Lyons Township Frustration May Lead To Changes

LA GRANGE, IL — Lyons Township High School is looking to change the way it assesses students, a response to frustrations over grading inconsistencies, the school's principal says. If approved, the changes could start as soon as this fall.

Lyons Township's grading and reporting system is not uniform, which results in inconsistencies in grading practices from classroom to classroom, Principal Brian Waterman said in a recent online statement. With campuses in Western Springs and La Grange, the school has found through surveys and other communications that parents and students are frustrated with the grading system, he said.

Under the proposed changes, students would still receive grades of A through F to demonstrate their achievement of learning objectives. But in addition, they would get three "process mark ratings" of 1 to 4 to assess their preparation, participation and interaction. Only grades, though, will appear on official transcripts.

Also, the school plans to establish new expectations for extra credit, test re-takes, group grades, curving and attendance. Those expectations, Waterman said, would be applied consistently across all teachers who teach the same course.

"Extra credit does not reflect a student’s level of learning. As a result, we are proposing that extra credit not be given," Waterman said in an email to Patch. "Moving forward, instead of providing opportunities for extra credit, it is our intention to allow students opportunities to demonstrate learning through assessment re-takes."

Asked whether extra credit has been historically given to athletes needing to improve their grades, Waterman said that has not been the case.

In proposing the changes, Waterman said the school is trying to achieve its century-old motto, "Vita Plena," or "a fulfilling life."

"In order to reach this goal, greater emphasis had been placed on cultivating classrooms where practice and feedback are frequent, mistakes are viewed as part of the learning process, and challenges are posed and assumed," Waterman said in the statement. "While our classrooms have shifted to acknowledge growth and learning as a process, the methods by which we assign and report grades have not evolved systemically."

For the last year and a half, faculty members and administrators have been crafting the new grading system, a process involving in-depth research and visits to other schools, Waterman said.

The school plans to share more details about the system later this month. In 2019, Lyons Township's enrollment was 4,050.

For more information on the preliminary grading plan, contact Waterman at 708-579-6503 or bwaterman@lths.net; Scott Eggerding, director of curriculum, at 708-579-6470 or seggerding@lths.net; or Katie Smith, coordinator of assessment and research, at 708-579-6360 or ksmith@lths.net.