A few weeks back (yes, I'm trying to get caught up), the honor and high honor roll rosters were printed in the US and Key newspapers.
In looking at the long list of names I decided to count one grade and see how many there were. In 6th grade there were 63 honor roll and 161 high honor roll students for a total of 224.
The most recent board agenda indicates 6th grade enrollment at 374.
Based on this 60% of 6th grade students were graded as honor roll or better.
Now the point of this post isn't to discredit any student achievement, but instead to question the standard upon which they are being measured.
60% seems awfully high. And I understand that I am old fashioned in this regard, but to me doing everything you are expected to do merits you a C. Doing less than that gets a D and more a B. Going above and beyond an A.
For a benchmark, I decided to look at the PSSA scores for this same group of students. Last year, as 5th graders, 52% of students were indicated as advanced in math (which I would think is good) and 24% in reading.
This means that of those who made honor roll, 8% in math and 36% in reading were rated as proficient or below.
It would seem if one was only proficient, he/she shouldn't be able to achieve honor or high honor roll, yet many did.
What do you think? Does this mean anything or not? Should 60% of students be able to make honor roll and if they do does it mean anything?
11 comments:
Instead of questioning the achievement, why not publish the names? If I had the list, I'd load it. The papers do it. These are kids, and rewarding them encourages them. Questioning the honor bestowed on them, as you have just done, is no way to promote academic excellence. It's petty.
I agree with Bernie wholeheartedly! Having 3 middle school age and high school age students who sometimes do and sometimes don't make honor roll I am saddened by your comments.
Often it is slightly easier to make Honor Roll the first Marking period because of the amount of review that takes place but that in no way should diminish the accomplishments of these students.
I don't have the list either and I didn't question the achievement or the kids, but instead the standard set by the school.
If 60% are on honor roll but only 24% of the class are identified as Advanced in PSSA reading it raises a question for me regarding our standard and maybe our expectations.
I don't disagree that rewards encourage people, but they should be earned not had by most.
I also disagree that giving good grades for the sake of encouraging people promotes academic excellence.
This is kind of like the everyone wins mentality in some youth sports leagues. Kids need to learn how to win and lose. They need to learn how to do better and improve. They should have goals to achieve (be it a win or an A), but if we make it too easy on them one day reality will hit and they will be unprepared to cope/handle the situation.
In that sense, this really isn't about the kids, but more what we are doing to them and the impact it will have on them.
Bernie and anon you are dead wrong on this one. The actually true achievers are the ones who get discredited in this case.
Call it a product of the NCLB act or as I call it "No child gets ahead".
Ross is "right on" in calling out the ridiculously high percentage of students on honor roll. Not to discredit those students, but I would be very concerned of my child WERE NOT on the honor roll list.
The school isn't that hard, the grading and expectations are too easy, and mediocrity is rewarded.
I also totally agree with Ross.
Each marking period, I have commented to my husband that there seem to be way too many names on the honor roll list. I am glad that Ross did some leg work and looked up the PSSA scores for comparison. I agree that if the students can not achieve better than proficient on those tests, then they are most likely not achieving at an honor roll level in the classroom. Yes, those students who are working hard and excelling academically should be recognized; however, Honor Roll is just another recognition that becomes meaningless when more than half the class is able to get on the list.
Honor roll is based on the grade point average a student achieves, not the difficulty of the coursework. Not all students in 6th grade are taught or tested at the same curriculum level.
It is about BOTH the level of the coursework (which inflates grades) AND the liberal criteria for the honors lists.
Here is the system at another (i.e. better) area middle school:
A+ 99-100
a 94-98
a- 92-93
b+ 91-90
b 86-89
b- 84-85
c+ 82-83
Principals list A in all subjects
High honors 3.5 GPA AND no grade lower than a B
Regular honors B or higher in all subjects
There is no point in calling it Honor's when the majority exceeds the norm. Once that happens, the bar obviously needs to be raised. I agree with Ross.
Honor Roll here (at least in middle school) is NOT calculated on GPA. It is merely any combination of grades 80 and above.
So-- if a student was to have all 80's (a 3.0 is most traditional systems),that student will have acheived Honor Roll. Another student with 3 A's and 1 C (even if it is a 79) will not.
I know because, this is a common occurance in my home. My daughter struggles with Science and while she will end up with a high C (and a higher GPA than others listed on Honor Roll)-- she does not make Honor Roll.
Post a Comment