Failure may not be an option

Saskatoon high school considering no longer issuing failing grades to students

David Hutton, TheStarPhoenix.com
Published: Saturday, November 15, 2008

At Nutana Collegiate, failure may no longer be an option come January.

The Saskatoon high school is considering no longer issuing failing grades starting at the end of its second quarter. Students would still technically fail courses, but instead of grades below 50 per cent they would receive "incomplete" or "no mark" on their report card and transcript, said Nutana principal Shirley Figley.

If the school implements the proposal, which is still under discussion with the school division, Figley believes Nutana will be the first high school in the country to do away with failing marks on a school-wide basis.

"Failing marks do not encourage student engagement with school," Figley said in an interview at the school Friday. "What does a mark below 50 really communicate? We thought that task could be accomplished with a term like 'incomplete' or 'no mark' and the result is the same."

"We don't need to degrade the student by giving them a number."

A percentage grade below 50 per cent is detrimental for reasons ranging from its effect on a student's motivation to the permanent scar it carries with it on a student's transcript, Figley said. Right now, a failing mark stays on a transcript even if the student completes the class later and receives a higher grade, she said.

"That number stays forever even though (a student) may have changed dramatically since it was given."
Figley rejected the criticism that no longer failing students would give them too many second chances and add to an already lofty sense of entitlement or support a school culture where there are few consequences for actions.

"We shouldn't be evaluating their attendance or their ability to focus because of things that are happening outside of school," she said. "They've already been penalized by not moving on. Why do we need to penalize a student further?"

Teachers, too, are demoralized when they hand out failing grades because many see it as indicative of their own efforts, Figley said.

"Just like doctors don't want patients to die, teachers don't want their students to fail," she said.
Nutana is in a unique position because of its diverse student population and programming, said Phyllis Fowler, a school facilitator who has been with Nutana since 1989. The school is organized into four quarters as opposed to two semesters, which leads to heavy student turnover and, historically, a higher dropout rate. Nutana has an on-site day care and works with community organizations like the Salvation Army. Last year, it had students ranging in age from 14 to 54.

"It's always been all about the marks," Fowler said. "But there's a whole lot that's not communicated by that number."

The proposal is part of a fundamental philosophical shift happening at the city's public schools under the division's collegiate renewal initiative, which promotes innovative teaching methods. The focus of some teachers is moving away from traditional grading to making marks less of a focus in the classroom.

Mark Wilderman, the collegiate renewal facilitator, said there are some challenges to adopting the change at Nutana, including discussing the change with the Ministry of Education to allow for the "incomplete" status on the student's permanent record. Currently, a grade of incomplete can be entered for Grade 10, 11 and 12 students on a case-by-case basis, but at some point schools are required to give a percentage grade.

Wilderman said he supports Nutana's proposal, particularly in the context of a school where many students' lives are complicated by poverty.

"This is a very different group of kids because sometimes they have their own kids. And if they get a (mark of) 22, for instance, it closes opportunities," Wilderman said. "It's just not a compelling message for them and many times they're going to resign. They just walk away. Maybe they do know the work, but they haven't had an opportunity to prove it."

Hugh Kurz, a superintendent with the school division, who will meet with staff to discuss the proposal on Monday, said the idea is compelling and could be implemented system-wide if it proves successful.

"This is much more fair approach," Kurz said.

dhutton@sp.canwest.com