Grade Recovery Realities Verses Myths

I am a former teacher in Duval County Public Schools and can say without a doubt that grade recovery is bad policy. Next to a poor student discipline plan, lack of an effective student attendance policy and overall lack of respect for teachers the distict's grade recovery program is probably the single most factor which is causing our district to have so many "failing" schools and keeping the majority from receiving a high quality, meaningful education.

I read with alarm the statement made by Terri Stahlman, the school system's chief of instructional technology and special services, saying that grade recovery, "helps every stakeholder in the food chain of education be successful." Actually it helps every student that wants to play around, miss class, be lazy, etc. to pass a class without really doing or learning much. There is no way that work in grade recovery which frequently takes three days or less can replace an entire 9-wks of classwork and instruction.

It sends a message to students that they can actually ignore their teacher and be rewarded for it. This lack of attention for an entire 9-wks surely reflects in lower FCAT scores not to mention overall learning. If a student is truly struggling they should receive individual help throughout the entire quarter based on the teacher assignments. Since teachers are now being evaluated based on FCAT scores and End-of Course exams how fair is it then for the district to promote a policy that actually hinders success on standarized testing. While the computer program Compass Odyssey which is used by many students for grade recovery is a good stand alone activity for x-tra credit it does not mirror the regular classroom activities.

For grade recovery to be supported and promoted by our school principals and our superintendent is unconscionable. Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals is quoted as saying, "We want our students to be successful, but we also want them being successful having mastered the curriculum. Some students need more time in order to acquire the same knowledge and skills." He goes on to say, "They're earning it. These aren't give-me grades by any means. " What he says here is simply not true and very misleading. Students will not master the curriculum doing grade recovery as he implies and if a student can miracuously change an F to a C in a matter of days then one could say that yes these are "give-me" grades.

Jane Bowman, educator