Students no longer benefit from 50% grading floor
The pandemic-based policy aimed to prevent failing grades officially ended for this school year.
In the 2022-23 school year, all Macarthur students will no longer have the 50% floor in Aeries and will have to work harder to keep their grades up. The school district decided to remove the 50% floor because it did not reduce the percentage of students failing their classes.
For the previous two school years, the district directed teachers to input a 50% minimum for all Aeries grades, which meant a student could not achieve under a 50% average for any class. In communication, district leadership had referred to the policy as “compassionate grading” in an effort to ease the difficulties of the pandemic.
Math Teacher Holly Kotler said, “One of the most effective ways to raise your grade is to be proactive in class and to study for all tests and/or quizzes.” Noting the difficulty of some classes, Kotler added, “The hardest part about passing a class is to remember all the information that is given to you.”
Sixth-grader Sophia L. said, “The hardest part about keeping my grades up is the fact that I do not understand what the teacher is explaining. My friends start conversations and prevent me from listening.”
For the first two grading periods of a semester, parents or guardians will receive a letter in the mail showing their child’s grades also known as progress reports. Once it comes to the third grading period the grades students have received will be permanent and will be shown on their transcript.
Eighth-grader Andrew B. said the hardest part about keeping grades up is time management. One thing Andrew Bravo wishes he could improve is understanding what the teacher is explaining and paying closer attention to the directions. According to Andrew, “P.E. is the hardest class to pass because when it comes to running not all students are athletic and that makes it harder to get a good grade.”
Language Arts Teacher Mr. Gregory Celestino said the best way to keep up with classes is to stay on top with Aries and to check grades regularly. Another way to keep up with classes is to complete all assignments and to write in your agenda daily.