MY TURN: Cd'A district policy fails students
A board policy that does not restore the improved grade that a student achieved after retaking a failed class is a punitive permanent policy. This policy punishes a student who has motivation, commitment, persistence and academic success. By insisting that the previous failed grade has to be averaged with the improved grade, the student can never achieve higher than a "C" for the GPA which is cumulative and stays on the permanent record. This inaccurate measure of achievement punishes students for possibly four years and beyond. That GPA can determine whether a student is accepted at a college, gets a scholarship, gets into a training program post-high school. It also can punish parents who believe their child should receive full grade value and be eligible for a good student insurance discount with a 3-point GPA that was denied.
Student success should not be given half credit but rather full credit. This policy discourages students from improving themselves because it limits their possibilities for improving their GPA.
There is no Idaho state board requirement that dictates this averaging policy. Other states, other districts and colleges restore full grade improvement for retaken failed classes because it reflects the true achievement of the student.
Even baseball players who get a strike the first time at bat and a strike the second time at bat, but get a home run on their next hit are given the full credit of the home run; not told they are limited to second base.
The board policies should be encouraging and rewarding and recording the full achievements of its student body not limiting their possibility in life.
Therefore, I recommend the board revise its policy to give students full improved grade credit as well as full credit earned after retaking a failed class in which they improved. The transcript could simply indicate the failed course, but with the designation of "E" by it to indicate excluded. And the repeated course also on the transcript could have the designation of "I" to indicate it is included in the GPA.
The board and its policies are responsible for the welfare and benefit of its students. This policy fails students who have overcome failure. Knowing this policy has adverse effects on the academic success and causes anxiety for students which could have seriously detrimental consequences; it is time to change the policy, so it accurately benefits students, not continues to harm them.
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Jackie McNamara is a Harrison resident.