Does anyone think this situation is unfair?

[spaceacewannabe]

It isn't hard to comprehend if you aren't completely obtuse about what special education is. Some posters here would prefer to see a math genius work fast food if he or she can't spell or write very well. Some of the attitudes here just astound me--it's as if they're saying, "Let's limit people and limit our society's potential by telling people that if they have a road block in one area, they aren't capable of doing anything."

(Oh, and btw, the sixth grade level isn't that low. I read posts here all the time that are written at lower than a sixth grade level. The news is written at that level, and newspapers at the eighth grade level. And there are LOTS of people working on higher degrees who didn't score so well on the verbal part of the GRE--they're generally studying math.)

Very well said.

It didn't effect your actual GPA, it was only used for class rankings. If person A had a 3.5 and took level 3 and 2 classes, person B had a 3.5 and took all level 2 classes, and person C had a 3.5 and took level 1 and 2 classes we would all have a 3.5 but the GPA would be weighted to determine where we fell in class ranking. To be on the honor roll you had to have only level 2 and 3 classes. In all of those cases any college would get a GPA of 3.5.




Everything well, no. I would not be expected to make improvements on the mechanical heart or settle the disparates between string theory and Einstein's theory of everything. I am, however, expected to be able to read, write professionally, make presentations to the board of directors without sounding like a dolt, and other basic skills.

Reading at a level expected of someone with a college degree (or high school diploma) is a pretty basic life skill in the professional world. At least it is in the corporate world where how you present yourself is pretty darn important.

I would never normally point out a spelling error, but given your stance on this issue, you should know that "effect" is not a verb.

And in regards to presenting and reading at a professional level, how often is it random content? I would venture a guess that it is generally content in your specialized area. I would also guess that if this student were reading exclusively material about content she has some interest in, her reading score wouldn't seem so low. And, as mentioned before, this whole "grade level" thing can be extremely random and irrelevant depending on how it was measured.

 

[mouseforcemom]

I guess the point is to all of this is that by her achieving what she has achieved (albeit at a lower category to theirs 6th grade reading versus AP English) the standard is lower compared to theirs, yeah got that. Doesn't mean she hasn't worked just as hard, if not harder and overcome obstacles that would make those kids' heads spin.

Walk a mile kids, walk a mile. You could throw a fit and draft a petition about a special ed student actually benefiting from the work of many people around her (and trust me there were probably TEAMS of people helping her even get used to school in the first place) or I don't know aid your fellow human being and celebrate human achievement. It's sad to see class rank outweigh empathizing with someone who has a tough row to hoe. And not all education is found in books, but a great deal lies in being bigger than the crowd and realizing to reach out to help someone step up with you actually makes you a stronger and wiser person than any test score.

 

[browneyes106]

I talked to my cousin a couple of hours ago. She told me that the parents right now want to challenge the policy more but a few still want the girl to not graduate with honors. I asked her about the weighting and she said the AP and honors classes are weighted at the school.

 

[robinb]

I asked her about the weighting and she said the AP and honors classes are weighted at the school.

Which makes me wonder why she ranked so high in her non-weighted classes.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I read only the OP here because I don't have the time to read more right now.

If I am understanding the situation correctly, the student who is in special education has a very high GPA, but that is due in part to the fact that her special ed courses aren't on the same level of difficulty as the general ed courses. Ranking the students in order of their GPAs gives her what, #11 in class rank?

Want my honest opinion? So what! How is that skin off anyone else's nose? So the student who would be #11 if she weren't ranked is now #12 instead? Oh yeah, that's going to make a huge difference in what he or she does after high school--NOT!

And she gets to be an honor student? And that diminishes everyone else somehow?

What a bunch of nasty snobs in that school! They should mind their own business. What this student gets or doesn't get really has no effect whatsoever on their lives, but it could mean a great deal for her.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I talked to my cousin a couple of hours ago. She told me that the parents right now want to challenge the policy more but a few still want the girl to not graduate with honors. I asked her about the weighting and she said the AP and honors classes are weighted at the school.

If the classes are weighted then I see no complaint here. If the NHS students blew their grades then tough nuts on them.
I hope that they get a swift kick from the Superintendent for their insolence.

Also, what if this student was NOT special ed? Their argument is crap.

 

[AC7179]

My daughter attends school in Texas and has taken the honors/AP classes. Her AP courses receive a 1.1 multiplier as a weight. She generally ends up with an 85 or so in the course, unweighted, which would count towards her gpa as around a 94. Weighting is done by district and is a local policy.

There are students who attend her high school who are at least as smart, if not smarter, than she is, who chose to not take ANY honors classes, and make pretty much straight 100s across the board. They are ranked higher than she is. We chose to have her take the AP classes so that she would get a better education. I told her that if she had a 100 gpa in the regular classes, she may be in the top 10% and get into the University of Texas, but once in, she wouldn't be able to be successful in the classes, which is really the goal, of course.

I have worked in the school system before, and the way special ed classes used to be commonly handled was on the multiplier system. Honors classes got a 1.1, for example, regular classes stood alone, and resource classes were a .95 multiplier. Last I heard, that was now illegal.

My personal philosophy is that if a child is making 100s in resource classes or with modifications changing the rigor or course content, then the modifications are not appropriate and should be reviewed. The idea of special education is NOT to make everyone an A student, rather to allow everyone the opportunity to succeed. If a student can make a 100 in a resource class, I'd like to attempt to place that student in a regular educational setting and see if they couldn't get a C in that course

 

[torinsmom]

OP--I think your cousin should stay out of it.

My DS15 has learning disabilities, including a writing disability, ADD, a math disability and a reading comprehension problem as well. Even with all these deficiencies, he has a 126 IQ, so he definitely does not lack intelligence. I went to an Exceptional Children's conference once and a doctor named Mel Levine said something that stuck in my brain. He said "Only in school are we expected to be good at everything". He believes that even as children, our brains are specialized to be good at certain things. DS' skills lie in more in computers and engineering.

Yeah, this I don't get. To graduate from any grade you should have to demonstrate your proficiency at reading, writing, math, science, history, and every other subject at that grade level. If you can't you get to do it again.

That's not how it works if you have a diagnosed disability. For instance, DS has dysgraphia, which is the writing form of dyslexia. His physical writing is seriously at a 2nd grade level max and will never get any better. He has accommodations for writing tests, such as extended time and he gets to use a word processor. Since his disability affects spelling, capitalization and punctuation, those things are not counted against him. His writing content is scored the same as anyone else's aside from these things. Accommodations are measures that are taken to even the playing field between them and the "normal" children. I say "normal" because my child is more well-rounded than many of the non-EC kids I know.

Um, ok, so they had to have their text books read to them (via tape) vs reading the books themselves, they were still able to comprehend what they learned and passed all the tests and course requirements to get that degree--how on earth does that devalue what someone else has done? I sure hope you never have to experience a learning disability--or say a stroke that causes you to lose the ability to read because you know, that will instantly make you dumb .

DS reads the books AND listens to them, so he does twice the work. His reading comprehension is not great, but his listening comprehension is amazing. Even if you just listen to a book, it takes the same amount of time or more than reading it(no skimming or scanning when you listen)

Part of the curriculum is reading comprehension. Listening to books on CD or the computer is not reading comprehension, it is listening comprehension. While both are important but both are still necessary. They can use those methods in classes that aren't testing reading. My degree is in business and computers and I still had comp and lit classes in college. If I didn't pass I wouldn't have graduated, just like all my other classes.

Another very important part of any college curriculum is composition. If someone can't read at a college level will they be able to compose a paper that is worth of a passing grade in college? Maybe they can, maybe they can't, I have no idea. I imagine there are those who can not.

I believe that there has to be a minimum for someone to receive a standard diploma and especially a degree. This should include whatever the minimum science proficiency is, what ever the minimum math proficiency is, and whatever the minimum reading proficiency is. As some PPs have stated, you can get a different diploma from the schools you have a right to attend but college is not a right. It is something that you have to show a minimum level of knowledge to even attend, or at least you should. The selectivity of college and the inability for everyone to get a degree is part of what makes a degree valuable.

This of course is just my opinion.

As far as I know, there is a not a reading class required in college or high school. It is English or Language. There is reading involved, but if someone has a reading disability, there are accommodations--one of which is listening to the information on CD or tape. Accommodations need to followed even in college. It is part of the IDEA act.

And DS can write well on the computer. He has problems with reading comprehension and physical writing, but he is great at writing a paper. He has always scored 4-5 years ahead on the vocabulary part of the IQ test, and is very articulate, which transfers to his writing.

Oh, apparently I misinterpreted the bolded statements made below:







Yes, you test out of classes by excelling in the subject. Not by bombing the test so badly that you have to have special accommodations made.

They don't give you special accommodations because you bomb a test; they give them to you because you have an identified learning disability and IT'S THE LAW

It isn't hard to comprehend if you aren't completely obtuse about what special education is. Some posters here would prefer to see a math genius work fast food if he or she can't spell or write very well. Some of the attitudes here just astound me--it's as if they're saying, "Let's limit people and limit our society's potential by telling people that if they have a road block in one area, they aren't capable of doing anything."



(Oh, and btw, the sixth grade level isn't that low. I read posts here all the time that are written at lower than a sixth grade level. The news is written at that level, and newspapers at the eighth grade level. And there are LOTS of people working on higher degrees who didn't score so well on the verbal part of the GRE--they're generally studying math.)

Isn't it amazing that when we are adults, we all specialize in what we are good at, and that is accepted as the norm? I'm good with kids and enjoyed school, so I became a teacher. My friend was good at math and science and loves animals, so she became a vet. My cousin is a computer whiz, so he went into IT. Why, oh, why can't we see that even as kids, our brains are specialized to be better at certain things. Just because my kid can't pass Algebra to save his life doesn't mean he should work at Walmart when he grows up! It just means, he won't be a mathematician or anything else where he needs more than basic math skills.

I just hope some of you who have such strong opinions on EC kids and how they are less than other kids(sorry but this is the way some of the posts have come off) never have a child with special needs. Noone in my family ever had learning problems, so it was a rude awakening for me.

Right now, I am learning that although DS only has to make it through 2 basic maths, algebra and geometry to graduate, if he doesn't get through algebra2 and advanced math, he won't meet admission requirements for many colleges. So, what exactly is a child with a math learning disability supposed to do? He just got done with algebra and barely passed with a 73(second time taking it) He will get through geometry, as he is good with visual things, but Algebra 2 and Advanced math are probably not gonna happen without divine intervention.He will probably be taking those classes 2-3 semesters each in community college with a tutor before he passes in order to transfer to a 4 year college, where he will never take another math course again.

 

[monsterkitty]

First, your cousin should never, ever, discuss a student with other students and/or parents.

Second, the student may have certain disabilities that do not allow her to read. However, that does not mean she can not comprehend what is read to her. The IDEA act requires that we, as teachers, make accomodations for students who have an IEP. If that IEP says we must either read for that student or provide a tape of the reading we must do it. Who cares that she may have to give the answers verbally, because writing is difficult, or if she has to use a computer to write, or an ALPHA Smart. She is earning her grades just as much as a non-special needs student is.

If her IEP says the teachers must have a modified grading scale for the student, then her grades would be marked with an astrick and she would not be ranked with students who do not have a modified grading scale. Since she is ranked with the students, she is earning her ranking.

How would you feel if this student was in a wheelchair and in order to pass PE had to run a mile and throw a football? Should this student fail PE, therefore possibly not even meet graduation requirements, let alone have a GPA ruined because of the disability?

Not everyone learns the same way, but that does not mean they are not learning just as much as a "regular" student. The student cannot be penalized because she has a disability. It is called discrimination.

Personally, I do not think your cousin is discussing this with you, but rather there is a student in your school who is ranked higher than you and you do not think she should be. If I am wrong, I apologize. However, I doubt that a cousin would even discuss something like this to such great length knowing that this is not professional.

 

[Scurvy]

There are students who attend her high school who are at least as smart, if not smarter, than she is, who chose to not take ANY honors classes, and make pretty much straight 100s across the board. They are ranked higher than she is. We chose to have her take the AP classes so that she would get a better education. I told her that if she had a 100 gpa in the regular classes, she may be in the top 10% and get into the University of Texas, but once in, she wouldn't be able to be successful in the classes, which is really the goal, of course.

This sort of thing was the reason that at my school, if you chose to take a lower level class than that for which you were recommended, you became ineligible for the Honor Society and you could not receive an Honors diploma. Between that and the weighting of grades, most people chose to take the more challenging classes even though it meant that they likely wouldn't sail through the way they might have if they had taken a less challenging class.

I must admit that at this point, I am completely confused by this thread. I assumed from the original post that the student in question was taking only Special Ed classes and electives. In the schools I have been involved with, that wouldn't be the case for a student who was merely dislexic. A student with a disability like dislexia would have been placed in a "normal" classroom and accomodations would have been made to compensate for the disability. That could mean that they would be allowed a laptop with a special program, or it could mean that they would have a dedicated aid who was assigned to them, or they could have been granted other accomodations. They might be pulled out for special classes occasionally or be in a special reading class, but they would be "mainstreamed" as much as possible. For a student to be placed only in Special Ed classes, and be unable to pass the Competency Exam with accomodations, they would've had to have had much more severe learning disabilities.

If the girl in question is merely receiving accomodations for a learning disability and is in a school that has weighted grading and she is still ranked higher than some of the NHS members then I don't understand the problem.

On the other hand, if she has such severe learning disabilities that she is unable to perform high school level work or pass the competency test even with accomodations (which is what I assumed from the OP) then it is innapropriate to allow her grades to compete with the grades of the students who are performing at high school level and passing the competency test (with or without accomodations). Ideally, this situation wouldn't actually hurt anyone - she could receive her honor and the other students would earn their scholarships and everyone would be happy. The fact that some (many?) colleges or organizations who award scholarships still rely on class rank when deciding who gets those scholarships means that someone could well be hurt by the fact that this girl is being ranked among the other students. If one student is bumped from the top 10% and loses a scholarship because of that, then this situation is unfair to that student.

If that is the case, I am still not in favor of changing anything at this point. It is unfair to the girl in question for the school to change the rules of the game after she is already playing, so to speak. However, as a previous poster mentioned, the school needs to figure out a new system and change the rules before the next batch of incoming freshmen. The current students can finish out their high school career under the current rules and the new system can apply to all the graduating classes that start after this year.

 

[robinb]

If the classes are weighted then I see no complaint here. If the NHS students blew their grades then tough nuts on them.
I hope that they get a swift kick from the Superintendent for their insolence.

Also, what if this student was NOT special ed? Their argument is crap.

Yes, that was my point too . If the girl with UNWEIGHTED GPA leapfrogged over whiny students with WEIGHTED GPA's (in their favor) then tough noogies. They only have to look in the mirror to find the one to blame.

 

[torinsmom]

This sort of thing was the reason that at my school, if you chose to take a lower level class than that for which you were recommended, you became ineligible for the Honor Society and you could not receive an Honors diploma. Between that and the weighting of grades, most people chose to take the more challenging classes even though it meant that they likely wouldn't sail through the way they might have if they had taken a less challenging class.

I must admit that at this point, I am completely confused by this thread. I assumed from the original post that the student in question was taking only Special Ed classes and electives. In the schools I have been involved with, that wouldn't be the case for a student who was merely dislexic. A student with a disability like dislexia would have been placed in a "normal" classroom and accomodations would have been made to compensate for the disability. That could mean that they would be allowed a laptop with a special program, or it could mean that they would have a dedicated aid who was assigned to them, or they could have been granted other accomodations. They might be pulled out for special classes occasionally or be in a special reading class, but they would be "mainstreamed" as much as possible. For a student to be placed only in Special Ed classes, and be unable to pass the Competency Exam with accomodations, they would've had to have had much more severe learning disabilities.

If the girl in question is merely receiving accomodations for a learning disability and is in a school that has weighted grading and she is still ranked higher than some of the NHS members then I don't understand the problem.

On the other hand, if she has such severe learning disabilities that she is unable to perform high school level work or pass the competency test even with accomodations (which is what I assumed from the OP) then it is innapropriate to allow her grades to compete with the grades of the students who are performing at high school level and passing the competency test (with or without accomodations). Ideally, this situation wouldn't actually hurt anyone - she could receive her honor and the other students would earn their scholarships and everyone would be happy. The fact that some (many?) colleges or organizations who award scholarships still rely on class rank when deciding who gets those scholarships means that someone could well be hurt by the fact that this girl is being ranked among the other students. If one student is bumped from the top 10% and loses a scholarship because of that, then this situation is unfair to that student.

If that is the case, I am still not in favor of changing anything at this point. It is unfair to the girl in question for the school to change the rules of the game after she is already playing, so to speak. However, as a previous poster mentioned, the school needs to figure out a new system and change the rules before the next batch of incoming freshmen. The current students can finish out their high school career under the current rules and the new system can apply to all the graduating classes that start after this year.

But if not every school follows that guideline, doesn't it make it unfair? My DS went to a charter school, and although the teachers verbally said he would probably be okay in some honors classes, there was no written recommendation. He did Honors English(yes, with accommodations) and Honors Earth Science last year by his(and my) choice. He passed them, but really struggled, so this year we went back to the basic classes.

So, since he wasn't recommended for Honors, he would be eligible for Honors Society if he had a great GPA?(he doesn't, just asking)

Marsha

 

[The Mystery Machine]

But if not every school follows that guideline, doesn't it make it unfair? My DS went to a charter school, and although the teachers verbally said he would probably be okay in some honors classes, there was no written recommendation. He did Honors English(yes, with accommodations) and Honors Earth Science last year by his(and my) choice. He passed them, but really struggled, so this year we went back to the basic classes.

So, since he wasn't recommended for Honors, he would be eligible for Honors Society if he had a great GPA?(he doesn't, just asking)

Marsha

Let's be honest then. Comparing schools across the country is unfair anyway. We could rant on the differences across the board.

All schools have their criteria and it is up to you to know the game you are playing in your school.

Someone mentioned TX and kids getting higher GPA's with unweighted classes. At my dd's former HS we knew kids that had parents that MOVED into a lower performing school so their kids could get a higher rank. And that is no joke.

 

[Scurvy]

But if not every school follows that guideline, doesn't it make it unfair? My DS went to a charter school, and although the teachers verbally said he would probably be okay in some honors classes, there was no written recommendation. He did Honors English(yes, with accommodations) and Honors Earth Science last year by his(and my) choice. He passed them, but really struggled, so this year we went back to the basic classes.

So, since he wasn't recommended for Honors, he would be eligible for Honors Society if he had a great GPA?(he doesn't, just asking)

Marsha

Yes, I think that the fact that some schools don't follow that policy probably does make it unfair when it comes time for the students to compete for scholarships. I wish all schools would enact the same policies when it comes to Honors Society and weighting of grades. It would certainly seem more fair.

I don't know about most other schools, but at the ones I am familiar with you have to be in at least one honors class to be eligible for the Honors Society.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, I think that the fact that some schools don't follow that policy probably does make it unfair when it comes time for the students to compete for scholarships. I wish all schools would enact the same policies when it comes to Honors Society and weighting of grades. It would certainly seem more fair.

I don't know about most other schools, but at the ones I am familiar with you have to be in at least one honors class to be eligible for the Honors Society.

My older dd only did 1 semster at this HS in MO and graduated last yr. She ended up with a ranking of 22% instead of the 44% she was in in TX. (We had moved from TX to MO her senior yr.)
She received 2 honors and was not in Honor Society.

I will have to look that up, not sure of their criteria. My youngest is in 7th and I am just now looking into the HS stuff details.

 

[js]

I am sure your are aware that each school has their own set of guidelines for membership into the NHS. Colleges know this, are keen to this and weigh the NHS as another club. That is all.
My dd attends a college prep school. Their requirements are based on GPA (must have an 93 average from beginning of freshman year), volunteer work, leadership, interviews and extra curr. activities.
Her BFF attends a HS where they must have an 85 average in Sophomore year, have a letter from their parish priest (she attends a Catholic school) and service hours.

My dd can, based on her HS NHS requirements, not including the interview (which hasn't taken place yet) get into NHS but they are told it includes many hours of peer tutoring, extra service and that colleges view it as another "club" it is not a priveledged society as it sounds. She's on a varsity sport and on the debate team and told me she really isn't sure she wants to add this to her college resume but not sure although decisions will need to be made this week.

I work in a private college and although I was aware all school requirements are different and her HS college advisor sent home/e-mailed about it being a club, I wanted to double check.
I spoke with our head of admissions and they concluded that yes it is viewed as a club. It is how you lead that club and what you do for that/any club what matters.

So, the reason I have typed all of this is that the parents that have the children already in the NHS shouldn't stress too much. It is not viewed and weighted as they may think. It is the leadership you take in any given club, your volunteer work and the courses that you took in HS that matter most. NHS does not give you any advantage.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

If someone is reading at a 6th grade level - why are they even IN high school?

I really am not politically correct enough to accept that a person who cannot read at the 6th grade level deserves a HS diploma, much less a college degree. Devalues everyone else's accomplishment...

I stopped at page 6 because I can definitely feel some points coming on if I read further.

Clearly you have never worked with anybody with any kind of academic disability. I teach kids with special needs. My current class is self contained MR, but last year I taught the gamut from mild learning disabilities to MR.

Several kids I taught had dyslexia. They had to work so incredibly hard to read. They probably will never be to the point that they can read a textbook, or will read adult novels for fun. But damn it, they were smart! By getting their textbooks on tape, they could fully learn and comprehend the material. I've met some absolutely brilliant kids- gifted kids- who couldn't read due to a learning disaiblity. In the field this is known as "Twice Exceptional".

Part of special ed is to teach them how to mitigate their disability so that they can achieve in the real world. If that means teaching them how to access things like books on tape so they can go to college, then that is what we do.

We know nothing of this kid other than what the OP has told us. We have absolutely no clue what percentage of classes were sped and what were regular. We don't know if she happens to be a whiz at science or math, or if she struggles in those too. All we know is that she reads at the sixth grade level and did not pass the state exam- somethign that is not surprising to anyone who works in sped and has had to watch kids who struggle to read take an exam that is written well above their level when if they were allowed to have it read to them they would pass with flying colors.

Special ed is not a cop out or easy. Think about your neurotypical child. Chances are that they will do things that are easy and hard in their classes. At least in my class every single thing is hard for my kids because every single thing is based on their IEP and is meant to challenge them. I guarantee you that my kids work much harder than I ever had to in school.

Like it or not, this girl earned her ranking under the current system. It sounds like she probably busted her *** to get there. The OP stated that they do have weighted grades in that school. If the NHS kids don't like their ranking, they should have either taken more weighted classes or studied harder. I hope karma hits them where it hurts.

 

[KirstenB]

I stopped at page 6 because I can definitely feel some points coming on if I read further.

Clearly you have never worked with anybody with any kind of academic disability. I teach kids with special needs. My current class is self contained MR, but last year I taught the gamut from mild learning disabilities to MR.

Several kids I taught had dyslexia. They had to work so incredibly hard to read. They probably will never be to the point that they can read a textbook, or will read adult novels for fun. But damn it, they were smart! By getting their textbooks on tape, they could fully learn and comprehend the material. I've met some absolutely brilliant kids- gifted kids- who couldn't read due to a learning disaiblity. In the field this is known as "Twice Exceptional".

Part of special ed is to teach them how to mitigate their disability so that they can achieve in the real world. If that means teaching them how to access things like books on tape so they can go to college, then that is what we do.

We know nothing of this kid other than what the OP has told us. We have absolutely no clue what percentage of classes were sped and what were regular. We don't know if she happens to be a whiz at science or math, or if she struggles in those too. All we know is that she reads at the sixth grade level and did not pass the state exam- somethign that is not surprising to anyone who works in sped and has had to watch kids who struggle to read take an exam that is written well above their level when if they were allowed to have it read to them they would pass with flying colors.

Special ed is not a cop out or easy. Think about your neurotypical child. Chances are that they will do things that are easy and hard in their classes. At least in my class every single thing is hard for my kids because every single thing is based on their IEP and is meant to challenge them. I guarantee you that my kids work much harder than I ever had to in school.

Like it or not, this girl earned her ranking under the current system. It sounds like she probably busted her *** to get there. The OP stated that they do have weighted grades in that school. If the NHS kids don't like their ranking, they should have either taken more weighted classes or studied harder. I hope karma hits them where it hurts.

Thank you!!
And thanks to other posters with the same philosophy!! As I posted earlier, dh and his dad both have dyslexia, bad!! But they are both successful electrical engineers. They are great verbally, just have challenges with written communication. Even then, spellcheck, and the like have leveled the field.

However, dh would be the first to tell you, he's eternally grateful to the folks who helped him work around his dyslexia, at our university. When we were kids, many years ago, and he was in DOD schools; a different one every couple of years, it was tough. He repeated 3rd grade, because he couldn't read. He was called a dummy many a time. But, our university immediately identified a disconnect between his reading ability vs. analytical skills.

Each year, we gladly donate to the alum fund, because they gave him a chance. T

hanks to all the teachers who take a second look at children, and see that they may have a special gift, even though reading is difficult.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I understand where the kids are coming from OP.

At my HS, there was International Baccalaureate.
And at my HS, a 4.0 meant valedictorian as in if you had a 4.0, you along with everyone else who got a 4.0 was valedictorian.

There was one AMAZING student who had a 4.0 and was a full diploma IB student. For those of you who don't know what IB is, it's comparable to AP and to be full diploma, you were going for the IB diploma in taking all IB classes in junior and senior years and passing the tests at the end of the course... in a nutshell.

Anyway, this girl who was clearly the number one student of the class was also valedictorian with many other people including many who took anything required to pass HS, all regular classes, and a bunch of electives like weight training, auto or horticulture...

A bunch of other IB students, senior class senate members, honor society people and many of the similar folks from different classes tried to petition this. Even most of the IB teachers were behind this.

I'm sorry but there is no way a person taking the minimum and spending a lot of credits taking electives should be recognized as valedictorian the same as someone who is taking IB classes. They are not comparable in the least when it comes to work load.

Unfortunately, it wasn't changed that year nor was it for the 2008 class and I don't know after that.

It's just annoying. Although people may do the best to their abilities, those who can do more with their abilities, imo, should get more recognition.

 

[js]

I understand where the kids are coming from OP.

At my HS, there was International Baccalaureate.
And at my HS, a 4.0 meant valedictorian as in if you had a 4.0, you along with everyone else who got a 4.0 was valedictorian.

There was one AMAZING student who had a 4.0 and was a full diploma IB student. For those of you who don't know what IB is, it's comparable to AP and to be full diploma, you were going for the IB diploma in taking all IB classes in junior and senior years and passing the tests at the end of the course... in a nutshell.

Anyway, this girl who was clearly the number one student of the class was also valedictorian with many other people including many who took anything required to pass HS, all regular classes, and a bunch of electives like weight training, auto or horticulture...

A bunch of other IB students, senior class senate members, honor society people and many of the similar folks from different classes tried to petition this. Even most of the IB teachers were behind this.

I'm sorry but there is no way a person taking the minimum and spending a lot of credits taking electives should be recognized as valedictorian the same as someone who is taking IB classes. They are not comparable in the least when it comes to work load.

Unfortunately, it wasn't changed that year nor was it for the 2008 class and I don't know after that.

It's just annoying. Although people may do the best to their abilities, those who can do more with their abilities, imo, should get more recognition.

I understand what you are saying but it also relates to my previous post.
The valedictorian was an award that the particular HS gave out. Really, so what, for instance, 20 students received the award. It is paper and doesn't mean much after the commencement.
BUT, The IB student that got the 4.0 would stand up MUCH better than the student that didn't take IB when their course load is looked at by colleges. The mention of the valadictorian will only go so far once you begin looking at the courses taken in HS.