the suite of changes you have in mind will drive better educational outcomes. Please share that with parents. Second, better involve the community in this decision. I grade the District's performance as an "F" in this regard. I trust that my assessment is clear, and that you know I believe that you are not just "experiencing difficulty" but have failed to adequately engage the community. The change proposed is not just about reporting, but a systemic shift in instruction, feedback, intervention and accountability. Presumably you have a plan for those changes, rather than letting the unintended consequences consume classroom teachers (and students). As a parent, I would appreciate the opportunity to learn about them, and perhaps even make suggestions. I know that the District cares about our children and their education. Thanks for all you do. But this change, implemented the way you intend, is a mistake. Even if you have research-based evidence that supports the change and a solid implementation plan, you've lost some of the trust you need to make this work. Take a year, make your case, and move forward with us.

The bottom line is that letter grades (or perhaps the proposed 1-5 number grades) are meaningful and motivating to kids this age (and parents). The letters simply are not.

Being a product of District 39, I moved back to Wilmette primarily for the schools. That is why most people are here. This is a deeply disappointing development in a school district that already makes me wonder what the benefits are versus, frankly, most anywhere else. Let's not be afraid to challenge and expect a bit more from our kids. I don't see that today and this takes us squarely in the other direction. The rationale laid out in this petition is spot on and, if anything, restrained in its criticism of this decision.

The district needs to present compelling research-based evidence that switching from letter grades to MPE produces better outcomes in terms of High School grades and standardized tests. To date the district has not provided that data. The letter to the parents by Ms. Principal Jackson justifies the change mostly by saying "everyone else is doing it too". The letter grade system provides clear feedback as to whether a student is working toward, meeting or exceeding expectations, and does so in a detailed way with five categories (A,B,C,D,F) instead of three (MPE). It is not obvious that reducing the resolution of the assessment system is going to lead to more learning, whereas there is lot of obvious reasons why moving to what is little more than Pass/Fail system could be detrimental. We all know the relative amount of effort students put into pass/fail versus graded classes. But the real answer to the debate is what actual studies show. If there is solid data showing the the MPE system produces better academic outcomes, the district should be presenting this vital information to the parents. Lets discuss data, not guesses.

My child LOVES A-F grading because it shows her just how well she is doing and gives her concrete ways to improve.

Please do not implement this. It is a HUGE disservice to our children

This change is stupid. Kids should be indroduced to the grading system.

One of my biggest issues with the implementation of this grading system in elementary schools is that there is no clear indication of meeting expectations in all subject matter Until the final report card at the end of the year. We were told that it’s ok to get a P during the first semester because they may still be learning the subject matter. So it is hard to know if my child is not doing well and not understanding that topic or if they are in the middle of teaching that subject matter. There should only be an MPE provided on content that they have completed at the time of assessment and leave it blank if they have not completed learning that skill. I also believe getting more frequent assessments quarterly would be more beneficial than two times a year.

Grades need to be meaningful and actionable.

7 years ago Featured

This is especially challenging for kids with IEP‘s We have no idea which expectations they are meeting It has been very helpful to have a letter grades and percentages grades in middle school I understand the desire not to drive comparison or make kids feel bad about their grades But we need some way of knowing what percentage of the material our child understands

7 years ago Featured

I too was surprised by the sudden announcement that the grading system was beings switched. My first thought was actually that my child would be more motivated to work harder with the traditional A-F system. Is there a way to incorporate both? A-F along with the proposed plan? Thank you.

Is there any evidence, according to some kind of objective metrics, that the proposed system will result in better outcomes for the kids than the current grading policy? Certainly, many educators around the country feel that way and I believe they are sincerely trying to improve the learning environment. However, feelings often don't match objective reality. The district should hold off in making major changes like this, until more rigorous data is available.

We need more qualitative and quantitative measurements not less.

Agreed.

Don’t support the new grade change