Sisters High School revises grading its scale to compete

Sisters High School has responded to the number-one complaint parents and students have aired on surveys over the past six years. The school has lowered its grading scale standards.

A score of 90 percent is now an A; a B goes down to 80 percent; 70 percent achieves a C; and 60 percent receives a D.

According to principal Bob Macauley, the old grading scale was established in 1992 and was geared to a very high standard. Under that grading practice 100-92 percent was an A, 91-83 percent was a B, 82-74 percent was a C and 73-65 percent was a D.

"Although there have been comments in favor of it, most were not," Macauley said.

Many felt the old scale put Sisters High School students at a disadvantage when applying to colleges, because they were graded on a higher grading scale than students from most other schools. Macauley told The Nugget that when Sisters High School sends out its transcripts the school's profile listing its grading scale is always included. Still, some felt Sisters students were at a disadvantage.

Under the old grading scale, for example, a student who received a grade of 91.5 percent at Sisters High School received a B; at most other schools his or her grade would have been an A.

In response to student and community input about its grading practice, the high school's site council undertook three years ago three challenges.

"One was to develop a higher standards honors diploma. One was to look at the grading scale, and the third one was to consider weighted grades," said Macauley.

The site council considered whether or not the school's practices were good and reflected the goals of the school. The process took some time.

"The year before the group came up with an honors diploma which is in place for this year," said Macauley. "We've always had the honors diploma, but we really increased the requirements. We elevated what a person has to do to get an honors diploma."

Now for an honors diploma to be awarded, a student must take three out of the four Advanced Placement (AP) courses the school offers and maintain an accumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of higher than 3.5.

After reviewing the grading scale for two years, the site council last year took its recommendations to staff for input. Finally, the school took its proposal to lower the grading scale to the district-wide curriculum committee that is composed of representatives from all three schools and a school board liaison.

When the curriculum committee passed the proposal, the new grading practice was implemented for this year.

In addition to the new grading policy, the school has this year also implemented weighted grades for AP classes.

"If a student gets an A in an AP class, instead of a 4.0, it's a 5.0," said Macauley. "It encourages students to take our most challenging classes. They can feel like they are being rewarded and their GPA isn't going to suffer just because they challenge themselves."

Last year 179 different students took AP classes at Sisters High School.

In general, community support of the changes the school has made in its grading practice has been overwhelmingly positive.

"We still have some community members who wish we didn't change it because they liked the idea of having a higher standard, but I would say it's probably 80 (in favor) to 20 (in opposition) in responses that we get," said Macauley.