By Elise Tran & Karen Phan
May 13, 2020 update
HBUHSD Board of Trustees voted to approve the emergency grading policy on May 12. The changes are effective for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
The original article starts here.
As students close the second month of distance learning, Huntington Beach Union High School District (HBUHSD) announced to faculty and staff on May 8 that it is planning on instituting emergency grading policies for the 2020 spring semester.
Under the district’s proposed emergency grading system, no student will receive a failing mark. Students will continue to earn letter grades of A, B or C, or receive a mark of Credit for grades D or F.
HBUHSD faculty and staff “overwhelmingly agreed that no student should be harmed due to COVID-19 and that no student should receive a failing grade for the Spring, 2020 semester,” Assistant Superintendent Owen Crosby wrote in an email to staff.
HBUHSD also proposed a “hold harmless” grade protection policy, wherein students’ final spring semester grades cannot be lower than their grades as of Mar. 13, the last day of in-person instruction. Students can check their grades before school closure by going to the Grades section on Canvas.
Crosby wrote HBUHSD recommended to their Board of Trustees that this emergency grading system be adopted immediately. The Board will vote on the proposal on Tuesday, May 12.
Many students and teachers have expressed satisfaction with the proposed policy.
“I think this new grading policy acknowledges the struggles students and teachers are having during these unprecedented times,” FVHS senior Katherine Nguyen said. “While I do find it quite lenient, I think it is appropriate… I do, however, hope students don’t take this time to completely slack off and ignore their work even more so than they probably already are doing.”
FVHS history teacher Julie Chaicharee agreed that the proposed grading policy “shows pragmatic compassion” because it “addresses many factors during this unprecedented time.”
“I think it’s fair. Students won’t be harmed grade-wise. They can use this time to learn, to grow, to continue their educational process and to do better,” Chaicharee said. “For students that are not able because of other circumstances that are beyond their control, they can do what they can and receive credit, but not a grade.”
Some took issue with the proposed “hold harmless” grade protection. FVHS junior Shayla Pham, for example, criticized the policy for giving too much leeway to students whose grades on Mar. 13 were high.
“It’s not a consolation prize knowing students who did not do work during quarantine can still receive a good letter grade because of this policy and not be held accountable,” Pham said.
Likewise, FVHS history teacher Kevin Doane said he was “disappointed that students cannot be held accountable by their teachers for failing to participate in distance learning.”
“I love teaching and want my students to benefit from the lessons that their teachers are presenting to them,” Doane said. “I understand that we are all facing challenges, but I still believe students want to improve themselves academically and without the authority to hold them accountable, I’m not sure the majority of FV students will benefit from our instruction.”
HBUHSD said the modifications to the grading policy are intended to relieve students’ stress and support their physical and mental health as they navigate distance learning at home until June 11, the last day of instruction.
“We believe this hybrid emergency grading system is an equitable model that holds students harmless while allowing them to raise their grade,” Crosby wrote. “The grading system allows seniors to graduate and provides underclassmen an opportunity to begin the 2020-21 school year with a fresh start that will not be tied to the unmitigated challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
HBUHSD’s emergency grading policy was created in collaboration with district staff and stakeholders, according to Crosby. Guidance from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Board of Education President, UC, CSU, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, the District Educators Association and the Orange County Department of Education was also taken into account.
Eliminating failing marks and implementing “hold harmless” grade protection are proposed changes to the district’s grading policy that come two months after it closed campuses on Mar. 13 and a month and a half since distance learning began on Mar. 31.
Crosby said some school districts rushed to shift to emergency grading systems that caused “uncertainty and concern” and had to be modified, which is why HBUHSD took a “measured approach” when determining a new grading policy.
“By taking the time to research multiple possibilities, we developed a grading system that supports all students’ academic and social-emotional needs, while promoting compassion, grace, and the HBUHSD’s ‘student-first, family-first’ philosophy,” Crosby wrote.
To some students, the district took too long to release its emergency grading system.
“While I understand faculty members and students are both working through this difficult time, many of my peers and I have felt the district’s delay in any grading policy updates have left students, especially juniors, in the dark,” Pham said.
Beyond the district’s “hold harmless” grade protection, several students were especially relieved that HBUHSD decided to retain letter grades instead of opting for a credit/no credit grading system—an alternative that some had suggested or expected during weeks prior to the announcement.
“I find this method of grades is more equitable to students who commit greater effort as I believe an A-student should be distinguished from a C-student and not cast under the same ‘credit’ term,” FVHS junior Jake Tran said.
FVHS junior Peter Sears said adopting a credit/no credit policy is unwarranted this late into the school year.
“I think that [credit/no credit] just punishes kids who already put in the work,” Sears said. “It would’ve been a good option in March, but it’s too late to move now… we have already done all the work and gone through stress to get our grades.”
Others, however, disagreed with the district’s proposal and called for a mandatory credit/no credit or pass/fail grading policy for this spring semester. They argued that it would be the most equitable option and allow students to focus on more urgent priorities, such as health and family.
“I understand that students should be recognized for their hard work, but that shouldn’t come at the expense of other students who may lack the necessary resources to succeed academically in our current environment,” said Giao Nguyen, a senior at Westminster High School.
FVHS junior Brian Foster said he prefers credit/no credit grading as well because students whose grades on March 13 were “less than ideal” do not have enough opportunities to raise their grades.
“Simply because of distance learning, teachers are unable to input many assignments that would allow a dramatic increase in… grades. So although grades cannot be lowered, for some that wouldn’t mean too much,” Foster said.
Advocates of mandatory credit/no credit systems also cite the fact that institutes of higher education, including UC, CSU and Ivy League schools such as Harvard University, have reassured the public that credit or pass grades will not jeopardize students in the college admissions process.
Not doing credit/no credit is a “missed opportunity,” Pham said. “It’s not taking advantage of the situation. Colleges aren’t holding it against us.”
This is a developing story. Baron Banner will update it when details are confirmed.
May 15 update: updated to include information on where students can find their Mar. 13 grades.
