Timing is everything, as advocates for changing the Keystone Oaks School District's rigorous grading scale to the standard grading scale may soon find out.
About 75 parents packed Thursday's board meeting in support of the change to put their children on a "more level playing field" with students from other districts.
Superintendent Carl DeJulio said the issue was arising at just the right time as the seven-year thrust to enhance rigor in the curriculum has been successfully completed, and the board is now ready to consider the grading scale issue.
He instructed Assistant Superindent William Urbanek to form focus groups of students and teachers on the matter, with a report from the two groups presented to him by the end of May.
The current scale, implemented at the start of the 1999-2000 school year, awards an A for 93-100, B for 85-92, C for 75-84, D for 65-74, and F for 64 and below. At the time of the scale's adoption, it had the support of teachers in grades K-12, and received no negative response from parents.
It was adopted in the midst of the district's attempt to correct deficiencies in the rigor and content of some courses so as to be challenging enough to allow students to compete outside the district. The math and science curriculum, for instance, was restructured.
While most surrounding districts at that time used a 10-point scale for awarding letter grades, others were moving away from that traditional scale, Urbanek recalled.
At Thursday's meeting, Lisa Evans, of Green Tree, said the present scale put students at a disadvantage for college admission and scholarships as grade-point averages are lower. A further disadvantage is that many high schools weight their challenging classes more heavily than does Keystone Oaks.
Mary Montz, of Green Tree, said younger pupils' self-esteem and self-perception would be enhanced by reaching attainable goals.
The issue was raised March 4 by Evans, Montz and Sue Bigler, of Green Tree, at an Education Committee meeting.
First Published: April 21, 2004, 4:00 a.m.
