Virus-altered grading system announced for NYC students

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City schools will implement a new grading system for the remainder of the coronavirus-disrupted school year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday.

Elementary school students will be graded “meeting the standards” or “needing improvement” while high school students will have a pass-fail grading option, de Blasio said.

Acknowledging that some students have made a relatively smooth transition to online learning since schools were shuttered last month while others have struggled, de Blasio said students who need help to catch up will be given academic support through the summer and into next fall.

“We have to recognise that some kids are having a tougher time because of this crisis, emotionally and academically,” de Blasio said.

He added, ”Here’s the bottom line: Every student is going to be able to get the help they need.”

Students in grades K-5 will be graded “meets standards” or “needing improvement,” de Blasio said, while middle school students will be graded “meets standards,” “needs improvement” or “course in progress.”

High schools will use traditional letter grades, but a student who receives a passing grade in a class can take a “pass” grade that won’t affect their grade point average, de Blasio said.

High school students who haven’t mastered the coursework will get a “course in progress” grade.

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