Beyond the Letter ‘F’

tTImagine never receiving an ‘F’ again. Imagine a future where scholars always succeed.
At West Potomac High School in Alexandria, Virginia, the standard mark for ‘failure’ has been eradicated since November of last year. Instead of receiving an ‘F’ on their quarter reports, students at Potomac are given a second chance with the ‘incomplete mark.’ These students are given the opportunity to advance their understanding of school subjects before receiving an actual letter grade. At the end of the year, they would be presented with a grade of attainment.
However, Potomac is not alone. Other schools like Stanford, Yale and the University of California, Berkeley all believe that grades are a somewhat hindering point to many students’ achievement and would rather employ an unconventional form of grading to ensure their graduates’ proficiency. High rates of college graduation, along with soaring standardized test scores, were the results.
Consequently, some concerns have arisen as new methods of encouragement and motivation are applied. Proponents question how pupils would view education now that these atypical techniques are enforced. Many see these approaches as defaming education and the learning process, as well as annihilating students’ intrinsic ability to learn.
Some have compared the latest policy to a driving test. “If a teen failed a driving test, their instruction toward getting a license would not be over,” Peter Noonan, Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services at Fairfax County Public Schools said. “School should be the same.”
If this policy were ever to be put into play, it would occur in the near future. Our society is revolutionizing and transforming to its latest technology and ideas each day; who knows what tomorrow holds.
“This would be a good policy to implement into our school because it gives students the chance to work harder,” sophomore Iris Luong said.

Cynthia Luong
Features Editor