As many of you will have read in the Washington Post, the BOE voted to do away with countywide final examinations in HS credit classes, effective at the start of the 2016-17 school year. In conjunction with this decision, MCPS is also considering changes to how final grades in those classes will be calculated. A description of the current grading practices, and the four options under consideration to change those practices, can be found here:
http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/policy-feedback.aspx
At the bottom of that webpage is a comment box that will take you to a survey that gives an opportunity to comment on each of the proposed alternatives. The survey is not anonymous, you’ll be asked to give your name and email address. Nevertheless, I’d like to urge the many of you (and you know who you are) who have strong opinions on this subject and are not shy about sharing them to please share those thoughts now! Many of us feel that the decision to eliminate final exams was done very hurriedly and without a lot of analysis of the purpose of assessments and whether the yet-to-be-developed replacement assessments will do a better job. The decision about how to calculate the grades will likely also be made without a lot of debate and fanfare — so please don’t miss your chance to weigh in.
The deadline for comments on the grade calculation options is October 19.
There is also an opportunity to comment on the policy in general, and those of you who have strong opinions about the Elementary standards based report card (and you know who you are) should also feel free to weigh in there!
thank you,
Michelle Gluck
MCCPTA VP for Educational Issues