Changing grading system to combat racism

 I had a request to write about this and tweeted about it last nite

I don't know if I'll blog about this but I just have to say something. Changing the grading system to combat racism. I feel like in trying to help "minority" students you're insuring they're even more left behind...

https://t.co/rgwCbNIrj8

— Levois J (@levois) October 19, 2020

Well I'm writing about it! This was a link I shared from Instapundit last nite

Students will no longer be graded based on a yearly average, or on how late they turn in assignments. Those are just some of the major grading changes approved this week by California's second-largest school district.

The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) is overhauling the way it grades students. Board members say the changes are part of a larger effort to combat racism.

“This is part of our honest reckoning as a school district,” says SDUSD Vice President Richard Barrera. “If we’re actually going to be an anti-racist school district, we have to confront practices like this that have gone on for years and years.”

Students will no longer be graded based on a yearly average, or on how late they turn in assignments. Those are just some of the major grading changes approved this week by California's second-largest school district.

The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) is overhauling the way it grades students. Board members say the changes are part of a larger effort to combat racism.

“This is part of our honest reckoning as a school district,” says SDUSD Vice President Richard Barrera. “If we’re actually going to be an anti-racist school district, we have to confront practices like this that have gone on for years and years.”

This sounds good though 

Academic grades will now focus on mastery of the material, not a yearly average, which board members say penalizes students who get a slow start, or who struggle at points throughout the year.

Another big change, teachers can no longer consider non-material factors when grading. Things like turning work in on time and classroom behavior will now instead count towards a student's citizenship grade, not their academic grade.
...
Student School Board Member Zachary Patterson, who is also a junior at University City High School, says while some classmates expressed concerns about grade inflation, overall the feedback from his peers is positive.

Grade inflation is always a concerned, students getting grades they didn't exactly earn. Though I'm sure many students don't mind being graded on a curve. WTF is a citizenship grade?

Students in elementary school used to be graded on conduct, however, I do think that's very subjective. Mastery of material is important, but then we live in a time where say mathematics could be considered sexist or racist so I think that's dangerous if you're creating a grading system that combats "systemic racism".

As I stated there is a possibility that this well intended change can only serve to set back those minority students it's designed to help. 🤷