Public Comment on Grading Scale by Albert Leach

December 3rd, 2013 Good evening board members and those in attendance from our community, my name is Albert Leach Pottsgrove resident from the Turnberry Farms development. I have come to you tonight to speak about our current grading scale. As of the 2013-2014 school year, Pottsgrove School District will continue to use the seven point grading scale with additional weight given to Honor and AP classes taken in High School. Tonight, I asking the School Board to consider changing our current 7-point Grading Scale to a 10-point Grading Scale with the plus/minus system. Two questions I would like the School Board to ask itself: Does our current Grading Scale give our seniors the best opportunity to showcase themselves for college admissions, merit aid based scholarships and acceptance into honors programs? As well as, does our grading scale provide the best method to nurture our young children into becoming college ready in the years to come?

When you look at the current trends in College Applications, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the number of students expected to graduate from high school has increased to over 3.3 million in 2013 and this number is expected to rise through 2015. The number of college applications submitted per student is also steadily increasing. This combination of more students applying to colleges, compounded by the limited financial resources caused by the economic downturn, has resulted in fierce competition for admission into institutions. Moreover, merit aid scholarships and acceptance into college honor programs has also seen a great deal of increased competition.
To date, the largest study done on Grading Scale was done by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia. This study was done in 2008 with the purpose of looking into the best possible grading scale to highlight its' graduating seniors for the purpose of college admissions and merit aid scholarships. Fairfax County Public Schools enrollment is over 110,000 students encompassing22high schools. Many of the numbers I will state tonight have come directly from this study. At the time of the study, Fairfax County Public Schools used a 6/10-point hybrid grading scale with a Plus system.

Table
FCPS

1
VS

6/10 -point Grading Scale (prior 2009)

A
B+
B

Pottssrove 7-point Gradins Scale

A
B

C+

94-100 90-93 84-89 80-83

93-100 85-92

c
D
F

77-84 70-76
69 and below

c
D+
D
F

74-79 70-73
64-69 53 and below

The questions asked of the study included but were not limited to: what is the most common grading scale used today, how did its' students GPA vs. other districts compare, how do college admission offices handle GPA from different schools and what are the most important determining factors for merit aid scholarships and honor class admissions. The Fairfax study found that the most conimon Grading Scale being used is the 1O-point scale. Those who are using

the 10-point scale?

o o r r

Department of Education's lnstitute of Education Sciences President's Education Awards Program

U.S.

The College Board The majority of colleges and universities

Another point of the study was to determine how college admissions handled applicants' GPAs from high schools using different grading scales. o 89% of colleges surveyed stated they compare applicants to all other students in the applicant pool. o 55% of colleges surveyed stated they DO NOT recalculate GPA for college admissions or merit based
scholarships.

Of the 45% of colleges that do recalculate applicants' GPA, only 38% drop the plus or minus from the grades.

The Fairfax Study found that the most important factors considered by the colleges when comparing applications for college admissions were: grades in college preparatory courses, strength of curriculum, standardized admission test scores and overall high school grade point average. The Fairfax Study stated that students from schools using a 1O-point grading scale with a plus/minus system vs. their grading scale prior to 2009 had a higher percentage of student with an A- (3.7) or above unweighted GPA by I5.4%, as well as, a higher percentage of students with a higher weighted GPA by 17.7%. The Madeira School District in Cincinnati, OH (2009) and The Madison County School District in Virginia (2010) did similar studies on grading scales. Both school districts used a 7-point grading scale. The Madeira School Districts study found that 72% of its' students would see an improvement in GPA by changing to a 10-point grading scale. The Madison County School District found that 82To of its' students would see a rise in GPA by changing to a lO-point scale. Both Madeira and Madison County School districts recommended changing to a 10-point grading scale after the studies

were concluded.
These numbers become very important when you look at the requirements to qualify for many merit scholarships and honors programs. The Fairfax Study found that 33% of colleges offering merit scholarships required a minimum GPA ranging from 2.5 to 3.9, and 39% of colleges offering honors programs required a minimum GPA ranging from 3.0 to 3.9, with 3.5 as the most frequently used cutoff. The last piece of the study I would like to highlight is the Fairfax Study found that from 2003 to 2008,78 schools across 12 states reviewed changing their school's current grading scale. 75 ofthe 78 decided that a 10 point scale would make their students more competitive in college admissions and academic scholarship considerations.

Now if we look at the current grading scales used in Montgomery County School Districts (Appendix A)
You will see that 86% of all school districts in Montgomery County use a 1O-point Grading Scale

Table 2

Montgomery County Grading Scales

r
,

7 Point System

8 Point System 10 Point System

86%

You will also notice that out of the schools that use the 10-point grading scale 53% of them use a version of the plus/minus system in their grading scale.

Table 3

Plus/Minus Grades

r Yes
No

Lastly, I have spoken mostly about the High School grading scale studies, but any change in Pottsgrove's grading scale would also affect many other students that haven't yet reached high school. According to Stipek, Recchia, and McClintic (79921, positive academic achievements orfailures can affect how "children develop a sense of selfworth or self-esteem. GPA has an influence on a student's self-esteem. A student who works and strives to earn that one or two points for a boost in their GPA, has a very difficult challenge at being successful under a 7-point scale." Thus, according to this study one can conclude that a 1O-point scale could have a better nurturing affect toward many of our younger children.
I would like to conclude with due to the Fairfax County Public Schools Study, the new Grading Scale approved by the Fairfax County Public School District became: FCPS 1O

-point Gradine Scale with a plus/minus

93-100 = 4.0 9O-92 = 3.7 87-89 = 3.3 83-85 = 3.0 8O-82 = 2.7 77-79 = 2.3 73-76 = 2.O
7O-72 =

svstem

(Approved 2009)

A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D F

t.7

67-69 = 1.3 64-66 = L.0 63 and below = 0.0

Tonight, as I already stated earlier, I am her to ask the School Board to approve changing our current 7-point Grading Scale to the more common and more beneficial 10-point Grading Scale with the plus/minus system. I know the board currently has many items already on its' burdened shoulders. You have the upcoming high school renovation project, the ever difficult budget planning meetings, issues with planning the possible new 5th grade trip and many others. However, tabling this issue will only mean another year our students could miss out on possibly earning more scholarship money or being accepted into more universities.
Thank you for your time tonight.

Appendix A
Selected Grading Scales Across Montgomery County Grading Scale
School Division
Abinglon

Weighting Policy

A+

A
90- I 00

A-

B+

B
80-89

B-

C+

C
70-79

c-

D+

D
60-69

D-

E
40-59

t'
39 or below

Honors/AP

.6(,4), .45(B)

md.3(C)

Boyertown

93-100

90-92

87-89

83-86

80-82

77-'.19

73-'16

70-'12

67-69

63-66

60-62

59 or below

Honors/AP = . I per year of Bor higher, as wcll as, .05 per

semester ofgrade B- or

higher. Cheltenham 93-100 90-92 87-89 83-86

80-82

77-79

73-76

70-72

67

-69

63-66

60-62

59 or below

Dos not use Weighted GPA

Colonial

90- 100

87-89

83-86

80-82

7'1-79

'13-76

'10-'12

67-69 (other then Eng/Math)

63-66 (other
then

60-62 (other
then

59 or below

Honors = 1.0. AP = 1.5

Eng/Math)

Eng/Math)

(other then English and Math)

59 or below

Hatboro-Horsham

97-t00

93-96

90-92

87-89

83-86

80-82

77-79

73-76

70-72

67-69

63-66

60-62

AP .

1.5

Jenkintown

90-t00

80-89

70-'19

60-69

59 or below

No Weight found

Lower Merion

92- 100

89-91

83-88

80-82

74-79

7t-73

65-70

64 or below

Honors/AP = I 0

Lower Moreland

98-100

93-97

90-92

87-89

83-86

80-82

'7'7-79

73-76

70-'72

68-69

65-67

64 or below

Honors = .075, AP = .15

Methacton

90- 100

80-89

70-'79

60-69

59 or below

AP = 1.2 No weight for Honors

Noristown

90-100

80-89

?n_70

65-69

64 or below

Honors/AP = 1.0

Nonh Pem

97-100

90-96

87-89

80-86

77-79

'70-76

65-69

64 or below

Honors = 2.0, AP = 2.5

Appendix A (cont.) selected Grading scales Across Montgomery county

Grading Scale
School Division
Perkiornen Valley

A+
97- 100

A
93-96

A90-92

B+
87-89

B
83-86

B80-82

G-r c
77-79

Weighting Policy
C70-72

D+
67-69

D
63-66

D60-62

F
59 or below

Honors/AP

Vary weights based

on class and grade.

Pottstown

93- 100

(GPA conversion table used) Souderton

98-100 93-9'1

85-92 (GPA conversion

table used)

77-84 (GPA conversion

table used)

10-76 (GPA conversion

table used) 70-72

69 or below

Honors = 1.L%,
AP

= J,.25%

90-92

87-89

dJ-60

80-82

'1',|-79

73,i,6

b7-69

63-66

60-62

59 or below

tl"*=

125

X**.dltX

Numeric Equivalent (4.33 scalc), AP = tJnknown but weight.

Springfield

97-tOO

93-96

90-92

87-89

83-86

80-82

77-79

3-76

70-'72

67-69

63-66

60-62

59

or below

Honors = .33, AP =.67

Spring-Ford

90- 100

80-89

'10-79

65-69

64 or below

Honors = 5% numetical, Ap =jo/.

numerical

Upper Dublin

90-100

80-89

70-79

40-59 No course credit given

39 or below

Honors/AP = I 0

Upper Merion

90- t00

80-89

70-79

65-69

64 or below

Honors/AP - .2 per class with max of .8 per yea.

Upper Morelmd

90- t00

80-89

70-79

65-69

64 or below

-{onors/AP = l. lolo numerical

Upper Perkiomen

90-100

80-89

'70-79

60-69

59 or below

{onors/AP = I 0

Wissahickon

90-100

80-89

70-79

65-69

64 or below

Jonors = .5,

AP:

1.0