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The Virginia education association is changing its education rating system to include a new accountability system for rating schools. This is in addition to its current system of school accreditation. Under normal accreditation, the Virginia School Boards Association looks at academics, performance, attendance and student-teacher ratio. With the new measures being added, there will also be a “school performance report card” that uses an A - F rating system.
The Board is open for public comment on the new system until April 19.
According to an article in the Virginia Mercury by Nathaniel Cline, some board members say this will signal a further decline for schools that have mostly students of color. Anne Holton a Virginia Board of Education member stated last year, “When you label some schools as C, D, or F schools, families – and teachers – who can afford to will be incentivized to move away from those schools, leaving behind the neediest students — mostly black and brown students — and the least experienced teachers. Those schools will then spiral further behind.”
Some see this as a form of racial segregation.
Cline writes that while the board proposed that the Office of School Quality provide additional support to 5% of underperforming schools, “not all of them would receive it, since 11% of schools are not fully accredited.”
Board Vice President Bill Hansen said, “It is a shame on our system, shame on our commonwealth, and what we’re trying to do here is to bring our attention, to bring our focus on accountability, on helping us understand achievement mastery for all of our students, and that is going to lift up our most disadvantaged and our Black and brown students the most,” according to Cline.
Board member Andy Rotherham said parents should be shown the school ratings so they can “make choices in terms of the governance of their local schools — who they want on their boards, who they want in various roles around the state, where they want to send their kids to school. We can only do that by giving them accurate information.”
Holton says, however, “Our challenged schools, especially, are severely underfunded and they can’t hire quality teachers for every classroom without more state support.” In effect, the new rules could spell school closures in areas that serve children of color.
Holton said if the board uses an A-F rating system, it must be heavily weighted on growth measures and include significant resources to help failing schools improve, according to Cline.
What is the grading level system for the Virginia education association?
In Virginia, the type of grading system for students typically ranges from A to F, with A representing excellent performance and F representing failing. Some schools may also use plus and minus modifiers (e.g., A+, A, A-) to provide a more nuanced assessment. Private schools might use percentage grading and weighted grading combined.
While the letter-based, traditional grading system applies to students, it will soon apply to schools also. Holton indicates that there are different ways to apply grading, some of which will benefit the school system, and others that won’t.
What are the different types of grading systems in Virginia?
Cline notes that the new school accountability system came about after significant criticism surrounding students’ declining scores on state and national assessments. The proposed system comes after the Virginia secretary of education said in a report that “a distinct, stand-alone accountability system” that provides information about how each K-12 school prepares students for testing should be in place.
School grading systems vary based on different factors. Private schools may combine elements of multiple grading methods to provide a more comprehensive assessment of student learning. Each type of grading system has its own methodology for assessing student performance. So when Holton says the letter grading system should be weighted for growth measures, here’s how that can be done:
Holistic Grading: Rather than breaking down performance into individual components, holistic grading considers the overall quality of work or performance.
Narrative Grading: Instead of assigning grades or scores, the assessment provides written narratives or descriptive feedback to convey strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement.
Weighted Grading: Different assignments or assessments are given different weights based on their importance or complexity, resulting in a weighted average grade.
Criterion-Referenced Grading: Assessments are based on the mastery of specific criteria or learning objectives rather than in comparison to other students.
This is in addition to the normal standards of:
Letter Grading: Letter grades are assigned based on predefined criteria, typically ranging from A to F, with A representing excellent performance and F representing failing. This is essentially pass/fail grading when it comes to schools, as few will choose a school rated below B.
Standards-Based Grading: This system evaluates the proficiency in specific learning standards or objectives for students. It provides detailed feedback on areas of strength and areas that need improvement.
A nuanced grading system would give a more complete picture of a school’s performance. This would give parents more information to consider when choosing a school. If a school has a “D” rating, but shows a high and rapid level of improvement based on weighted or even holistic grading, it encourages community support and teacher recruitment. Simply providing a low grade without explanation, however, could do the opposite.
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