When NC public schools announced their move to the 10-point grading scale for the 2015-2016 school year, many private schools implemented the 10-point scale that same year. HGCS administration decided to wait one year and transition to the new scale for the 2016-2017 school year. This decision gave us the chance to ascertain the overall effects on our students and our staff. In addition, I was also able to collect helpful feedback from other private school administrators whose schools made the transition last school year. They all agreed that it was both seamless and beneficial.
So what does this change mean for your student? Most of you will find this transition smooth and advantageous. With so many factors involved in student grades, there are no absolutes; however, we believe most of you will discover solid A students will most likely maintain their present status of A. Students in the B+,C+, or even D+ will probably benefit from having a larger threshold (10 point versus 7 point scale) and possibly earn a higher letter grade. We hope this new scale will encourage students who may struggle a bit academically: a failing grade will now be between 59-0 as opposed to 69-0.
High achieving students will notice that teacher expectation for A work will increase. This change will not translate into more work but more rigorous coursework. All students will be encouraged to think on a higher level through learning activities that promote evaluative and analytical type thinking.
As parents, most of us have already been exposed to the 10-point scale through our college experiences. If you are like me, you only have fond memories of the 10 point scale. I loved knowing that an 80 was actually a B --a hard earned B at that!
No matter the grading scale, HGCS is still committed to serving the WHOLE child, seeing the big picture. Grading scales are just a small piece of this puzzle. Our teachers are still devoted to using best practices in the classroom to promote student involvement and learning.
Our ultimate goal is not a number on a report card; our ultimate goal is to provide a Christ-centered education that promotes student engagement, produces lifelong learners, and provides students the opportunity to grow and learn in an interactive environment.
I encourage you to attend our first parent meeting in September where we will address this subject again. Until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer.
Wanda Royal
Middle/High School Principal
