Greetings, Maggie Walker Community.
We are on the home stretch, five weeks from the end of the school year, and school is becoming more active and exciting each day. AP tests will wrap up this week, and spring sports are headed into post season play. Our students continue to rack up academic awards and championships; the We the People team secured their third national championship with a decisive victory in Washington last month! Perhaps most important, time is running out to secure a date for the Prom, which will be held Saturday, May 20 from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. at the Hippodrome Theater in Jackson Ward.
10-point Scale Update
As you are likely aware, at the April Regional School Board meeting the MLWGS administration recommended a new 10-point scale for use next school year. Currently, we use a 7-point scale for honors and plus classes and a 10-point scale for AP and dual enrollment classes. On April 27, there was a meeting for parents and students at the school to discuss the transition from the current two grading scales we use to the one we are recommending for all classes. During that meeting, there was considerable discussion and concern expressed regarding the new 10-point scale and the fact that the transition would not be retroactive. From the discussion that evening and from further discussions with the school leadership team, School Advisory Council, and faculty, we decided to change the grading scale recommendation currently before the Regional School Board.
At the Regional School Board meeting next Thursday, May 18, I will request that the board consider approving the existing 10-point scale instead of the new 10-point scale that was recommended at the April meeting. The primary difference between the two scales is the existing scale has a slightly larger range for (+) grades. For example, A+ on the existing scale is 95%, while A+ on the new scale is 97%. The range for (+) grades for B, C, and D are 85%, 75%, 65% on the existing scale and 86%, 76%, 66% on the new scale. Most community members believe that keeping the existing 10-point scale is in our students’ best interest.
Further, in order to address the fact that the grading scale change will not be retroactive, there was a discussion about how we might revise the current transcript to ensure college admissions officers clearly understand which grades on the transcript were earned on which scale. To that end, the administrative team will be discussing changes to the transcript, which include the possibility of having both alpha and numeric grades appear. Early next school year there will be another community meeting to get input on a number of possible transcript revisions. Having the entire school community involved in these discussions will ensure that we end up in a place that is best for our students.
I will post in early June with more information about the closing of school. I thank you again for your continued support and patience.
Jonathan Lewis, Interim Director
