After outcry from students and parents upset over the San Dieguito Union High School District's switch to a credit/no credit grading policy, the district board on Thursday changed its tune to make both sides happy.
The SDUHSD community staged a drive-by protest at district headquarters last month after the switch was announced. Students worried a credit/no credit system wouldn't reflect the work they put in, and also questioned how it could impact their college applications.
“For students who achieve above and beyond, they’re getting knocked back because it’s like you’re with everyone else," Carson McLachlan, a junior at Torrey Pines High School told NBC 7.
Superintendent Doctor Robert Haley said the goal was to “hold students harmless," acknowledging that the pandemic has created unfair learning environments for some.
On Thursday, Haley and the rest of the district board voted on a system they hope will work for everyone: Students will have the option to choose credit/no credit, or traditional letter grades for the spring semester.
"When you offer some students choice then those will probably be the more high performing students," Haley said at Thursday's virtual board meeting. "Not all students at home have the same equity and or the same level of access to the internet."
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Many universities and colleges have said they will accept credit/no credit, but students like La Costa Canyon High School sophomore Domenic Viotto contend, "It's not the same as getting a grade. "
The board is still working out the details of its new hybrid grading system but is expected to ratify it at its next meeting on May 21. Middle school students will remain on the credit/no credit grading system.
