The start of a new school year brought a new grading scale. Last year’s B’s can now be A’s and C’s can be B’s.
The North Carolina State Board of Education has implemented a 10-point grading scale for all high school students in the state.
Originally, the board approved a change for only freshmen entering high school. School superintendents and parents from across the state asked the board to reconsider because of the problem that would be created by having one group of students on a scale different from all the other students.
“The superintendents saw that there could be an issue when it came to grades,” Principal Dean Jones said. “They stood united and said we either need to do it for all or for none.”
Educators believe the new grading scale will help students who are planning to go to college as most colleges follow a 10-point grading scale. High schools in states surrounding North Carolina, including Virginia, already use a 10-point scale.
The new grading scale could help students raise their grade point average (GPA), a measure commonly considered by colleges in the admissions process. Last year a student maintaining a 90 average would have received a B. This year the student would receive an A.
“It brings us in line with the majority of schools in the country that have a 10-point grading scale,” Anne Hafer, senior guidance counselor, said. “It will look better in terms of their final GPA when they make that application for college admissions.”
Senior Izzy Denman, believes the seniors will benefit from the new grading scale, even though it’s only for one year.
“Most of the schools around us have already become accustomed to the 10 point scale, so they will already be used to it going into college.” Denman said. “I think it is a benefit to us to be able to experience the 10 point grading scale, even if it is only one year before college.”
The change in grading scale may also come with a change in the standards teachers use while grading classwork. English teacher Matt Parent believes the scale will change his judgment of his students’ work.
“My standards as far as what A work looks like will have to be higher, but as far as my teaching goes, it won’t change,” Parent said.
However, some teachers don’t believe the scale will change how they grade their students’ work. English teacher Laurene Carnes went to schools that used a 10-point grading scale and believes students will benefit from the change.
“My teaching will remain the same, and I’m happy students can get an A with a 90 instead of a 93,” Carnes said.
Junior Zach Whisenant has attended schools under both a seven and 10-point grading scale while living in Tennessee and North Carolina.
“The 10-point grading scale makes it a lot easier to earn higher grades,” Whisenant said. “Even with a more relaxed scale, I don’t anticipate a change in grades. Students will continue to work at the same pace as before.”
By Hailey Port and Josh Conner
