The Sequoia Union High School District has recently made the difficult decision to modify the grading system for the spring semester.
To assist the needs of those who aren’t well equipped for online education, the district board has changed the system to pass/no pass. A student with a D- or higher will receive a “pass” on their final transcript, and those with anything lower will receive a “no pass,” meaning students that perform at an A level in a class will receive the same acknowledgment as a D level.
This grading system intends to relieve pressure for those who have had trouble adapting to the new online school system, as many did not believe the grades students were receiving reflected their performance in the class. Though the system can relieve student stress, some find their work ethic lacking as a result.
Nadine Lahlouh, a sophomore, and her peers feel that since the pass/no pass grading system was implemented, they no longer feel the motivation for completing their homework assignments or getting good grades.
“I feel that the pass/no pass grading system allows us to no longer care and try in school. Since I need a D- or higher to get a pass on my transcript, I will most likely do the bare minimum for my classes, ” Lahlouh said.
Without the pressure of the need to get good grades, some students will begin to procrastinate more. They no longer feel the need to do their homework or put any effort into their assignments.
However, those students do not realize that procrastinating during online school will lead to a more difficult time in the upcoming school year. Teachers expect that after completing online school, students will have learned the same material as if they were in school physically.
Without learning the curriculum for the quarter, students will quickly fall behind in classes next year. Stress levels will increase, as many will find themselves struggling to learn material they should already know as a result of their lack of effort for their online courses.
It may seem easy for students to procrastinate now, as the pressure to achieve good grades is lifted. However, procrastination stemming from the new system will lead to unnecessary stress in the new school year that those students will experience.
