LTHS Makes Concessions In Grading Debate

La Grange IL

17 June, 2022

1:30 PM

Description

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School appears to be attempting a compromise with its grading policies for next year. Last year, homework didn't count in semester grades in any classes. That policy met with protests from many parents. They said homework was important to prepare students for tests. With it uncounted, they said, many students would not do it. For the next school year, the school plans to have homework count for 10 percent of a grade, while tests and major assignments would make up the rest. Under the new policy, a student would receive the higher of two grades at the end of the semester – the one with homework or the one without. Asked why 10 percent was chosen, Scott Eggerding, the school's curriculum director, said it was enough of an incentive for students to do homework. Before last year's policy of homework not counting, half of the school's classes did not factor such work into grades. Another quarter of classes included homework, but gave no feedback. Last year, the school gave more opportunities for students to retake tests. For next year, that is being limited to a degree. The new grading policies were discussed during Monday's school board meeting. "The changes that are being made now for next year are responsive to feedback," Superintendent Brian Waterman told the board. He said officials should not lose sight of the history of the grading changes. The goal, he said, was to make such practices more consistent across the school. "Every single change that has been made around grading practices at LT has been present in our classrooms for at least 10 years, maybe more," Waterman said. "They just weren't applied consistently." Last fall, parents launched a Change.org petition against the new grading practices. They pushed factoring homework into grades. Nearly 1,800 people have signed the petition. Earlier this month, longtime English teacher Tom Stukel announced his resignation, blaming the school's new grading policies.