ISM Grades should keep the 1-7 assessment system for this semester.

Mehek

As the COVID-19 pandemic forces schools shut all over the world, grading systems become a bigger problem for teachers across schools. Many believe that changing the grading systems might benefit students and make their lives easier, but in the long run, students' academic lives could be negatively impacted. I strongly believe that International School Manila should keep the 1-7 assessment system for the semester.

As quarantine continues, many students may feel less motivated to work due to changes in the learning environment and grading systems. When interviewed, many parents and students felt like they would have to do less work inorder to get a PWD compared to the amount of work they would have to do to get a seven. This could result in students feeling a lot more lazy to do the work. But if the 1-7 grading system was used students would be motivated to do their best and would not lose the discipline they have gained in school over time with the 1-7 grading system.

While many may feel that the new grading system might take the pressure off students during distance learning, the new grading system might add more pressure on students because it is new and unfamiliar to them they might be confused on what they have to do to get a PWD versus what they would have to do to get a seven. This could leave students putting more time into learning what to do to get a PWD rather than learning the actual class curriculum, which could leave them behind in their learning. However, with the 1-7 assessment system, students would be aware and familiar with how it works, and since it has more specific categories than the IE, P, and PWD system students would have a better understanding on what they have to do to reach their full potential. 

Since quarantine has caused a lot of changes in students' lives, they might feel confused or stressed with all these changes. Students might feel a lot better if they had something that was in their lives before and even if it is something like a grading system, it might make students feel a lot less stressed and happy that they have something in their lives that they are familiar with. While some may feel that keeping the original grading system will cause more stress, students stress might go down knowing they have to deal with something that they are familiar with and know how to navigate, rather than dealing with a whole new grading system that students don’t quite understand or have any experience with.

As the COVID-19 pandemic forces students out of their regular lives, keeping the regular grading system will not only motivate students, it will also help continue their academic growth and give them some normalcy in their lives. In conclusion, I strongly believe that International School Manila should keep the 1-7 assessment system for the semester.

Ananda

As we reach the two month mark of school closure and begin to have the final rounds of assessments and performance tasks, confusion is arising over the new grading system and its requirements. Although some think that the new grading system is ineffective and demotivating, this is the best solution considering the world’s current situation. I think that the short term change in grading system will be beneficial for students and teachers alike.

It’s common for us to feel pressure to use time even more productively while at home. It’s what we see online- people writing books, articles with “10 tips on how to be more productive during quarantine.” However, we need to remember that this is an unprecedented time; nothing like this has ever happened before. This is a time of uncertainty and feelings of anxiety and unmotivation are common. The new grading system is less strict and requires less effort to be put in, but still distinguishes those doing their best work.

Although long term this may not be the best solution, this system should only be in effect until the end of this school year, meaning that our grades will not be affected too heavily, especially as middle schoolers. The other issue with keeping a 1-7 grading scale are the Distance Learning circumstances; even with tools such as Google Classroom and Zoom, students have said that they often find that instructions can be unclear and asking for help from teachers has become harder. With many teachers in different countries and timezones, classes often go without any teacher contact. Considering the current learning situation- less support and guidance, as well as fewer instructions, a more lenient grading system is best.

Also, everyone’s home situation is different. Many people have only a couple of computers to share with many siblings, or find it hard to focus. Also, despite being at home, many students still have extracurriculars- online piano lessons, tutoring via Zoom, etc. These outside activities mean that more time needs to be spent working: many students are finding themselves sleeping significantly later than usual.

The changes in the grading system aren’t just for us students; it’s to help our teachers as well. Even under ideal circumstances, grading and writing reports are a long and difficult task. Besides just grades and assignment performance, teachers also assess students’ growth and learning process, and it’s significantly harder to judge well and fairly without real life interaction. Many other schools have altered their grading systems during this time, including more than 150 universities in the US, including Duke, Columbia, MIT, and Dartmouth.

While some students feel like they're not getting as much as they put in [with the new system], or that this grading system might hurt their future grades, this solution is short term and only in effect for this semester. This new system is optimal, taking into account all students’ situations and home lives, while still keeping in mind those who are putting in higher amounts of effort. In short, the revised grading system is the most appropriate solution to our current situation, and it will be best for everyone involved.