or career. To deny this is to deny the role of the teacher charged with all
aspects of a child’s education, not just examination preparation.In the final analysis, any policy created had to balance the first three
considerations with the last and try to be fair to the school, the students,
and the teachers.
Simply stated, the following policy was proposed:
- Teachers of courses ending in a required state exam would use code
grades for students who failed. A course failing grade of 55 percent
(the highest failing grade possible in this district) would indicate
that the teacher felt that this child had tried to do well—had attended
regularly, had turned in assignments, had participated in class—but
did not meet the requirements for passing. Such a grade indicated that
the teacher was giving permission for this grade to be changed to a 65
percent (the lowest passing grade) if the student passed the required
examination. Any lower failing grade indicated that the student had not
tried—had not attended regularly and/or turned in assignments and/or
participated. In this case, the course grade could not be changed. - At the time the state examination had two passing grades: 55 percent
was a “local pass” and applied to the “local diploma”; 65 percent or
higher was a “Regents pass” and could be applied to a “Regents di-
ploma.” It is not a principal’s role to question the intent or intelligence
of the policy makers, but to enforce policy and design school policy
that follows from it. So, a student who earned a 65 percent or higher
on the exam could have two failing 55 percent grades from previous
courses leading up to this exam changed to passing 65 percent course
grades; a student who earned a local passing grade of 55 percent to 64
percent could have one grade changed to passing. - Students who passed the exam with a minimum grade of 55 percent
but who had failing course grades under 55 percent could be given an
independent study project to make up for only one such course. Suc-
cessful completion of the project, supervised by an assistant principal
or a teacher designated by the assistant principal, would allow the stu-
dent to receive credit by project for the assignment. This is an impor-
tant distinction: The failing grade would not be removed or changed
and would remain as part of the student’s GPA. The permanent record
Lay the Groundwork 111