Holmdel High School
PTSO Meeting
11 November 2013
Principal’s Report
• “Sustaining Excellence”
• Grading Policies and Exam Weights
• Parent Conferences
Updates
Middle States Update
Mission Statement
Holmdel High School, in a safe, student-centered, and
rigorous learning environment, promotes academics,
athletics, and the arts, values the cultural diversity of
its community
and, through varied curricular and co-curricular
programs,
empowers all students to develop their potential into
achievement and take their place in our global society
as ethical decision makers and life-long learners.
Parent Surveys
Areas of Strength
Areas in Need of
Improvement
• Strength of academic program;
• Quality of student services;
• Student access to a wide variety
of extra-curricular activities;
• Career awareness activities;
• All stakeholders feel safe;
• Quality of food service;
• Commitment of staff to students
and to school;
• Class placement;
• Positive relations between school
leaders and parents.
• Opportunities for parents to
participate in school
improvement planning.
Middle States – Next Steps
• Sub Committees
– 12 Standards
– Academic Integrity
– Service Learning
Considering Grades and Exams
at Holmdel High School
Mid-Term and Final Exams
Failure Rate
2012-2013
School Year
Students
Exams
Zeroes
Mid-Terms
261
377
18
Finals
384
641
133
How did we get here?
• Limited value due to low weight
• Students don’t take them seriously enough
• Not most efficient use of time
• No clear vision as to their purpose
• Affected by grade scale and method of grade reporting
Process
• Spring 2011
– Discussion at BIC Meetings
– Exam Analysis
• Fall 2011
– Gathering Data from Top NJ Schools
– Surveys (Staff – Students – Parents)
– Evaluate Options
– Make Recommendations to BOE (Dec. 2011)
Problem:
• How to balance the
concerns of students
and parents (stress),
while at the same time
designing meaningful
and appropriately
rigorous assessments?
Recommendations
For the 2012-2013 school year:
• Increase weight of final exam to 10% of overall grade
(exam would be departmental in nature, and would embrace UbD
principles);
• Continue to administer a mid-year assessment,
but embed it in 2nd MP (10% of MP grade), eliminating
mid-term time schedule (assessment would be developed
and administered by individual teachers);
• Offer exemptions for ALL students with an “A” average
going into final exam (full year courses only)
Recommendations
Beyond the 2012-2013 school year:
• Consider reporting number grades on transcripts
rather than letter grades;
• Consider modification of grading scale to reward high
achievement within letter grade (i.e. “plusses”)
C & I Committee Reaction
- Concerns about a “band-aid” approach;
perhaps the root of the problem was in the
grade scale
- Asked for more information about how other
school set grade scales; IF a change to our
grade scale was made, could render moot
the issue of exam weights
Our Current Grade Scale
Final Grade
100 - 90
89-80
79-70
69-60
59 and below
Letter
A
B
C
D
F
Quality Points
(QP)
Weighted QP
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
1.0
0.0
Honors / AP
How to Report Grades?
• Letters?
• Numbers?
• Plusses (+) / Minuses(-) ?
• Effect on GPA?
Current Scale - Letters
Strengths
Limitations
• Allows for variance in
grading
• Doesn’t reward effort within
a grade category
• Lessens level of student
stress
• Lessens level of student
motivation
• Allows students to be in
best light with college
admissions
• May hurt some students
with college admissions
Numerical
Strengths
Limitations
• All grades are in play and all
assessments matter
• Consistency of Grading
• Complete Transparency
• Student Stress
Plusses (+) and Minuses (-)
Strengths
Limitations
• Greater Transparency
• Consistency of Grading
• Greater Student Motivation
• Greater Student Stress
What Do Other Schools Do?
What Might a Revised Grade Scale Look Like?
Final Grade
Letter
Quality Points (QP)
Weighted QP
(Honors / AP)
90-100
87-89
80-86
A
B+
B
4.0
3.67
3.0
5.0
4.67
4.0
77-79
70-76
67-69
60-66
C+
C
D+
D
2.67
2.0
1.67
1.0
3.67
3.0
1.67
1.0
59 and below
F
0.0
0.0
Now, back to those exams….
Mid-Term and Final Exams
Failure Rate
2012-2013
School Year
Students
Exams
Zeroes
Mid-Terms
261
377
18
Finals
384
641
133
The landscape is changing…
2014-2015
Academic Assessment Calendar
– September / October
• SGO Pre-Assessments
– January
• Mid-Terms; SGO Monitoring
– March
• PARCC and SGO Post-Assessment
– May
• AP Exams and NJ Biology Competency Test (BCT)
– June
• PARCC and Final Exams
Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
Maintain Status Quo – 10% of Overall Grade
Double Weight of Exams – 20% of Overall Grade
No Mid-Terms – Finals ONLY – 10% of Overall Grade
Quarterly Exams – embedded in each Marking Period
No Exams – 25% for each Marking Period
What impact, if any, will a
change in the grade scale have?
Next Steps
• Next meeting with C&I Committee – Nov. 13th
NOTE:
Any changes will go into effect for
2014-2015 school year
Parent Conferences
Parent Conferences
• Thursday, Dec. 5th
– 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
• Friday, Dec. 6th
– 12:40 pm to 2:00 pm
• Tuesday, Dec. 10th
– 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Questions