Grading Policy Approved; Puts Emphasis on Tests, Not Homework

Superintendent James Mitchem took another step in implementing his “New View” — the bold educational philosophy that got him the district’s top job — Monday as the board of education signed off on the 90/10 grading policy.

Under the policy, emphasis is placed on the end result — test scores and mastery of content — and shifted off what Mitchem calls “compliance” activities like homework and class participation.

Under the plan, 90 percent of a student’s grade will be based on summative assessments, or test scores. The policy will be implemented in grades 6-12, and teachers will make decisions on whether to promote a student to the next grade level based on successful completion of curriculum, attendance and performance on assessments, not on class participation.

The plan also allows for test “do-overs.”

Teachers or administrators will arrange for remedial assistance for students who don’t show mastery of a subject or adequate progress toward standards. That policy aligns with Mitchem’s pledge that students who fail assessments will receive interventions to help them get up to speed, and are required to retake tests until they’re able to demonstrate that they’ve mastered the content.

Students who receive a D or below on a test will be required to retake the assessment. If a student receives higher than a D, it will be up to the teacher to determine whether to allow a retake.

During the public comment period, one Valley View parents said she has concerns about the policy.

Suzanne Anderson-Hurdle is pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Romeoville, but said she was speaking up Monday as a mom, not a community leader.

Anderson-Hurdle said her daughter struggled during her sophomore year with a class that was graded using the 90/10 policy because of text anxiety.

“I understand the intent behind it,” she told Mitchem, adding she fears some students will slip through the cracks. “… I’ve just really been struggling with this policy in particular.”

Mitchem said the policy will include daily assessments, which will help eliminate test anxiety by making test-taking a routine part of the school day.

“It seals those cracks,” he said. “At the moment we find that a child is deficient … we intervene.”

Mitchem said the plan is based on research that shows a narrowing education gap in districts that use the 90/10 grading system.

“What this will do is ensure all of our children receive a grade that’s based on a standard,” he said, adding the policy is founded on the belief that all children are capable of learning and meeting standards. “We are living in a standards-based world.”

Board president Rick Gougis encouraged community members to attend one of Mitchem’s six upcoming question-and-answer sessions if they have concerns about the policy.

“Our community is demanding change,” he said. “ … But when change comes, there is some trepidation, and I get that.

“We have to have the strength to do what the research says works. We have to accept that it looks vastly different. If you have questions, please come out to these sessions.”