Anthony Cauley, a junior attending ACT, explains why he doesn’t like the points and grades system. “I don’t like it because you shouldn’t be graded on your points,” he said. “You can get an A in a class and fail because you missed a point and that isn’t right. In my case, I have all my points, but if I missed any points I would have failed. That is what most of my friends are struggling with. If you get a passing grade, you should be able to pass the class.”
Tiara Bell, a junior at ACT, explains something positive about the points system. “If you don’t get all your points when you were supposed to, then you can make them up the next time grades come out. For example, if in one trimester you’re low on points and get only six points, [and in] the next marking period you get all eight points, it will put you where you need to be.”“I don’t know how it was created,” said Mrs. Szekely, a humanities teacher at ACT, who explains about the point/grades system and her views on it. “Mrs. Howard (ACT former principal) brainstormed with other teachers/administrators about it and they came up with it. Most school put quantity and quality together, but Mrs. Howard wanted to pull them apart to show that both are important. I like the idea that the two are separated because you can’t pass without doing both.” Mrs. Szekeley also gives some positive and negative thoughts on the grades/point system. “The negative thing about it [points/grades] is it’s confusing and it doesn’t work with CPS. Our system doesn’t work with their system. Learning is a complex process. I think it’s extremely helpful. I’m a fan of the point system because it helps students learn work ethic. You can’t just show up to school, breathe and expect to pass.”
Amber O’Neil, a senior at ACT, expresses what she feels about bad grades and how they might affect students. “Everybody is different,” she said. When some students get bad grades it might encourage them to work harder while some students might give up. I never get bad grades, but when I do I am never satisfied with them. It makes me work harder. Bad grades should never be acceptable.”“I think points are helpful because they let us know the quantity of work [how much work was completed], said Ms. Toth, a resource teacher at ACT, who explains more about the point system and her views on it. “ Getting bad grades and low points can discourage some students, but some students might use it as a motivational tool. If students don’t get as many points as they should, it should be make them want to work harder because they need a certain amount of points to graduate and it shouldn’t be discouraging.”
Ms. Toth has a tip for students to get back on track if there points/grades are low. “If they get to the middle of the marking period they should ask the teacher what they need to get on track so they will be able to graduate on time.” Ms. Toth gives some positive and negative things about the grades/points system too. “A positive thing about the grades/point system is they represent quantity and quality or work. I think that’s helpful because if you get an A in the class, but low points, it shows you’ve been doing well in the class, but not turning in enough assignments. If you get an F in the class, but all your points, it shows you have been turning in all your assignment, but the work isn’t good enough. It’s helpful for parents and students top see it that way. The negative thing about it is it’s confusing to explain to teacher, students, and parents. It’s different than any other grading system were used to”
Shanell Harmon, a senior at ACT, who also expresses her views about the points/grading system. “I don’t have a problem with it,” she said. “The problem is colleges aren’t looking at points, they are looking at grades. I am very satisfied with my grades and points. I worked very hard for them.”
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