COURTLAND
With several schools in Hampton Roads adopting a revised grading policy in recent years, the Southampton County Public School District has had conversations about doing the same, according to director of instruction Rodney Brown. Nothing is imminent, however, as Brown said that the school board must first do its research to weigh the pros and cons.

As it stands, Southampton operates on a traditional seven-point grading scale. This means that students who receive a score of 93 to 100 have an A; 92 to 85 have a B; 84 to 77 have a C; 76 to 70 have a D; and those with 69 and below are failing.

Some districts, like Virginia Beach Public Schools, advise teachers to refrain from assigning zeros, as they believe “schools should adopt grading procedures that minimize the impact of a zero on a student’s nine-week grade.”

Such is protocol in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk. Meanwhile, Isle of Wight sticks with a 10-point grading scale.

Franklin City Schools, meanwhile, had once adhered to something of the sort. In summer 2011, school administrators implemented a policy that instructed teachers to give no student a grade lower than a 60 on assignments, quizzes and tests.

Beverly Rabil, then-associate director of instruction at Franklin, cited an article by Douglas Reeves, “The Case Against the Zero,” as to why the administrator changed the grading scale. This change occurred without the school board’s consent.

“On an eight-point grading system, where 70 is the lowest grade … there are 70 ways to get a failing grade,” he said in the article.

Using an example of a student who received an 80 on five out of six tests, with a zero on the final test, Reeves highlights how a zero can hurt a student’s overall grade. The student would receive a 64 overall — a failing mark.

“Educators are charged with making sure students master the contents of a course,” Rabil said at the time. “No teacher is going to let a student get by with doing no work.”

But the Franklin School Board — led by then-chairman Bill Scarboro — nixed the practice just months after its implementation, stating that they didn’t want it to have a negative impact on students’ futures.

“We are competing vigorously in a global economy, and that’s what I want to get our students ready for,” Scarboro said. “Children need to learn to fail.”

Shortly after Franklin reversed their grading policy, Southampton County’s assistant superintendent for administration and personnel, Dr. Wayne K. Smith, said that such a practice has never been considered within the district. Much has changed in three years, however, according to Brown. This includes allowing students at Southampton to turn their work in late and receive full credit.

“Students can turn in their work late, as long as it’s within ample time,” he said, noting that the actual grade received for late work reflects the assignment’s importance.

As with all other matters within the Southampton County Public School District, Brown reassured that implementing such a practice would ultimately require the school board’s approval.