Starting with the Class of 2020, Springfield High School will change the way it recognizes academic achievement.
Springfield High to change system of academic recognition By STEPHEN SEITZ Special to the Eagle Times 28 min ago 0 Springfield School District COURTESY SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Starting with the Class of 2020, Springfield High School will change the way it recognizes academic achievement. There will no longer be a valedictorian or salutatorian. Students will be recognized with Latin titles: cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude, corresponding to a grade-point average of 3 to 3.25, 3.26 to 3.5, and 3.5 and above, respectively. This system is the result if a new teaching philosophy at the high school called “proficiency-based learning,” designed to measure more than academic accomplishment. “For the Class of 2019, nothing will shift,” Assistant Principal Jade Costello told the school board at its regular meeting Monday night. “Under the old system, if I do better than my 89 classmates, I become valedictorian. That often creates a competitive environment which doesn’t always have to do with learning.” Not that the top achiever won’t receive recognition, Costello added. “The highest achiever will be designated as a Springfield Scholar,” she said. Student representative Deacon Watson said this was good news. “I’ve been getting a lot of nasty comments about this,” he said. “A lot of people will appreciate the Springfield Scholar.” According to a handout Costello provided to the board, students will be able to earn distinctions in different subjects. Board member Troy Palmer wanted to know, “What about scholarships? Aren’t they based on GPA?” Costello said they had a formula for that. “We’ll still be able to monitor GPA,” she said. “We’re just choosing to shed a new light on student achievements.” advertisement In other action, board member Stephen Karaffa, who acts as liaison to the selectmen, updated the board on the South Street sidewalk situation. The sidewalks need replacement in some parts, especially near Jake’s South Street Market, and the town is working with the state to accomplish that. “VTrans turned the plan down,” Karaffa said. “We want to expand the sidewalks to five feet, but the state didn’t like the plan for Jake’s.” Karaffa said that he had heard one VTrans official had a reputation for rejecting projects, and recommended appealing to the man’s superior. “I can talk to them on behalf of the board,” said chairman Ed Caron. The board meets next on Nov. 15.
Not sure how the school will now recognize achievement. Text 30 words a minute get the smartphone badge?
ReplyDeleteI think the above poster's point is that there doesn't seem to be a link here.
ReplyDeleteThe E.T. article essentially states, GPA will be maintained for college bound students. But, everyone else gets a trophy!
ReplyDeleteThe article in the ET is just as lame of an explanation as this small blurb. This is a BIG deal, when it comes to college and parents understanding where there children stand. What the H was wrong with A,B,C,D,F or 90 above is an A and 60 below was an F. What does Latin titles: cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude, corresponding to a grade-point average of 3 to 3.25, 3.26 to 3.5, and 3.5 and above, respectively, have to do with Springfield VT Kids trying to make their grade. What Is this about, glad my children are grown, but when my grandchildren are in High school, I hope we have more reasonable people in charge that are more interested in teaching than just making changes to make changes, I think it's about heir status not the kids.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAssistant Principal Jade Costello is responsible for this!
ReplyDeleteWas there teachers' input in the development of this practice?
ReplyDeleteWhat about some input from the Taxpayers that pay their salary at least the School Board should get input from the taxpayers, maybe they did, anyone hear from the School Board?
DeleteI think what they're trying to do is hide the fact that so many students are not up to snuff, but they pass them anyway. Doesn't look good for the school to be so far below the rest of the state/country.......doesn't the federal and state $$$ you get depend on # of students graduating and being proficient?
ReplyDeleteIt’s a VT state law. Proficiency based grading https://education.vermont.gov/sites/aoe/files/documents/edu-proficiency-based-education-what-is-proficiency-based-learning.pdf
ReplyDeleteChanging honor roll makes sense under the state mandate.
Colleges will adapt to Vermont’s system as colleges are for profit. Many other states out west abolished letter grades a few years ago.
I'm not sure colleges will "adapt" to Vermont's new grading system, as most of them require passing some type of entrance exam. Admission is based on the results of that exam, with remedial courses required as necessary.
DeleteProficiency based grading might be the law, (which is still wrong) and Maine that put theirs in place in 2012 is trying to change it back already. Just because states out West do it, Vermonters are Vermonters, we shouldn't care what California does.
ReplyDeleteBelow are some excerpts, the Grading system that Springfield is putting in place from what I can find does not have to change though!
"Grading has changed, too. Gone are the A, B, C and D, scoring system. The traditional grading system has been replaced with numbered levels 1-4, which indicate whether a student has accomplished certain goals.
However, the state is not asking schools to ditch their old grading systems. It has been left up teachers in each school district to figure out how to measure proficiency in various subjects.
So why is Springfield changing the grading system in place to Latin titles: cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude doesn't sound like it's the law?