Anne Arundel schools emphasize student responsibility with grading regulation alterations

BALTIMORE -- The Anne Arundel County Public Schools are altering their grading regulation that will put more emphasis on student responsibility.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell said the alterations will start this upcoming school year which will focus on increasing student responsibility and providing more time for teachers to focus on instruction.

Here are the changes:

• The number of allowable redos that can be done by students has been reduced from three to two per class per marking period and must be categorized as "Assessments" in teacher gradebooks.
• Late work will continue to be accepted, but with a progressive penalty structure for each class period of lateness. Assignments that are turned in late are not eligible for redo.
• Students must once again exhibit a "good faith effort" in order to earn a minimum grade of 50 percent on an assignment.
• Students who are chronically absent may have credit withheld in a course, regardless of their grade in that course.
• Students in all grades who take Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses may opt out of the fourth marking period quarterly assessment in that course if they are taking the AP or IB exam in that course.

At the middle and high school levels, the grading scale now defines an E as 50% to 59%

"Just as our teachers have a responsibility to deliver quality instruction, our students have a responsibility to get their work done on time," Dr. Bedell said. "Our school system granted a great deal of leniency during the pandemic, but the pandemic is over and we need to strengthen the regulations and allow teachers to focus on instruction and not as many re-dos of student work."