The Round Rock Independent School District appears to have found a cheap way to improve the test results of its students . . . it eliminated all Ds. That’s right, a D will now be a C. While insisting that it is merely following other schools, the move is a laughable recognition that the district cannot actually improve performance so it will instead artificially improve grading.
The common dig at millennials being raised with artificial senses of achievement (after being given “participation awards” in sports) appears to have taken hold in our schools. Currently, 90-100 is the letter grade “A,” 80-89 is a “B,” 75-79 is a “C” and 70-74 is a “D.” A failing grade is anything below 70. Now, there will be no D students in Round Rock. That is quite an achievement . . . if only it was an achievement.
By the way, it also happens to mean that student athletes will be able to compete and to go for scholarships in college to a greater degree. They may not be able to fully read or write, but they are now officially C students.
Strangely, RRISD executive director of communications Corey Ryan insisted that the change is not about lowering expectations, but leveling playing field. Well, yea, it levels the playing field by wiping out the actual performance results. Problem solved?
One day my youngest son came home from his Houston school with his grade report. He first did not want to show it to me.
He had one D (I forgot for which subject).
He was stunned when I said: “let’s get an ice cream to celebrate the fact that you cannot be perfect all of the time”. I meant it. He still remembers today some 50 years later. He never had another D.
Better to be pithed off than pithed on.
You are right David, I just hope we do learn from them.
Mistakes will be made.
But will we learn from them?
@Autumn
I agree that minorities are sometimes put in positions where they are destined to fail simply to fill a quota, but that is part of the cynicism that is AA. I worked for a federal agency some years ago that was ordered to hire two female Hispanics as Special Agents to fill a quota. The agency simply selected two secretaries, like “hey you and you, we’re sending you to S/A training.” They both flunked out, and were sent back. The EEO director called and demanded they be reinstated. So they graduated and were assigned to the field. They were both very nice women, and I felt bad for them, because they weren’t remotely qualified and were stuck with crappy cases that nobody wanted, and were never sought out as partners or for career development. The agency resented them, and they felt bad about themselves.
The whole sorry situation could have been avoided had the agency not been so cynical about it. They could have gone out to a college in CA or Texas and recruited qualified female Hispanics and trained them to be successful Agents. But because the agencies resent being forced to hire people based on quotas, they will stick anyone in the position, and then let that person flounder. Colleges do the same. It would be better to have a minority graduate as an engineer or CPA or dentist at a lower ranked school, than to send him or her to a top university where he’ll wash out at the end of the first year.
And Independent Bob, if this post was too long, well you can pith off.
Very good Jay! See I kept it pithy!
Independent Bob wants these postings to be pithy …… Actually, a great many of them are full of pith !
(sorry, couldn’t help it)
@Indy Bob
Pithy? Really? What’s the point of a free speech blog? Should it be narrowed down to a PowerPoint presentation? Very funny. Love your comment!
@Independent Bob
You are right. I got a little long winded above. Mea Culpa!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
PS: If you change your mind about War and Peace:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2600/2600-h/2600-h.htm
Just one more thing. Can some of you people keep your postings pithy? I don’t want to read war and peace. Thank you.
If you don’t like the way the score is going, just move the goal post.