chanel
Silver Member
By order of the principal, codified in the schools teacher handbook, all teachers should grade their classes in the same way: 30 percent of students should earn a grade in the A range, 40 percent Bs, 25 percent Cs, and no more than 5 percent Ds. As long as they show up, they should not fail.
While giving students second and third chances to make up work is not unusual at New York City public schools, several former and current teachers say they believe that some of the schools practices have crossed the line into impropriety. In practice, some teachers said, even students who missed most of the school days earned credits. They also said students were promoted with over 100 absences a year; the principal, rather than a teacher, granted class credits needed for graduation; and credit was awarded for classes the school does not even offer.
In one case, one teacher said, a student graduated even though he received a no credit in a required course.
In another case, a student who was absent 98 days in one year was promoted to the next grade, earning credits for classes including cooking, yoga and independent study. The school does not offer a cooking class, although in at least one case, the principal, Lynn Passarella, created an independent study course called cooking, given after school, to motivate a student.
And the name listed as the students gym teacher, on an official student record form, is not an employee at the school.
Ms. Passarella declined to comment about the allegations, saying that she thought the real story at her school was how students from poor backgrounds could succeed if given the chance.
Teacher turnover at the school has been near 50 percent in recent years, and some teachers said the policy of passing students had taken a toll. I dont know how they think they are raising these kids to think that they can do what they want with no consequences and still get good grades, said a teacher who left due to an illness. Its just so wrong on so many levels.
Outside the school, in the Tremont section, on Wednesday, students had differing opinions about the no-failure policy. Some said that it sometimes hurt their motivation to know that a classmate would pass even if he did not come to class. One said that his current average was a 30 but that he could bring it up to a 95 with a few days of work and that teachers sometimes handed out examples of student work that he copied from.
Though the school boasts a 100 percent college acceptance rate, the students average score on the SATs is below the city average about 390 in both English and math. And anecdotally, some teachers say many graduates are in remedial college classes or dropping out.
Nayshaun Stokes, who graduated last year and said he was doing well at City College, said that he did take most of the classes that are on my transcript at the high school. He acknowledged that 7 to 10 students, out of his graduating class of just over 60, probably did not deserve to graduate. He described the school as feeling like a family: Its like, let me give you a chance because I love you, and I dont want to see you fail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/education/20grades.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Be careful what you wish for folks. Education reform is not about education at all. It's all about the numbers.