Poof! Gone is our Middle School Honor Roll

[declansdad]

Maybe make sure the students who try know that you'll write them letters of recommendation when they need them?
Maybe give the students who try a bonus for NOT sleeping?

I don't know, just thinking of some possibilities...

agnes!

Good ideas.

 

[SCHBR'smom]

In our area they have mostly done away with the valedictorian/salutorian at HS graduation. Now they have the valedictory "group." The administration is too wimpy to actually commit to one outstanding person. One graduation ceremony I attended had TEN students speaking.....

I would have been furious about this. In 7th grade, I decided I wanted to be valedictorian and I worked my bahookie off to achieve it.

 

[ZuZugal]

At our middle school we have honors and high honors.

There is an assembly in May each year. It covers EVERYTHING (just not sports; they have an assembly as well.)

Honors & High Honors students receive certificates stating so. Also, they recognize students from all of the clubs (chess, model UN, scholar bowl, drama) and awards are given out within most of those groups as well. There is also an award named after the previous superintendent and ONE student from each grade (6,7,8) gets that award. It's one of those all-around-good-student-good-citizen awards.

I think all of these awards are great. What is the hard work all for if not to be recognized and congratulated?

Also, any student who has had straight A's for their junior high years is valedictorian. Last year there were 7 of 125 kids. They worked hard for that honor and deserved it.

I completely disagree with the "give everyone an award" mentality. Is that the way it is in the working world? Usually not.

 

[RachelEllen]

I am just amazed that a student who scored an overall average of 50 would be considered passed Do you not have a failing grade (F), or do Canadians consider a D to be a failing grade?

Maybe I help a little. I'm American, but I went to med school in Canada. It was some of the toughest, least inflated grading I've ever experienced. You had to work your behind off to get an 80 in something. It was a true bell curve system based around a C, where half the students actually were below average. In fact, of the 8 courses that were offered for third year (everyone takes the same courses), in 2 of them, out of 200 or so students, no one got an A. Not a single person.

THey used to send out an explanatory letter to residency programs explaining that a "B" student was actually towards the top of the class.

 

[punkin]

If this came from our district, I'd be laughing so hard I'd moisten myself. The only thing the school administration cares about is test scores. They test the kids so much that they don't have time to teach them, and just send it all home for homework.

True for our district too. With the amount of testing they do and the amount of homework they assign, they than have the gall to complain that the kids don't read recreationally. When pray tell?

 

[kaytieeldr]

The kids aren't "mature" enough to really understand the honor roll. Kids were doing whatever they could to get to the honor roll (cheating). We (society) are too concerned about grades and test scores and should concentrate on learning instead.

If the school administration knows some students are cheating to make the Honor Roll, address that issue with those students. Don't penalize the entire school. And if they don't want to offend (leave out) the 10% or so who don't make the Honor Roll, give them some type of "Improving Effort" award or certificate.

No, wait (sardonicism alert )! Let's all support mediocrity! Nobody needs to excel at anything, or put any effort into their work - school or otherwise. Let's just all be the same! See Twilight Zone episode entitles "Number 17 Looks Just Like Me".

 

[DizBelle]

I'm kind of tired of the "everyone wins!" mentality, too. Our elementary school decided it's unfair to judge a science fair. ?? So you can enter a big project or a collection. Last year a pencil collection won.

A pencil collection? Seriously?

Have your kid send in his booger collection and I bet it will win.

 

[DizBelle]

For those interested in the data from various places...

In my primary school days, grades were:
90 - 100: A
80 - 89: B
70 - 79: C
60 - 69: D
59 and below: F

In my senior year it changed to (something like):
92 - 100: A
83 - 91: B
75 - 82: C
69 - 74: D
68 and below: F

or something close to this.

 

[Mermaid02]

Why can't we in the country no longer celebrate success and hard work?

Why reward people for doing what they SHOULD be doing anyway? Life isn't one big awards show..........

 

[autumnpalm]

Maybe I help a little. I'm American, but I went to med school in Canada. It was some of the toughest, least inflated grading I've ever experienced. You had to work your behind off to get an 80 in something. It was a true bell curve system based around a C, where half the students actually were below average. In fact, of the 8 courses that were offered for third year (everyone takes the same courses), in 2 of them, out of 200 or so students, no one got an A. Not a single person.

THey used to send out an explanatory letter to residency programs explaining that a "B" student was actually towards the top of the class.

Yep, this! a 50 in Canada is a passing grade. But it is pretty hard to get high marks. Very, very, few students have averages in the 90s. I have never been to an American school so I can't compare the way RachelEllen can but I do know that a few students I went to high school with ended up at Ivy League universities and did extremely well. Our universities are ranked very highly among those in the world (University of Toronto, McGill, University of British Columbia, Queens, etc) and I feel that we have a very good education system.

 

[Pigeon]

The administration in the school where dh teaches is forcing a new policy on the teachers. They cannot give the kids a grade under 50 for any reason. If the kid doesn't turn in a shred of work, or pick up a pencil, or answer a single question all quarter long, the teacher must give him a grade of 50.

They have some nonsensical psychobabble explanation, but the real reason is NCLB. They need to have fewer kids failing and dropping out. Higher standards, my eye.

So in his school I guess they all make honor roll too!

 

[Free4Life11]

Kids need to learn that many times you will work hard, do an excellent job, and get NO recognition, other than the satisfaction of knowing you did well. It happens all the time at work. I don't mind honor rolls, but I don't think it's necessary to turn it into a breakfast and award ceremony.

 

[Mermaid02]

Kids need to learn that many times you will work hard, do an excellent job, and get NO recognition, other than the satisfaction of knowing you did well. It happens all the time at work. I don't mind honor rolls, but I don't think it's necessary to turn it into a breakfast and award ceremony.

Thank you- you said this better than I have been......

 

[MM27]

its irritating.... when I was a teacher, I remember arguing with the principal about field day. She wanted to do away with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons in the events and just have EVERYONE get a participation ribbon instead. I agree that everyone should get a part. ribbon, but do away with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place??? What would be the point in trying??

My school goes one step further with field day. Not only do they all get participation ribbons, but there are no competitive events. They circulate to activities where there is no winner. It's quite pathetic.

I don't really understand why this is a big deal.... it ought to matter more at home than at school anyway! Throw your own party or have your own breakfast....

It's a big deal because they are taking something away from kids that earned it because they are afraid that the ones that didn't get it are going to be sad. We still do have honor roll and at our last assembly, one of the boys said to me, "Why didn't I make honor roll? I work hard" So I told him in the 2nd marking period to make sure he worked just a little bit harder. Common sense isn't it?

 

[Mermaid02]

My school goes one step further with field day. Not only do they all get participation ribbons, but there are no competitive events. They circulate to activities where there is no winner. It's quite pathetic.



It's a big deal because they are taking something away from kids that earned it because they are afraid that the ones that didn't get it are going to be sad. We still do have honor roll and at our last assembly, one of the boys said to me, "Why didn't I make honor roll? I work hard" So I told him in the 2nd marking period to make sure he worked just a little bit harder. Common sense isn't it?

So now the honor students and their parents are all upset that there is NO public recognition........ how is that any different??

The school made a decision... agree or not...... deal.

 

[Tinkmom75]

I wanted to add there is one awards assembly at the end of the year for MS and HS. They recognize academic achievment as well as sports, and other activities. I see nothing wrong with that. In the elementary level to have 3 a year is a bit much. Parents work and the kids want their parents to attend so there are 3 times a year when I had to take off school to be the proud parent. Once is enough.

ETA: I am a proud parent all the time, but to have to go to 3 assemblies during working hours was difficult.

 

[robinb]

I have to admit that my DD is not the best student and he has always struggled in school. Things just do not come easy to her. I don't mind having an honor roll for kids who succeed at academics. Those kids and their families should be proud of their efforts. However, that pride should not come at the expense of the other kids. I think having a party where the honor roll kids are honored and then only they get to stay and eat breakfast/have cake is cruel. I don't mind them getting their awards in front of the assembly and I don't even mind the special party. It's the two together that I find distasteful.

 

[luvmy3]

So now the honor students and their parents are all upset that there is NO public recognition........ how is that any different??

The school made a decision... agree or not...... deal.

It doesn't have to be a public ceremony for anyone, but those who deserve to be on the Honor Roll should get the recognition without having to share the same honor as those who didn't. There is no real honor in it for the top students, if everyone is awarded just because the put forth some kind of effort.

 

[runwad]

I admit it, I have been really thinking about this. I know my kids did well and they know. And I know they will be ready to take on future challenges.

And I don't want to be a snowflake! My daughter's teacher told the class she had a 7th grade parent come in upset about an A- in English, it was going to keep him from being Valdictorian That is scary! (and not true, Valdictorian is based on HS grades) I feel so bad for the stress and pressure that child must be getting at home. I know there is a middle ground and I think we went past that and to the other extreme.

BUT, it still upsets me. My 8th grader has been so proud at the past events and the different lists really gave her a goal. And my 6th grader was ready for the challenge. I don't want them to have crowns or for us to bow to them for what they did (can you imagine living with that!). But, everything else at school gets acknowledged. You are good at sports -- you play more and your stats get posted in the paper. You can sing -- great you get the lead in the play. You can spell -- enter the spelling contest and win an award. You get good grades -- keep your head down and don't make anyone else feel bad. Do you think we are going to require equal playing time on the sport teams? Each play should have equal lines in the play? When is it all going to end? Why are grades, the main reason we are in school, to be the first to be "taken away" I just don't get it!

That's why I wanted to hear other views and what other schools are doing -- our principal told us we are going into a new frontier with the policy.

Yep they do at our middle school. I couldn't believe it, but then I live in one of those towns where everyone wins and we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings! DD's 8th basketball team has 15 girls they all pretty much get equal time. Same for volleyball, 15 girls...and i hear hs soccer pretty much everyone who tries out makes it and they have two teams a red and a white. And we are a division one school. But back to the OP, our middle school and intermediate school posts the excellence roll (straight A's) and honor roll (3.5 and above) in our town paper.

Oh and like another poster the elementary schools do not give out letter grades because the kids are classified as A, B,C, or F students. They now get a 1 progressing, 2 (I forget what it means?) or 3 mastered a certain subject. So now the 3 students are the 21st century straight A students. Just crazy.

 

[Mermaid02]

It doesn't have to be a public ceremony for anyone, but those who deserve to be on the Honor Roll should get the recognition without having to share the same honor as those who didn't. There is no real honor in it for the top students, if everyone is awarded just because the put forth some kind of effort.

I thought the OP was saying the ceremony was done away with and that is what they were upset about.... not that EVERYONE was now involved in the ceremony. I'm going to go read the OP again....