Oct Prowler

PROWLER News 5 As of the 2015-2016 school year, a new system of grading will be implemented in all Henry County Schools. Grading will shift from courses earning half a Carnegie cred- it per semester to year-long, cumu- lative grading for one full Carnegie credit per course. This change will also bring a new benchmark exam that students will take at the end of the year. Mr. Aaryn Schmuhl, assis- tant superintendent for learning and leadership services, explained that these changes are a way to adapt to the newest forms of learning, mean- ing they are in place to support students in every stage of education. “The shift to year-long grad- ing is based on a belief that students learn at different paces,” said Mr. Schmuhl. “Additionally, [the grad- ing system] was built to support block schedules at a number of our high schools, the shared schedules with the Academy for Advanced Studies, and to offer schools more flexibility in granting students the opportunity to move through course work at different paces.” Union Grove offers students the option of dual enrollment or the Academy for Advanced Studies; however, Union Grove is not one of the schools in the county that par- ticipates in school-wide online and individualized learning. Therefore, the benefits of year-long grading do not apply to our students. With this new grading system comes a new benchmark exam called the Georgia Milestones assessment system. More informa- tion on the test can be found on page 7 of this issue, but according to Mr. Schmuhl, the Milestones will chal- lenge students even more than the Henry County Introduces New Year-Long Grading System, Expects Big Changes EOCT. “It just puts a lot of weight on a test, the weight of half a se- mester,” said Mr. Barry Krakovsky, social studies teacher. “That means half a semester’s work has been reduced into one exam.” “Much like the Coordinate Algebra and Analytic Geometry as- sessments, students will be expected to know more about the content at deeper levels,” said Mr. Schmuhl. “[Students] will also have to explain their thinking in open response items. The assessments will not be all multiple choice.” As a result of the switch from the EOCT to the Milestones, teachers are expected to adapt to the criteria for the new test, which may seem easy considering Henry County Schools are already standard-based; however, adjusting from easier multiple choice questions to more rigorous assessments is a cause for concern across the board. Because Henry County ad- ministrators do not know how year- long grading will influence grades, Dr. Wes Silvey, counselor, assures students and parents that the school is equipped to handle this and other obstacles. “Catching kids up is not something new,” said Dr. Silvey. “Tutoring programs are already in place to help those students who are behind.” Conversely, the previous grading system only allowed stu- dents to achieve the highest grade possible within one semester, now they have from August until May to obtain high averages as well as prove their perseverance. “Students will have all year to strive towards a better grade,” said Ms. Robin Harrelson, English teacher. “They will just have to con- tinue working hard and not give up.” Not everyone affected by the grading system swap is new to year- long grading; furthermore, the risk is minimal and the changes are few. “This is just another way for grading to be done, really,” said Dr. Mary Pratt-Cotter, Math IV and AP Calculus teacher. These points aside, there is still confusion and misinformation among students, parents and teach- ers, leaving margin for failure. “A lot of students could be hurt because they won’t understand how grades are calculated now,” said Ms. Kim Bullard, Human Anatomy and Physiology teacher. Those affected by this shift can get more information from Mr. Schmuhl or from the county web- page. Ultimately, converting to year-long grading was a decision based on the idea that it will ensure more in-depth understanding of ma- terial and to better prepare students for college. “It is more important that students demonstrate mastery of content and assessment practices that are focused on student learning and not simply compliance to dead- lines,” said Mr. Schmuhl. By Devyn Mode dmodeprowler@gmail.com The Henry County Board of Edu- cation is implementing Year-long Grading in the next school year. How will this affect students at Union Grove? Photo courtsey of recruiter.com.

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