1. Tom Bolin, Lincoln East
2. Bonnie Martin, Schuyler
3. Tony Moran, Johnson-Brock
4. Mary Hepburn,
5. Alyssa Amen, Millard North
6. Maricia Guzman, Scottsbluff
Bonnie Martin, Schuyler
‘No Zero’ Isn’t a ‘No Brainer’
Zero: to some high-achieving individuals, “zero” isn’t in their expansive vocabulary. Zero: to other students, who attempt none, grasp nothing, and feel no remorse, “zero” is the epitome of their vocabulary.
Now, however, “zero” won’t be a burdensome term, for Schuyler Central High School plans to adopt a “No Zero” policy. The policy essentially entails no failure: missing assignments? 50% Other homework? Above 65%
Within weeks, students will wonder, “Zero? What does that even mean? Are they talking about the candy bar? Does it have zero fat?”
That isn’t the question of the high-achieving individuals, but rather the slackers- for everyone knows there is no such thing as a candy bar without fat. It is as believable as the commercials where Three Musketeers floats in the air: which is what said slacker students think about instead of finishing assignments.
This brings on Joshua Rhett Miller’s article “Are ‘No-Fail’ Grading Systems Hurting or Helping Students?” He quotes Michael Petrilli, researcher at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution: “It does not take a lot to pass a high school course. If we have kids not meeting the standard, the answer is not to lower the standard.”
“If you are getting a zero, that usually means you didn’t turn in the assignment or do the job correctly,” Petrilli said.
My sentiments exactly. In other words, DON’T BABY THE STUDENTS.
Sally Hansen, Omaha Public Schools curriculum consultant, (Not to be confused with Sally Hansen the nail polish guru) disagrees.
“If a child is already struggling, and I give that child two or three zeros for not completing work, they’re going to give up,” she said.
Maybe they should! Here’s a little word the world should learn: character. It means working strenuously to fix that zero. It means taking care of your mistakes, not asking the teachers to erase them like she does a dirty chalkboard. It means saying NO to that last candy bar because it doesn’t have “zero fat!”
Sorry, I got a little carried away- my tummy was grumbling; I was planning to eat during snack time, which is after nap time. Did I mention Schuyler Central High School is also changing its name to Schuyler Elementary School?
So, here we are again meeting “Zero.” Whether friend or foe, let it ring in ears. Let it disfigure assignments. And, by golly, it better be appreciated, because a zero is a fact of life. Colleges let you pay for zeros, slackers. Get used to it!
Alyssa Amen
Column Writing
The dim laptop light glints against an all too familiar can of Diet Coke, as I slurp the last remaining drops from its depths. My mind mentally calculates how much longer this articially stimulated energy rush will last, until the caffeine subsides and I can type no longer.
It is 1:15- a.m. I can feel the end approaching, my eyes blurring as they methodically scan the remaining page of text. Delete this word, alter the thesis to include my final point and…done. The resulting pride is dulled by my body’s sleep cravings, but it is still present, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and relief.
I would like to say that my academic endeavors are intrinsically motivated. I would like to say that I write research papers solely for the pleasure of learning and improving my skills. I would also like to say that I only drink Diet Coke for the pure purpose of enjoying a cool beverage. But that would be a lie.
Grades are the ultimate motivation, the glue that binds together the academic careers of all high school students. What else could provoke a sleep-valuing teen to toil endless hours to complete an assignment deadline? Certainly not the promise of a “Good job” and a smile. Only the reward of a red-inked “A”.
However, in an ironic role reversal , educators seeking to “help” students succeed are eliminating the one thing that can save them- the power of a good, or bad, grade.
The culprit? The “no zero” grading policy. This reform has left no part of the country unscathed, with schools from coast to coast now under its comprehensive manipulation.
Sure, it sounds like a high schooler’s dream. But the true results of this “dream” will have devastating consequences as this generation of students skates under an increasingly lower academic standard.
Michael Petriilli, a research fellow at Stanford University, echos a concern that is reverberating across the nation, that “some of these children are just a few years away from being in the workforce, in college, or even in the military, and in none of those environments will they be coddle like they are in these programs.”
Administrators and teachers, however, tout the policy for “providing hope for underperforming students”, according to a Fox News report. Hope is great. But hope without tangible improvement is the bane of our public school system. And even worse, hope becomes a lie when it is systematically delivered from educators across the country in the form of grade manipulation.
High school students will not succeed after an academic career riddled with the premise of false hope. The answer lies not in the diminishing effect of grades, as Petrilli states that “if we have kids not meeting the standard, the answer is not to lower the standard.”
Pity is a key player in the proponents of the “no zero” academic band-aid. Valerie Purdie-Vaugns, professor of psychology at Columbia University, fears for the well-being of students. “You can unintentionally create a culture of failure. The other effect is that students really feel like they cannot recover, particularly as schools are becoming more competitive.”
Perfect. So instead of perpetuating a “culture of failure” we are perpetuating a culture of underperformance. So instead of allowing students to “recover” academically, we are typing a higher number in the grade book and moving on. So instead of offering students extra assistance in the forms of tutoring and extended after-school availability, we are letting them languish in their academic incompetency. But don’t worry. At least they will pass high school.
Dumbing down an educational system already wracked with high drop out rates and underperformance sends a strong and dangerous message: academic learning and subsequent achievement are not important.
When I cracked open my third can of Diet Coke at midnight, it was out of necessity. It was finally necessary for me to end my prolonged procrastination, crack down, and complete my paper. Had I not had a deadline and a reflecting grade awaiting me? My procrastination would have simply manifested itself. At the end of the day, or night, students need the structure of a solid grading system. The discipline of a traditional grading structure is the essential binding of every classroom. Its elimination leaves both educators and students with a zero.
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