Baldwin-Whitehall will not change the way it issues grades on report cards -- at least not this school year.
While there appears to be overwhelming support to change the present system to the 10-point system used by a majority of school districts in Allegheny County, administrators and school board members alike indicated during a meeting last week that a revision won't occur this year.
Nancy Crowder, president of the district's council of Parents and Teachers Association, requested the grading change in June. Last week she said a survey conducted by a PTA Grading Scale committee found that only two other South Hills school districts, South Park and Elizabeth Forward, do not use a 10-point system.
The present Baldwin-Whitehall grading system, implemented approximately eight years ago, uses 93-100 as an A; 83-92, B; 70-82, C; and 60-69, D.
The change to this system back then reflected a prevalent educational philosophy that a more challenging grade structure would raise the bar on academic achievement.
But the PTA now believes that this format now compromises a student's chances in obtaining college admission, scholarships, employment recognition, car insurance rates and incentives provided by local businesses for the number of A's on a report card.
Some parents agree. Shawn Foyle said that the determination of a student's QPA under the present system adversely affects potential for scholarships and grants. He said that his son's 3.13 QPA would have been a 3.4 under a 10-point system.
His son, Daniel, last year led an unsuccessful petition effort to change the grading system.
"I'm not comfortable to vote on this without having input from teachers and educators," said school director Nancy Sciulli DiNardo, who requested that such a committee be formed.
The board asked John Wilkinson, assistant superintendent of secondary education, to put together a committee.
"Upgrading the grading is overdue,'' said Randal Lutz, assistant superintendent of elementary education.
First Published: August 16, 2007, 10:45 a.m.
