Grading policychange in Texas. www.dallasnews.com

Today's Dallas Morning News reports about Texas' new law--Senate Bill 2033. Schools need to adopt grading policy before the start of the school year. Teachers need to grade students on the basis of their mastery, not an arbitrary minimum grade below which teachers cannot go.

Under the new law, teachers are no longer required to give students grades they did not earn--such as never going below a 50, 60, or 70.

The purpose of the new law is to give honest grades and to stem grade inflation. The matter is controversial, however, as some link it to school dropouts and social promotion. Others say the law will lead to more teacher respect as professionals-- and to more student accountability. An interesting read.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/081809dnmetgradingchanges.3d76d47.html

See also my little book, Grades, Report Cards, Etc... and the Law, and excellent resource for the beginning of the school year. It focuses on legal issues in grading all students, including students with disabilities. Find the order form at: http://www.schoollawpro.com/ or order the book through Texas Schools Adminstrators' Legal Digest: www.legaldigest.com.


Happy beginning of the 2009-2010 school year!