What to Know
- Montgomery County public high schools will start the new grading system in the 2016-2017 school year.
- In the new grading system, the students' two quarterly grades are averaged
- The school system is also eliminating final exams for high school students next year
High school students in Montgomery County may have an easier time making As next school year as the public school system prepares to revamp its grading system -- while also sticking with its plan to eliminate final exams.
Montgomery County Public Schools said quarterly grades will be averaged -- and in some cases, rounded up, to determine a final course grade.
For example, a student who receives an A in the first quarter and a B in the second quarter will still receive an A as their final grade. If a student gets an A in one quarter and a D in another, that student will get a B.
If a student gets a B one quarter and a D the next quarter, they will receive a C.
For all high school courses, the semester grade will be calculated by averaging the letter grade for each marking period, using a “quality point” assignment. An A is worth 4 points, a B is 3 points, a C is 2 points, a D is 1 point and an E is worth 0.
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The announcement about the grading system change comes a few months after the school system announced it would eliminate final exams in favor of quarterly tests.
In a letter recently sent to parents, Interim Superintendent Larry Bowers said the changes are in response parents, students and teachers concerned about reducing the "testing burden."
"As we transition from semester exams to quarterly marking period assessments, we will ensure that the assessments are rigorous, aligned to new standards, and provide meaningful feedback to students to improve their learning," Bowers said.
"This new grading calculation aligns with standards-based approaches to assessment and college expectations and provides a grading structure that is fair, consistent, and understandable for students and parents."
