Published in the Asbury Park Press 11/25/97

Freehold Regional District explains grading change

By VAUGHN WATSON
FREEHOLD BUREAU

The Freehold Regional High School District issued a synopsis of its 300-page report on grading policy 5120 yesterday, answering questions parents frequently asked.

"On 5120, we took the most-asked questions and made a list of issues in reference to that," Deputy Superintendent Louis G. Talarico said. "We want to enlighten and crystallize concerns people involved in the process may have."

The Freehold Regional Board of Education revamped 5120 in July. The policy eliminated class rank and weighted grades for honors and advanced placement courses; adopted a 4.0 scale; and implemented a detailed student profile to plot student performance, indicate honor and advanced placement courses taken and explain the regional's magnet schools.

"The (school) board reacted to a suggestion raised by the community to review the existing system to correct an inequity," the synopsis said. "The result of this inequity was the creation of a dual ranking system that proved confusing to colleges when considering student acceptance."

Other highlights:

5120's July 1997 adoption stemmed from a three-year survey of student achievement by parents, teachers and administrators. The committee originally convened for two years, but tabled the issue in June 1996 to get more community input.
Class rank will be offered on demand to colleges and scholarships.
The policy eliminated class rank because "students are sometimes not admitted to colleges because they rank below the cutoff margin;" and rank spawns "an aggressive mentality among students" and forces them to choose courses for rank, not interest value. Also, more students may gain acceptance to top colleges when their transcript includes no class rank, the synopsis said.

Meanwhile, 5120 maintains its share of critics: angry parents who say the policy undermines student performance by failing to reward the brightest students.

The board voted 4 to 2 on Nov. 17 to rescind the policy, with three board members who had upheld the policy before not present. It comes up for a second reading on Dec. 3.

Source: Asbury Park Press and the Home News Tribune

Published: November 25, 1997

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