Baltimore City Public Schools will not require students who failed classes in 2021 to repeat their grades, citing academic challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
All students will instead be tested in the fall to determine their competency levels, and schools will create catch-up plans for students who are behind.
“The challenge of virtual learning cannot be understated,” said Chief Academic Officer Joan Dabrowski, according to the Baltimore Sun. “As a system, this is why we have to approach post-COVID in a very different frame.”
PANDEMIC CLOSURES LIKELY TO LEAVE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS FURTHER BEHIND IN FALL
Officials announced the plan at a school board meeting Tuesday and separately in emails to parents and teachers, and it does not require board approval.
The school system’s aim is to provide assistance to students rather than punish them for circumstances beyond their control, Dabrowski said.
As part of its plan, the system will adjust how it grades students, giving elementary students who have an “unsatisfactory” grade in any course a “not completed.” Middle school students with failing grades will also get a “not completed.” High school students who fail will get a “no credit” for those classes.
It “feels punitive” to require students to repeat grades considering the circumstances, Dabrowski said.
“It feels in contrast to a spirit of hope and a commitment we are going to make to students,” she said.
Nearly 65% of secondary students and 50% of elementary students in the Baltimore system are failing at least one class, according to the Baltimore Sun, which cited system data.
The learning difficulties experienced by Baltimore’s students are shared by systems across the country, according to some researchers.
Pandemic closures caused students to lose the equivalent of three months of learning in math and one and a half months of learning in reading on average when classes resumed over the fall of 2020, firm McKinsey & Company estimated.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to Baltimore City Public Schools for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
