By Aria Mildon, Reporter
Grades affect all of us, whether we like it or not. That C that you got on a test freshman year may not but everything adds up. Or does it? With the introduction of new grading styles such as Standards Based Grading that C may not even affect your grade at all as long as you show improvement.
Along with Standards Based Grading, various grading styles are being adopted, tweaked and created in the classrooms of Vashon Island High School. The English department is gradually moving towards standards based grading, which was kickstarted this year, and new grading styles are being introduced through new teachers entering the staff.
Ms. Draven recently brought a fresh idea into the mix by alleviating categories such as tests, homework, and participation, and instead grouping all entries into one category in Skyward. This means that tests and homework essentially have the same weight.
“I like how she is grading it. [Ms. Draven’s system] is kind of like standards based grading, but also not because it’s out of a certain number of points. It shows overall achievement.” an anonymous senior who is in Ms. Draven’s class said.
Some teachers have kept their styles constant over the years, and have chosen to maintain the standard grading system. Currently, the norm is to have separate categories, and enter each task that a student completes into skyward. This then affects the overall grade based on the weight of the category, and generally speaking, the tests are worth more than daily assignments. However, the grading styles that have come to be expected are gradually being revolutionized.
Standards based grading is one of the newer methods of grading, and has been spearheaded by much of the English department. Standards based grading focuses on the improvement of students rather than the average of points entered into the gradebook.
The goal is to make sure that each student meets the standard for skills deemed important by teachers. For example, the Science Fiction and Fantasy class last year had a grammar section that students had to meet in addition to topics relating to Science Fiction. If a student is able to meet the standard by the end of the class, they will achieve a high grade in the class regardless of how they did in the beginning.
Some say that a methods of standards based grading are beneficial because it puts the emphasis on learning and growth. However, some students have expressed concerns that they do not have a reflection of how they are doing in the class before their grade is finalized via Skyward, or through other methods of progress.
“The basis of all grading systems is that the teacher needs to grade things fairly quickly so that [students] know how they are doing in the class.” another anonymous senior said.
After trying standards based grading for the first time this year, teachers have listened to feedback from students and are now making some changes.
“The good news is we now have skyward this semester so that problem should disappear,” English teacher Mr. Steven Denlinger said, implying that grades will be entered into skyward.
With the introduction of new methods, there will still be some who prefer the methods they are used to. But times are changing, and students and teachers are collaborating to find the method that works the best for the most people at the high school.
Many students prefer standards based grading over the use of separate grading categories and different weights.
“I don’t like how tests are weighted so heavily,” another anonymous senior said.
This opinion has resulted in support for Ms. Draven’s new system where everything goes into the same category. Yet, the high school doesn’t have any plans to standardize the system. Just as they have done in years past, and currently, they will leave the grading style up to the teacher.
“One of the things that Vashon does well is that it gives us options as teachers; freedom to do what we think is best as a teacher,” Denlinger said.