Schools shifting to more lenient grading policies face controversy
School leader in Chicago cautions relaxed grading standards may fall short in aligning with "actual world" performance expectations.
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials are grappling with concerns about the effectiveness of a more lenient grading policy, with one principal contending that such leniency may not equate to success in the professional world for students, according to a report.
Ellen Kennedy, principal at Richards Career Academy High School (RCAHS), expressed her reservations in a Chicago Sun-Times report, stating that the leniency exhibited in the grading system would not translate to career success in the real world for the students, as the accommodations provided at school would not mirror the rigid expectations that they will encounter in the workforce.
"When students graduate and start working jobs, what they experience around grace and flexibility at school is not going to match," Kennedy asserted. "This bubble is not going to surround you wherever you go."
Initiated before the COVID-19 pandemic, RCAHS, a school predominantly enrolled by Latino and Black students, allowed students to repeatedly redo assignments, and submit assignments late under a new grading policy intended to tackle the district's rising absenteeism. The policy also mandated that students receive a score of no less than 50, rather than a zero-a concept known as no-zero grading.
The no-zero grading trend originated as part of an effort to afford students multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding. Supporters of the policy argue that traditional grading makes it difficult for students to recover from failures and encourages persistence and regular attendance.
However, Jessica Bunzol, a transformation coach at the University of Chicago Network for College Success, questioned the effectiveness of issuing "Fs," stating that research indicates they are not motivators for young people.
"That belief that our classroom should be oriented toward helping young people to succeed, rather than orienting them toward failure, is really a critical part," Bunzol said. "Research tells us that F's are not motivators for young people and that they're not going to engage them in classrooms in the way we might previously have thought or hoped."
According to the report, educators and experts posit that the lenient grading policy is leading to chronic absenteeism and increasing graduation rates. Last year, 25% of all high schoolers in CPS missed more than a month of school, but the graduation rate continued to climb.
Despite the debate centered around the effectiveness of lenient grading policies, a CPS official charged with managing attendance and truancy insisted that the shift is integral in becoming a district that prioritizes the social-emotional needs of its students.
"We're not issuing grades without knowing the full story," Zakieh Mohammed said. "If the student has not shown up, are we just issuing a zero, or are we asking why?"
In an acclaimed science class at RCAHS, students are even granted multiple opportunities to redo assignments and improve their scores even in the absence of regular attendance. Critics of the policy worry it allows some students to earn passing grades with minimal effort, thereby undermining the importance of timely submissions and consistent classroom attendance.
One student, Kayla Saffold, was puzzled by her peers' high absenteeism and incomplete assignments, while she prioritized completing work to achieve high grades. Saffold claimed, "I was a witness to kids just coming in, like, twice a week and doing two assignments and then passing the class. It was just crazy to me."
CPS officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Nevertheless, the school district issued a statement to the Chicago-Sun Times, stating, "CPS is committed to balancing student wellbeing with academic integrity. We recognize the complexity of grading and remain focused on equity-holding all students to high expectations while ensuring they have multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery of content."
Sources:Chicago Sun-TimesChalkbeatWBEZ
"The lenient grading policy in Chicago Public Schools, as expressed by principal Ellen Kennedy, may not prepare students for the rigid expectations of the professional world, contrary to the assertion that such policies foster persistence and discourage failures."
"The ongoing debate about the effectiveness of lenient grading policies in schools such as Richards Career Academy High School, particularly in light of concerns about chronic absenteeism and the potential for minimum effort to lead to passing grades, raises questions about the balance between student well-being and academic integrity."
