If one were to ask a Lower Merion student what website causes them the most stress or anxiety, there would likely be a repeating answer: Powerschool. According to US News & World Report, Lower Merion High School was ranked 341st nationally among schools in the US and there is no doubt that the student body’s test scores and average grades play a part in this ranking. But at what price?
Learning in itself is a privilege. A gift that many forget is a prize. But what makes students detest this blessing is the constant feeling that they must perform. After all, they have been fed the idea that these small letters on their transcript are their golden ticket through the college admission process. Teachers give mountains on mountains of homework, tests, and projects that are supposed to measure a student’s knowledge of a certain skill. What it really measures isn’t how smart they are, but rather how well they can take a test or memorize a set of information. Students then receive a grade that inaccurately portrays their capabilities both as learners and possible employees.
A grade might be a letter or a percentage, but to a young students’ self esteem this percentage serves as a representation of who they are. It becomes what they see when they look in the mirror; It becomes a measure of their self worth. They become nothing more than a number. This is not true. The reason why is simple.
What one child needs isn’t the same as others. Students learn in a variety of different ways: in-depth explanations, problem solving, collaboration, and one on one time.
But teachers themselves might have a preference to what they think works best and this ends up impacting how the students retain information. Other kids might not do well in a class with so many people and distractions which ends up misdirecting their focus during lecture time. Some kids might not be good test takers, or they may have anxiety that prevents them from doing their best in certain situations.
When these kids then go and do their homework, projects, or exams, they are at an inherent disadvantage because their learning environment doesn’t serve their needs. All of this leads back to grades with inaccurate representations of their overall ability and intelligence. The current system that we use in our schools lies on the assumption that all kids learn the same, have similar needs, and that all of them can perform under pressure.
The point of schooling is to benefit the overall future society;to make capable and prepared workers. When students apply to a job that they are able to perform at but didn’t receive a certain grade because of the distracting student next to them, are we doing the best for our future?
The grading system is the foundation of schools but there are ways for teachers to test ability while still adhering to the system. One action taken at Lower Merion that many students think is helpful is teachers asking their students privately their learning needs and home life. This might seem like an obvious solution but these little questions can make the difference between an F and an A. Having more points can also be helpful to students who have anxiety which puts less pressure on an individual grade knowing that one bad day doesn’t mean a bad grade.
Learning is more than a number. Students are more than a grade. By acknowledging the fact that our one-size-fits-all system is exactly that, we can make changes to test what the knowledge of future learners is.