LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – The second-largest school district in the state is considering a change that would make it harder for a student to fail, but not everyone is on board. Las Cruces Public Schools is considering changes to their grading scale that superintendent Karen Trujillo said would give students a break. “Maybe they didn’t have a computer or didn’t have internet,” Trujillo said. “We don’t know what those situations are.”
The proposed equitable grading scale comes after nearly half of middle and high schoolers had at least one F in November, higher than previous years. The new scale would make the lowest grade possible a 50 instead of a 0 at middle and high schools. Trujillo said if a student simply didn’t give the effort to complete any assignment, their 50% grade would still be failing. “For students who don’t do anything, an F is an F is an F,” Trujillo said. “Whether it is a 50 or a 0, it is an F.”
Some board members raised concerns about giving away grades. “50% is a reflection of what,” school board president Terrie Dallman asked. “Not doing anything?”
Others said low grades could be due to teachers trying to adapt to online teaching. “Often when you have a certain percent, that could reflect even a teacher struggling to put out information he or she could do in front of the classroom” school board member Ray Jaramillo said.
While the school board is providing input, it is ultimately up to the district to make the decision which it hopes to do by February 1 at the latest. Trujillo said some semblance of this was adopted at all of Las Cruces High Schools in the fall, and this would make the grading scale uniform across the board.
Read Next:
- More educators opt to teach virtually full-time
- New Mexico universities see drop in enrollment due to pandemic
- Hundreds of teachers back to waiting for COVID-19 vaccine after state cancels large vaccination event
- APS program offers pay, support for special education teachers
- UNM President Stokes addresses budget cuts, goals for 2021
