Privilege… B Average or B Minimum?
When the privilege system was implemented before any of us walked these halls, it was based off an idea of incentive. To get the students to try harder and get better grades in classes, the administration put something there for them to look forward to.
When this system started it was a good idea, and still remains a good idea. The problem that is forming with the system is that the administration keeps on raising the bar. This is an excellent concept that, in theory, would make the kids bring up their grades even more. The issue is that this is not the case.
Students instead see this as an impossibility; some kids just don’t understand certain subjects and the possibility of them actually getting an 83% is just not even worth the effort. Teachers always say that if the student does the work, the good grades will follow. This is not true. What if someone just doesn’t understand math? No matter how hard they try or how much help they get they can only pull off an 80%. Does this make them a worse student than the kids who understand math and don’t have to do a lot of work to manage an A?
A student’s report card can have three As and one B- adding up to a 3.67 GPA, a high honor student, but this student’s grades are bar him from privilege, unlike someone else who got four Bs and ended up with a 3.0 GPA.
This system discourages students from taking challenging classes. Students take AP classes with hopes of getting college credit because they are college level classes. These classes are notably harder; therefore, good grades are more difficult to achieve. This system makes students not want to take these classes because a B would be harder to get in them compared to the average high school class.
I propose a B average instead of B minimum system. If that isn’t strict enough, base it off of GPA. Put a minimum GPA like 3.3 or something along those lines which would be a B+ average. This doesn’t mean that you would have to get B+s in all of your classes; it would just mean that you would need to get an A in a class if you have a C in another.
I think this system would be a lot more fair to students and just overall makes more sense.
I do understand the other point of this argument, it is called ‘privilege’ for a reason, it is supposed to be just that. If the administration wants to use it as a motivation, they need to make it work. The bar needs to be set at an attainable height and it needs to be an average score, not an individual class-based judicial system.
Hayley L. • Jun 2, 2010 at 9:47 am
I totally agree with this Ryan. I am an honor student who will graduate with a 3.6 GPA, honor cords, and a Tiger Academic Letter, but I cannot be on privilege because of the B- I have in AP US History. I think that the B average system will be alot more of a motivator than the B minimum. Kids will work harder to achieve at least passing grades, and will not feel as if they are a failure and never able of achieving a B in every class. Great article, great proposal! A+ as always Paw Print!!
Gregg Koboski • May 18, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Mike makes a good point too. I just hope someone within administration will see this and try to do something about it.
Mike Firkins • May 18, 2010 at 8:11 am
the whole priveldge idea is kind of messed up.
It seems like the students who are not on priveledge get [the short end of the stick].
it goes like this.
say im getting a D in math.
and i want to go get help from the teacher during focus.
but becasue im not on privelege i cant go get help to get my grade up so i CAN be on privelege.
it just seems like some pretty backwards logic to me.
Kathy Hanson • May 17, 2010 at 2:00 pm
I agree with Ryan’s views voiced in his article. Requiring a B minimum as opposed to a B average will discourage some from taking the more challenging classes. It will teach you how to balance your schedule. If you know you have challenging classes, balance that semester out with classes in which you are stronger. By making it a B average you are not “dumbing” down the idea of privilege, you are just making it more attainable for those that feel like challenging themselves.