Number Grades? We’ll Pass

Immediately after the Student Union (SU) sent a survey to the school community about third marking period grades on Wednesday, April 1, the student body was up in arms. The survey consisted of a few simple questions, providing a choice between four grading options and a fifth, “other” option. Within minutes, Stuyvesant High School had come alive, throwing opinions (and insults) regarding the controversial subject on countless forums, including Facebook groups, blog posts, and private emails.

Taking to Facebook himself, SU Vice President Julian Giordano made a proclamation in all four “Dear Incoming” groups: “In the past ten minutes, we’ve received 500 responses to this survey. If that isn’t an indication that 3rd MP grading policy is an issue students care a lot about, then I don’t know what is.” Students had come in droves to provide their thoughts on the choice at hand: whether third marking period grades should be dictated by a pass-fail system, a representative lettering system that corresponds to numerical grades, accomplished either through a modified ESNU or ABCDF system, or traditional numerical grades.

Given the unprecedented circumstances created by COVID-19, we think that the most equitable grading system would be the ESNU system traditionally used for first marking period grades. However, to the extent that the Department of Education (DOE) does not permit use of an ESNU system for final grades, we urge the administration to adopt a pass-fail system for third marking period grades.

Grades are designed to reflect performance. Under normal circumstances, numerical grades, though imperfect, accomplish something close to that. The current circumstances, however, are far from normal. Given the chaos of remote learning and the host of challenges posed by the rapid transition to online schooling, it would be remiss to suggest that teachers can accurately assess student performance and distill that assessment into a number grade. To alter students’ GPAs based on their performance in an entirely new system instituted in the midst of a pandemic that has forced more than 90 percent of the world’s schools to close their doors would be nothing less than cruel.

Indeed, even choices seemingly less extreme than number grades—whether a modified ESNU system or a more conventional ABCDF scale—have the same problem. With both options, the letters would serve as stand-ins for numbers that would be factored into students’ GPAs at the end of the semester, defeating much of the purpose of changing systems in the first place. Without a full elimination of number grades, students affected by or living with family members affected by COVID-19, students with difficult home situations or limited access to technology—or students simply overwhelmed by the stress of living through an unprecedented global crisis—will be shortchanged. What’s more, the disparity in resources among students across the city prevents any sort of even playing field. Though the DOE is attempting to reach out to underserved students and families, to claim that their efforts will be enough to close the gap in academic access is disingenuous. Stuyvesant, and ideally the New York City public school system at large, should acknowledge the reality we face and to the extent an ESNU system is not an option, implement pass-fail grading for the rest of the academic year.

There are, however, deficiencies with this grading system. For instance, students may feel less incentive to put the same amount of effort into their schoolwork because a passing mark constitutes such a wide range of grades: a 66 and 99 technically have the same worth. This imprecise measure of student performance may cultivate the mentality that doing the bare minimum is enough, lowering standards and leading to an overall decrease in the quality of work produced by students. In addition, as GPAs are a significant factor in college admissions, juniors will feel the brunt of the impact of implementing a pass-fail grading system. Juniors would not be given a final chance to improve their current GPAs—a pill that will surely be hard to swallow for those who direly need their averages from this semester to count. Many colleges have responded to these worries by communicating that they will contextualize applications given the unusual circumstances. Despite this response, some juniors may still not feel reassured as the college admissions system is notoriously unreliable and far from perfect.

While it is clear that pass-fail is the best system of the limited options presented, it is difficult to deny that a flat ESNU-based grading system without any numerical correspondence would amend many of the faults that come with pass-fail, while maintaining most of the aspects of number grading that make it so attractive. Currently, the DOE’s policies do not allow ESNU grading on official high school transcripts. If there is, however, any take-away from the nation-wide school closures, millions of people in quarantine, and widespread death and illness that has struck the planet in the past few months, it is that we are living in circumstances that are far from normal. In light of the global crisis and all of its repercussions, the DOE should set aside its policy prohibiting schools from changing their grading systems mid-semester and allow schools to adopt ESNU grading for the final marking period. In an ideal world, these grades would be provided on student transcripts but would not be factored into GPAs.

With the ESNU system, hard work and high performance could still be rewarded with fair marks. Additionally, appropriate effort would be necessary to achieve the grades that so many Stuyvesant students pine for, unlike the pass-fail system. What differentiates the ESNU system from the number system however, is that it takes into account the fact that we are currently experiencing a global pandemic. ESNU provides leniency that thousands of Stuyvesant students need to get through this treacherous period and simultaneously gives them an incentive to keep up with their work and use this time productively.

Rather than acquiesce to the status quo, it is important to note that there is a grading system that has the potential to please the vast majority of students. ESNU grading may be the balance we need, and if the DOE cannot accommodate this system despite the extenuating circumstances, pass-fail is the next best thing. To say the least, the past few weeks have been a significant adjustment for all members of the Stuyvesant community. With these adjustments, it is important that we are also shifting away from the Stuyvesant mentality we have possessed for so long. Because with students losing access to resources, family members at risk of contracting grave illnesses, and anxieties plaguing our minds overall, the grade we receive in math this semester should be the least of our worries.