POSTED: Tuesday, August 9, 2011 - 1:35pm
UPDATED: Thursday, August 11, 2011 - 3:55pm
Deham Springs, La (NBC33) — At Seventh Ward School in Denham Springs 350 elementary students are just beginning the 2011 school year. Their performance will be graded differently than ever before, with a new policy called ‘No Zero’.
In am email to teachers, obtained by NBC33 News, Principal Stacey Milton writes: "If a child scored below a 66%, please write the 66% on the paper you send home to parents. The parents will see the 66% in PowerSchool as well. Now, a smart parent will do the math and see that the child actually scored below that. If they contact you, just explain our new school policy and it is actually to the child's benefit."
Tuesday, Milton answered our questions about why the school is making the swap and how it all works.
"Students who score below a 66%, which now is the highest ‘F’, will actually now receive a 66% instead of the lower score," says Milton.
She says that’s because just one bad grade can wreck a student’s average.
“It is so hard for a child to bring up a flat zero,” says Milton. “We want to make sure that the average that the child receives is reflective of their ability.”
Milton says the 66% rule is in effect regardless of how well a student scored in the past. It will replace every score lower than 66% for every student from Kindergarten to 5th Grade.
Milton explains, “I'm not giving them a passing grade. I am not giving any grades. I’m not giving them a passing grade. They are still receiving an 'F'.”
Milton says ‘No Zero’ is based on author, Rick Wormeli’s grading philosophy. You can view a youtube clip from Wormeli at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-QF9Q4gxVM [2].