After Grade-Rigging Scandal, Baltimore City Schools No Longer Holding Back Failing Students

A new grading policy, put forth by the Baltimore City School Board, Tuesday, will allow students who are struggling and failing classes to move up to the next grade level due to the virus pandemic, according to local news Fox 45. 

Instead of holding back students, Baltimore City Public School System’s (BCPSS) new grading policy will push up struggling students who failed classes during the pandemic and have their educational status tested during the fall semester to determine what skills they missed during virtual learning classes. 

Chief Academic Officer Joan Dabrowski said the new policy is intended to “avoid the punitive approach of failing students.” 

“This is not about a failure, but it is about unfinished learning and giving multiple opportunities, multiple onramps for young people to complete that … learning,” BCPSS CEO Sonja Santelises said.

High school students will have their failing grades swapped out for a “No Credit,” and for lower schools, a “Fail” will be replaced with “Not Completed.” 

About 78,000 students are enrolled across the metro area. More than 65% of students in secondary schools and 50% of Elementary Schools failed at least one class.

Fox 45’s investigative arm, “Project Baltimore,” has spent several years investigating BCPSS corrupt school system. Grade-rigging has been well known before the pandemic, but now it’s out in the open. At least now, school officials can deflect their failures on the pandemic. 

Earlier this year, we pointed out how a high school student who almost graduated near the top half of his class failed almost every class. There have been attendance issues, such as attendance at high schools dropping to a 13-year low. More than a dozen schools have zero students proficient in math. 

BCPSS officials no longer have to be covert about grade rigging as they can openly blame the pandemic.