If you were asked to explain/justify the number of Ds and Fs in your class....

[KateL]

My school's solution to the chronic absence problem is to start doing PBL (project based learning) next year. Apparently, the students will be so engaged that they will start showing up at school every day. We will see.

[Portulaca]

When I was LTSing in high school, Ds were the most common grade in a lot of my regular classes (and even in one of the AP classes...but that's another story!) I recall very few, if any, students being upset about getting one. For the kids that had little interest in their grade, or the class beyond not having to retake it, a D was as good as an A. Actually better than an A, because it was way less work. Even some of the more scrupulous kids seemed happy with a D. I think the psychology was, "a D means I tried more than I didn't try; I got the test questions right/did the assignments right more than half the time (slightly!), and that's respectable, isn't it?"

Other than the students' ability to convince themselves that Ds meant "they tried," I guess I saw two other noticeable factors that were making Ds popular. One was that they really are "as good as an A" in contributing toward athletic eligibility here; there is no overall GPA requirement, they just need Ds or above in five or more classes (current term and previous). Secondly, relatively few students here go to a college, training program, etc., with admission standards of any significant kind. Last time I saw the stats, about 70% go straight into the workforce or enroll in cc's (open admission). In other words, then, Ds are very unlikely to have any impact whatsoever on their plans. All of that, I guess, is what I would have told an administrator if I'd been asked to explain the source of the DDDreadful Deluge of Ds.

[catnfiddle]

Yesterday, a student said to me, "My understanding is that if I passed the first half of the semester with at least a C, I can do nothing for the second half and still pass." Sadly, this is the case. The teachers know it, the students figure it out quickly, and there's little we can do to convince a sizable portion of the students to go for more than a D for the semester.

[mrachelle87]

If they ahave these grades in your class with your policy, I bet their other grades are the same in other classes.

[catnfiddle]

Originally Posted by mrachelle87

If they ahave these grades in your class with your policy, I bet their other grades are the same in other classes.

Most of the time. They may be really into one class, or have an elective they like, but usually it's straight Ds and Fs in those cases. The annoying thing is that many of our students also know they can go into Credit Recovery after failing my class, take two tests, maybe write a paper, and get a C or better.

[monsieurteacher]

Originally Posted by catnfiddle

Yesterday, a student said to me, "My understanding is that if I passed the first half of the semester with at least a C, I can do nothing for the second half and still pass." Sadly, this is the case. The teachers know it, the students figure it out quickly, and there's little we can do to convince a sizable portion of the students to go for more than a D for the semester.

Well clearly you're not entertaining them enough to make them want to get better than a D!

[Ima Teacher]

I also have each child fill out a paper about why the work wasn't complete.

"On (insert date) I did not turn in my (insert assignment) because (insert reason)." Every time I give a make up notice, I give another one that is similar.

[JustMe]

Originally Posted by KateL

My school's solution to the chronic absence problem is to start doing PBL (project based learning) next year. Apparently, the students will be so engaged that they will start showing up at school every day. We will see.