November 11, 2020 THE OAKWOOD REGISTER www.oakwoodregister.com Vol. 29, No. 35 November 11, 2020 Making the Grade District to consider changes to high school grading Amid all the turmoil surrounding Superintendent Dr. Kyle Ramey. student’s grade point average, but do the election this year, another contro- Those proposals, which will be voted not carry any GPA add-on. versy has been simmering in Oakwood on at the Oakwood Board of Education While district officials say the pro- over one of the unlikeliest of issues – meeting on Monday, Nov. 16, include posed changes are significant, they do how students are graded at Oakwood phasing out individual valedictorian not go far enough, according to some High School. and salutatorian honors for graduating school parents who served on the com- Concerns were first raised by some seniors in favor of a more wide-rang- mittee. They contend that Oakwood parents in 2018 contending that stu- ing Latin system of cum laude, magna students are potentially missing out on dents at Oakwood High School were cum laude and summa cum laude thousands of dollars in financial merit disadvantaged by the district’s 8-point honors open to all students based aid when applying to college and com- grading scale when compared other on grade point averages, and giving pare unfavorably to applicants from districts with a 10-point chromatic students completing an honors class other districts that grade students on a grading scale. at Oakwood High School a “bump” 10-point chromatic grading scale. Last year the district formed or add-on to their grade point aver- District officials take exception to an Academic Profile Advisory age. Students completing Advanced those allegations, and each side says Committee, chaired by OHS Principal Placement, or AP, classes and some they have the research and data to sup- College Credit Plus, or CCP, classes at wide grading system. Through our they required that schools also give the Dr. Paul Waller, comprised of admin- port their claims. research, more of our comparable dis- same add-on that you would give for istrators, teachers, parents and students OHS already receive a GPA add-on. A Other than state mandates on CCP GPA add-on is only available for CCP tricts had a 10-point scale, but it was AP to any CCP course that is within to consider whether Oakwood Schools courses, Waller notes that there is not exclusively 10-point scales. There the same offerings you have for AP should make changes to how students classes if a corresponding AP class no state standard in Ohio on school is offered at Oakwood High, Waller have also been other scales used, like classes. If you take a general CCP are graded at the high school and grading and assessment, leaving each 7-point scales. Then when you get course that does not have a corre- junior high. said; grades from other CCP courses district free to determine what policies that do not have a corresponding AP into private schools, a lot of those use sponding AP course there is no bump The committee met monthly begin- and grading scales apply locally, and offering at OHS, such as those taken at 8-point or 7-point scales, as well,” in GPA for that college credit. So ning in August 2019, and by October what courses qualify for GPA add-ons Sinclair Community College or Wright Waller noted. “AP has an add-on of we’re just following the law on that.” of this year its recommendations had due to academic rigor. State University, are reflected on the .05, and then when they passed the Contrary to what some parents con- been forwarded to Oakwood Schools “There is no standardized, Ohio- law putting in College Credit Plus See Grade on page 8 u Parents urging Oakwood High School to revise grading scale In October, a group of OHS par- field for Oakwood graduates in college University of Dayton, Waller, Dr. honors, with no consideration they say four of those 28 districts not currently ents met with the Oakwood Board of admissions and ensure that Oakwood Kimbe Lange, and Cassie Darr from given to the 10-point scale or chromat- providing an honors bump; and OHS is Education to present and discuss a families receive as much merit-based the Board of Education. ic grading. alone in using an 8-point scale and not proposal to change the Oakwood High financial aid possible, both of which The committee met for several Why is this important? Parents weighting honors classes. school grading scale and weighting depend, they say, on OHS grading months and concluded in the spring of who raised the issue say high school • A 10-point scale, they say, is stan- procedures. Their presentation was procedures being readily comparable 2020. In the committee, research was academic performance, measured by dard at the university level and across the culmination of over two years of to the majority of public districts in presented by the concerned parents as GPA, is the single most important the country in public high schools, uti- research and work by Oakwood par- Ohio and across the country. well as the district, with the parents factor in college admission and merit lized at Harman and Smith, and accept- ents Emma Butler, Sharon Kelly and Butler, a former college admis- encouraging a comprehensive update aid decisions. The COVID 19 pan- ed by OHS when students transfer into Stephanie O’Hara who want the school sions officer, raised questions about of the OHS grading procedures and demic, they say, has amplified the the district and from partner schools to move from an 8-point to a 10-point the grading procedures upon moving the district in favor of the status quo importance of GPA as many schools such as Fairmont and Centerville for grading scale, implement chromat- to Oakwood three years ago. In the with minor tweaks. According to are now test-optional, taking ACT and Career Ed classes, online courses, and ic grading, and add a Grade Point fall of 2018, through conversations at Kelly, “the committee spent a lot of SAT scores out of the equation. Under local universities where OHS students Average, or GPA, “bump” for hon- PTO meetings as well as individual time discussing tangential issues like the current OHS system, these parents take College Credit Plus courses, a ors courses. The current OHS scale, meetings with the administration, the the valedictorian-salutatorian program, believe Oakwood graduates are disad- state of Ohio program. which has not been changed since issue garnered some attention from the but did not sufficiently delve into vantaged in admissions decisions and • An examination of recent 2004, is an 8-point scale with quality district, but didn’t gain traction until the proposed changes. The committee receive less merit money than they Oakwood graduates’ GPAs, compared points given for the entire range (i.e. last fall when the Academic Profile was prematurely ended by the district deserve. According to their research, to what their GPAs would be at a sim- 92-100 is a 4.0 and 83-91 is a 3.0). Advisory Committee, or APAC, was before consensus was reached.” the parents contend: ilar district (with a chromatic 10-point Plus and minus grades are given but formed to consider the issues. Led by In May 2020, Waller presented a • Among the OHS peer group of scale with honors and AP bumps), do not impact GPA, they say; add-on OHS Principal Dr. Paul Waller, the brief report on behalf of the APAC 28 similar school districts, OHS is one showed that in all cases their GPAs bumps are given for advanced place- parents say the committee consisted committee to the Board of Education. of only two districts with an 8-point would be higher and they would have ment and some College Credit Plus of 22 people including Butler, Kelly, In it he recommended eliminating the scale; all other similar districts are on stronger letter grades on their tran- but not for honors courses. The parents O’Hara, students, teachers, guidance naming of a valedictorian and saluta- a 10-point scale and most use chro- scripts. say their goal is to level the playing staff, an admissions officer from the torian and adding a GPA “bump” for matic grading. OHS is one of only See Scale on page 9 u CALL US OR STOP BY TODAY! 937534.1105 2601 W Dorothy Ln, Dayton, OH 45439 ENTRANCE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING MON FRI 10AM 5PM SAT BY APPOINTMENT ONLY WWW.APPLIANCEGALLERYDAYTON.COM CHEST FREEZERS on CLEARANCE WHile SUPPLIES LAST SYNCHRONY HOME C ARD FINANCING 2 THE OAKWOOD REGISTER November 11, 2020 Time to change ‘outdated and unfair’ grading scale at OHS This letter is to address Dr. Kyle can be a major hindrance for our stu- Ramey’s November 1st email regard- dents. GPAs have always been a crit- ing the OHS Student Evaluation ical piece in the admission and merit System. I am writing as a parent of aid process. However, the reality is two Oakwood students, as well as a that GPAs are becoming increasingly practicing child & adolescent mental more important and carry even more health therapist in our community. In weight in college admission decisions, addition, I have a background of work- particularly as the fate of ACT/SAT ing in college admissions for three standardized exams are in question. colleges in three states. Some colleges will use the GPA Without a doubt, the profile of directly from the high school transcript Oakwood High School is excellent.