WISD changes from a six week to a nine week grading period

The WISD Board of Trustees approved a new 2013-2014 school plan. This plan consists of four nine-week grading periods, opposed to the current six six-week grading periods.

“We are very excited about the potential for increased learning time the nine week grading periods will offer our teachers and students,” Superintendent Dr. David Vinson said.

The spreading out of grading periods has the potential to decrease the amount of time teachers spend on grading and increase the amount of time actual learning takes place in the classroom.

“This should allow students to make better grades in a nine week period,” Vinson said, “It has some UIL eligibility benefits as well.”

Students now have the opportunity to take more time to get their grades up, instead of rushing to get their grades up to passing at the end of the six weeks. This will allow fewer chances for students and student athletes to fail.

“This is beneficial [to student athletes] because we now have more time to worry about grades and getting them up to passing,” Junior Garrett McCain, Varsity Quarterback, said

With fewer grading periods, athletes only have one chance to pass or fail.

“For football you would only have to pass the first nine weeks,” McCain said, “since the season is not 18 weeks long.”

This is not the first district to walk in this area of grading periods.

“I have switched from six weeks to a nine week grading period in each of the last three districts [I have worked in],” Vinson said, “everyone has enjoyed the benefits of the change.”

Students and parents will still receive progress reports every three weeks, then a report card on the ninth week.

Some are skeptical if it will be a major adjustment in the classroom.

“I don’t see it much changing our fate,” Human Growth and Development Teacher Mrs. Stephanie Shepard said, “I’m more worried about the students who will transfer in from other districts.”

Others are more excited for the change.

“I like this idea,” Junior Brittany Hepler said, “it was like this in my old school in North Carolina and it worked really well. It gave us more time to get our work done.”

It is questionable whether the change will have an effect on the students, grades and productivity.

“I am very excited to find out what this will bring for our 2013-2014 school year,” Shepard said.