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Grading System Challenges Students

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By MARYELLEN ELIA

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 23, 2008

The Tribune's June 14th editorial is yet another unnecessarily harsh jab at the public schools.

With all the issues facing schools in our state and the nation (budget cuts with no end in sight come to mind), it's odd that you would see a need to rail against a practice that encourages students to challenge themselves in the classroom.

You incorrectly asserted that the school district's awarding of bonus points in a student's grade point average is a form of grade inflation and is somehow harmful to students.

First let's clarify what the GPA calculations do not do. They do not give our students an unfair advantage in college admissions and they do not amount to grade inflation. College admissions officials know that school districts have different methods for calculating grade point averages. Colleges recalculate GPAs to level the playing field.

Now let's clarify what is accomplished by the awarding of extra points for taking more classes and tougher courses. They reward students for challenging themselves, and enable students to measure up when colleges review their transcripts.

You referred to our GPA calculations as if they were something new. They're not. They have been in place for several years and the impressive GPAs of our top students have been printed in your paper every year. There's a simple reason the GPAs are higher: Students take more classes and more challenging classes. Good for them. Also, we are making more of those kinds of classes available to more students. We should be applauded for that.

In a recent article in the St. Petersburg Times, students commented on their drive to take more classes and tougher classes. The valedictorian at King High School, who was accepted at Harvard, said: "The classes are just interesting, and sometimes you don't feel like it's work." One student, who plans to become a doctor, said: "Success is not about intelligence. If you work hard at something, that will lead you to success."

These students spoke of the virtues of hard work and a love of learning. I welcome such stories, just as I welcome an honest exploration of our efforts to get the best out of our students.

We make no apologies for challenging our students. We reward hard work and ambition, just as university admissions offices do. As the director of admissions at the University of Florida said, they are looking for students who excel and take the most challenging courses available to them.

The Bright Futures program offers this reasoning for its own grade-weighting system: "The assignment of additional weight is intended to be an incentive for students to continue to enroll in more challenging higher-level courses ...."

No matter how you add up the numbers, Bright Futures and colleges recognize that students who welcome a challenge in high school are more likely to succeed in college and in life. We recognize that as well, and we will continue to reward those who make the most of their time in high school.

MaryEllen Elia is superintendent of Hillsborough County schools.

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