The ‘Elite’ Corps of C-Minus Students
Anyone who likes to read the editorial pages knows about the new high school graduation requirements in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District.
Students in next year’s freshman class must earn at least a C-minus average during their high school careers to graduate. Previously, the requirement will have been a D average. Nowhere else in Orange County is more than a D average required.
This, according to some letter writers, is elitist. It asks too much of the dimmer students, who are, the writers seem certain, struggling with all their might just to earn their Ds. Failing students are really a reflection of the schools’ failures, they argue.
They sound certain of this, yet I wonder how many have any idea what caliber of work earns a C-minus in Saddleback Valley high schools. Without that bit of information, how can anyone draw a conclusion? If a student can get a C-minus in a general math class but cannot make change at a cash register, is the C-minus standard too stringent?
With this in mind, I set out to examine some actual C-minus work at Saddleback Valley high schools, but it wasn’t as easy as you might imagine.
I called the principal of Mission Viejo High School, Bob Metz, and asked to see some anonymous examples. At first he was reluctant, but after thinking it over for a day he flatly refused.
I called the superintendent, Peter A. Hartman, who referred me to his deputy superintendent of instruction, Donald A. Ames, who said he had advised Metz to refuse in the first place. He said, however, that he would now see what he could gather.
About a week later, he had some samples. He said he was still not in favor of showing them, because a false impression might be created. Grades on a student’s individual papers and his or her overall grade average are entirely separate things, he said. A student may do B and C work in some classes, D work in others and windup with a C-minus average. And grading on individual papers can be very subjective.
I said I just wanted to see examples of what the district has adopted as its symbolic and actual minimum standard, the C-minus.
Some of the papers, taken from classes in which students typically are aiming for graduation and no more, were more puzzling than enlightening. In economics and history, for example, you couldn’t tell how difficult the exams were without reading the chapters covered by the tests.
But other papers were more revealing.
According to a test from “High School Math,” which is a remedial course, the student is expected to balance a checkbook register containing one deposit and three checks; to figure which is the better buy, 5 ounces for 75 cents or 7 ounces for 98 cents and to calculate percentages, such as how much is 8% of $150. On that test if you were able to correctly answer 18 of 25 such questions, you got a C-minus.
Some examples of writing were included in the papers, all of them judged C-minus work by various instructors. Here are some samples, quoted verbatim:
A s in other countries, after the war the depression hit Germany in 1930. Population had grown, but there was no way to support the’se groups of people. Germany was ready for a man, a man that was strong and had power built for people.
He imerged in 1920. Hitler formed the Nazi party, he tried to take over Bavaria early in his time and failed and was put in prison for about one year. . . .
“Teachers are not paid enough, I guess we will just have to go on strike again,” Said Mr. Shriver a teacher at Central High School. Teachers should be paid more because they would care more about their job, because of time and because of economic prices. Teachers should be paid more money.
Throughout history there have been contries who have over powered others. These countries were soon defeated and brought to stand, usually losing wealth and esteem with the people in the land. There is no exception when the Napoleananic Wars and The Congress of Vienna is concerned. The Congress of Vienna was during the 18th century and was successful in the short time they were in order. History has given us examples of why the congress of Vienna was successful.
Napolean I conquired many land, while he conquired he brough and changed many of the monarchys to his close enlightened way of politik. . . .
Mr. Ames is right; you can’t draw any authoritative conclusions from these examples. But they make me suspect that a C-minus grade average in the Saddleback high schools is not too tough a standard for awarding a diploma.
Given what little I’ve seen, I believe Supt. Hartman when he says that if the C-minus standard had been applied to last year’s seniors, it would have prevented only 60 (or about 4%) of that class from graduating on schedule.
And I believe Ames when he says that the low grades for most of those 60 students apparently had little to do with their mental abilities. Most were easily capable of C-minus work. Many, he said, ranked above 80% to 90% of other students in the results of standardized tests. Apparently they just don’t try, for whatever reason.
Sure, they should be encouraged and helped. But if it is “elitist” to insist that they also try, if only to achieve a C-minus average, I think we need a new definition for that word.
