When a student comes very very close to passing a course

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by davidv

The program we have allows a teacher to override a student's grade. I can change the student's percentage, the student's letter grade (which is what is factored into the GPA), or both. Every year, I will override at least one student's grade under the following conditions:
- The student is within 1% of the grade needed/desired.
- the student has a clean attendance record -- no unexcused absences, no excessive tardies.
- the student has turned in ALL of his/her work.
- the student put forth a quality effort on the final exam.
- the student has exhibited the qualities of a good student -- eg. the student has come in for extra help, the student has gone for tutoring, the student has paid attention in class, the student has behaved in class, etc.

In my AP class, I will change a student's grade if the student is within 3% of the next grade AND gets a "5" on the AP exam. The school will allow me to submit a grade change at the beginning of the next school year.

Every year I get requests/sob stories from students (my favorite: "If I get a 'B' in this class, I won't be able to go to the college I want, and I will not meet my future husband there). If they don't meet all of the criteria above, they won't get consideration. When they ask, "What can I do to make my grade better?" I answer by saying, "First, build a time machine...."

Your criteria pretty much parallel's the way my son approaches the issue. Aptitudes often come into play as he's had students who work their butt off, come in consistently for tutoring, but still struggle. If their final grade is close, he has no internal strife whatsoever in bumping the grade.

[gen811]

Originally Posted by rlrl

When i was a sophomore in high school (this goes back to 1978) I was a mediocre and uninspired student, tho i actually never failed any classes (loads of progress reports tho)

one course in particular i had trouble with was Biology. I would get progress reports, go for some tutoring with the teacher, then do better, then do worse, etc

in those days you needed a 65.0 average(or at least a 64.5) for a passing grade of "C". my average for the year came out to a 64.3 or a 64.4

my mom and the teacher chatted about the idea of my going to summer school to take the class over. i didn't yet have my driver's license and my mom had things to do that summer so she couldn't drive me to summer class

the teacher ended up just passing me with the 64.5 or 65. he knew i had been struggling for the year. i know. i listened to the phone convo between him and my mom!!

my question is if a teacher did that today would they be subject to scrutiny by the school superintendent or department head?

incidentally i turned myself around almost a decade after and by '87 i was studying to be a social worker, and i still am today

since when was 65 a C...


no friend 65 = D
55= F
75 = C
85= B
95 = A

[Oldhag1]

Originally Posted by gen811

since when was 65 a C...


no friend 65 = D
55= F
75 = C
85= B
95 = A

There are other scales that are far more common:

A = 90 - 100
B = 80 - 89
C = 70 - 79
D = 60 - 69
F = 59 and below

Or

A = 92 - 100
B = 83 - 91
C = 74 - 82
D = 65 - 73
F = 64 and below

I have also seen a few others. It is possible that at the institution this person was at 65 was a C.

[pobre]

In our district, 70 is passing. Therefore 70-74 is a D, 75-79 C, 80-89 B, 90-100 A