MONROE - The Monroe High School Student Recognition Committee made its pitch for a weighted grading scale at a Monroe school board meeting Monday, July 23.
In a presentation to the school board, committee members said they want to implement a weighted grading system with incoming freshman this fall. The high school uses a standard 4.0 grading system regardless of whether the course is advanced placement or not. Students who get an A receive 4.0 points and those who get a B get 3.0 points.
Under a weighted grading system, some courses that are AP would get a one-point add-on and other advanced or dual credit courses could receive a 0.5 point add-on. For example, in a one-point weighted class, a student who receives an A would get 5.0 points and a student who earns a B would get 4.0 points.
"We want students to take more rigorous courses and get a system that is more fair," Monroe principal Rick Waski said.
The 16-member committee, comprised of students, parents, teachers and administrators, has researched several student recognition systems since the spring, including the standard 4.0 scale, a no-class ranking system, a quartile system that divides students into quarters, a summa cum laude and magna cum laude system designating levels of honor, and a weighted system.
Monroe High School math teacher Stephanie Hammer said under the current standard 4.0 grading system, some students take less challenging courses to protect their grade-point averages.
"We only wanted something that would help students and not hurt them," Hammer said. "We feel like this is right for our students and we would like to start it this year."
Monroe junior Grant Keith said each department at the high school could submit classes as weighted and students could earn distinguished honors, high honors and honors.
Karen Yurs, who has two children at the high school, said the school is using the same standard 4.0 recognition system that her husband followed 25 years ago.
Yurs said just as there have been advances in education, such as white boards and iPads, the student recognition system also must be upgraded.
Board member Michael Boehme questioned how a weighted grading system would affect average or below-average achieving students. He cautioned against some potential negative effects.
"It's a system that makes kids feel better and elite," Boehme said.
Waski said he thought the district would end up with a cum laude or no-rank system before the committee's work.
"I'm sure you can find research out there that says each system is the best," Waski said. "It's out there. This wasn't an administrative dog-and-pony show and I willed my way to what I wanted. We feel like this is right and best for our students in Monroe."
Board member Amy Bazley said she supports a weighted grading scale system because it allows students to "shoot for the stars" in subjects they are strong in and doesn't penalize them if they don't take challenging courses.
"It lets kids explore with a safety net," Bazley said. "If a student says they are taking Spanish 5 and that is a weighted class, it says something that they went to the top of our offerings. It's the same with metals, ag or any other discipline at the high school."
Monroe School Board President Bob Erb said the district is also looking into adding more honors courses. The high school will have three AP art classes next year, but they each require prerequisite work.
If the weighted grading system is approved at the Aug. 13 board meeting, the standing committee, with input from high school teachers, would determine what courses would be weighted and the cutoff GPA for distinguished honors, high honors and honors.
"We can't look at that until the policy has changed," Hammer said.
In a presentation to the school board, committee members said they want to implement a weighted grading system with incoming freshman this fall. The high school uses a standard 4.0 grading system regardless of whether the course is advanced placement or not. Students who get an A receive 4.0 points and those who get a B get 3.0 points.
Under a weighted grading system, some courses that are AP would get a one-point add-on and other advanced or dual credit courses could receive a 0.5 point add-on. For example, in a one-point weighted class, a student who receives an A would get 5.0 points and a student who earns a B would get 4.0 points.
"We want students to take more rigorous courses and get a system that is more fair," Monroe principal Rick Waski said.
The 16-member committee, comprised of students, parents, teachers and administrators, has researched several student recognition systems since the spring, including the standard 4.0 scale, a no-class ranking system, a quartile system that divides students into quarters, a summa cum laude and magna cum laude system designating levels of honor, and a weighted system.
Monroe High School math teacher Stephanie Hammer said under the current standard 4.0 grading system, some students take less challenging courses to protect their grade-point averages.
"We only wanted something that would help students and not hurt them," Hammer said. "We feel like this is right for our students and we would like to start it this year."
Monroe junior Grant Keith said each department at the high school could submit classes as weighted and students could earn distinguished honors, high honors and honors.
Karen Yurs, who has two children at the high school, said the school is using the same standard 4.0 recognition system that her husband followed 25 years ago.
Yurs said just as there have been advances in education, such as white boards and iPads, the student recognition system also must be upgraded.
Board member Michael Boehme questioned how a weighted grading system would affect average or below-average achieving students. He cautioned against some potential negative effects.
"It's a system that makes kids feel better and elite," Boehme said.
Waski said he thought the district would end up with a cum laude or no-rank system before the committee's work.
"I'm sure you can find research out there that says each system is the best," Waski said. "It's out there. This wasn't an administrative dog-and-pony show and I willed my way to what I wanted. We feel like this is right and best for our students in Monroe."
Board member Amy Bazley said she supports a weighted grading scale system because it allows students to "shoot for the stars" in subjects they are strong in and doesn't penalize them if they don't take challenging courses.
"It lets kids explore with a safety net," Bazley said. "If a student says they are taking Spanish 5 and that is a weighted class, it says something that they went to the top of our offerings. It's the same with metals, ag or any other discipline at the high school."
Monroe School Board President Bob Erb said the district is also looking into adding more honors courses. The high school will have three AP art classes next year, but they each require prerequisite work.
If the weighted grading system is approved at the Aug. 13 board meeting, the standing committee, with input from high school teachers, would determine what courses would be weighted and the cutoff GPA for distinguished honors, high honors and honors.
"We can't look at that until the policy has changed," Hammer said.