It is a strange and frustrating time we are currently living in. Because of Covid-19, schools, businesses, and entire cities have been shut down. So many things seem to have come to a halt.

School districts in places such as San Francisco, New Mexico, Ohio, and Connecticut, as well as prestigious colleges like Harvard or Princeton, have taken into account the many struggles surrounding students and have decided to take the pass/fail route, or are passing all students, even if they were failing the year. However, that doesn’t mean they will all receive A’s- students will receive the lowest passing grade if they had been failing.

Many schools have switched to grading in this way: students are given assignments, and are required to participate at least once a week, either during a live class or through Google Classroom or some other method of collaboration, and will not be penalized for falling behind. They also have opportunities to improve their grades. More information is available by clicking here.

The biggest concern for school districts is for those students who do not have the resources to complete online learning. Schools cannot allow those who have resources to move ahead as those who do not stay behind.

The best way to educate students during the pandemic is still debated. But some districts agree that they will allow students to raise their grades, and not give a grade lower than what they were earning before their schools closed. Some are also considering keeping their work as voluntary, letting students choose to keep their current grade or improve it.

Here are some other articles about schools and their requirements during this pandemic:

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2020-04-02/how-should-schools-give-grades-during-covid

https://laist.com/2020/04/27/coronavirus_school_grades_no_fail_grading_credit_lausd.php