District plans plus/minus pilot
Erin Browner
Issue date: 5/27/09 Section: News
The district will begin researching the effect of plus minus grading on students starting May 28.
San Mateo County Community College District will be replicating research done at Foothill-De Anza Community College District in 2004 and 2005 to understand the impact plus and minus grading policy would have on SMCCCD students and their transferring to four-year universities, according to Patty Dilko, SMCCCD Academic Senate president.
"The Pilot will allow faculty to use plus and minus grading," said Dilko.
As the teachers evaluate students with current grading system, they will also use a separate report applying plus and minus grading to those students.
"But students won't get to see the plus and minus grading in WebSmart," Dilko said. "It (the study) will not effect students."
The Thursday, May 28 meeting will bring SMCCCD Student Trustee Virginia Medrano Rosales, Vice Chancellor Jing Luan, Information Technology Services (ITS) Associate Director Eric Raznick and Canada College's Director of Planning, Research & Student Success, Gregory Stoup together to map out the pilot study for fall 2009 and spring 2010.
"There will be discussions on the fall study when it's done," Dilko said. "Then the Board of Trustees will base their decision off of the results this time next year," she said. "The policy will automatically change if there is no impact."
Dilko assured that the student senate and the faculty senate will have a large say in the final policy.
Dilko also plans to meet with California State University Vice Chancellor Charles B. Reed next year.
The 2004 to 2005 Foothill-De Anza study showed there would be "no substantial adverse impact on students," according to the FHDACCD Board of Trustees report on Plus/Minus.
Robert Johnstone, dean of planning, research and institutional effectiveness at Skyline Community College, was a contributor to the plus/minus grading pilot study at De Anza Community College.
San Mateo County Community College District will be replicating research done at Foothill-De Anza Community College District in 2004 and 2005 to understand the impact plus and minus grading policy would have on SMCCCD students and their transferring to four-year universities, according to Patty Dilko, SMCCCD Academic Senate president.
"The Pilot will allow faculty to use plus and minus grading," said Dilko.
As the teachers evaluate students with current grading system, they will also use a separate report applying plus and minus grading to those students.
"But students won't get to see the plus and minus grading in WebSmart," Dilko said. "It (the study) will not effect students."
The Thursday, May 28 meeting will bring SMCCCD Student Trustee Virginia Medrano Rosales, Vice Chancellor Jing Luan, Information Technology Services (ITS) Associate Director Eric Raznick and Canada College's Director of Planning, Research & Student Success, Gregory Stoup together to map out the pilot study for fall 2009 and spring 2010.
"There will be discussions on the fall study when it's done," Dilko said. "Then the Board of Trustees will base their decision off of the results this time next year," she said. "The policy will automatically change if there is no impact."
Dilko assured that the student senate and the faculty senate will have a large say in the final policy.
Dilko also plans to meet with California State University Vice Chancellor Charles B. Reed next year.
The 2004 to 2005 Foothill-De Anza study showed there would be "no substantial adverse impact on students," according to the FHDACCD Board of Trustees report on Plus/Minus.
Robert Johnstone, dean of planning, research and institutional effectiveness at Skyline Community College, was a contributor to the plus/minus grading pilot study at De Anza Community College.
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