Over the past few years, there has been a push for greater student involvement in the Nashua School District. As a part of this push, student voice groups were established at both Nashua High School North and South.

These groups consist of students from all different grade levels, academic levels, and backgrounds, representing the demographics of the schools.

Over the past three years, the student voice groups at both North and South have helped to provide student input on changes facing our district, and develop plans to better the academic climate.

As the Student Voice Group from North, we are writing in response to the recent conversation by the Board of Education about returning to the traditional 100-point grading scale from the current 11-point scale.

Unlike the 100-point scale, the 11-point scale consists of 11 different levels, ranging from A+ to C-. Any grade lower than a C- is an IP, or "in progress," and needs to be remediated in order to receive credit.

On Dec. 16, the Student Voice groups from North and South held a joint summit to discuss grading scales. The overwhelming consensus was that the 11-point scale, the current scale, best suits the needs of the student body.

With fewer levels of gradation, the 11-point scale is more consistent and meaningful to students. Learning is qualitative, not quantitative, and assigning levels of knowledge to a 100-point scale goes against the new educational philosophy, which emphasizes growth and levels of understanding.

For instance, what is the difference (in student understanding) between an 82 and an 83? Other than the difference between a B and a B- and 0.2 GPA points, the levels of knowledge are basically indistinguishable.

The 11-point scale solves this problem with its fewer levels of gradation that can be more easily justified as measures of student understanding and more accurate due to a smaller margin of error.

Teachers and students can understand the differences between an A+ (student completely understands the material, can apply it in real life and can teach it to others) and an A (student completely understands material and can apply it, but may not be able to explain their thinking and reasoning to others).

Along with giving students a better picture of where they are with their learning, the 11-point scale prepares students better for post-secondary life. Under the previous 100-point scale, students could graduate high school with 27 D-‘s and 5 F’s. Now, under the 11-point scale, the bar has been raised, with the lowest passing grade now being a C-.

This increase of expectations was done in tandem with the establishment of in-course and post-course recovery. These venues of extra help assist students in reaching the new, higher bar, allowing those students who would have failed before to now have more opportunities to receive credit in a course. The 11-point scale better prepares students for college, career and life.

At the Student Voice joint summit, we discussed the downfalls of returning to the 100-point scale. As a district, we have already made the transition to the 11-point scale, the third grading scale in three years.

As students, we want consistency and to keep the 11-point scale. While change can be hard at first, we believe the 11-point scale better suits the needs of students, and implore the Board of Education to give the 11-point scale more time and a chance for students to adjust to the change.

Going back to the 100-point scale would be a step in the wrong direction, undermining the progress that has been made, stifling future benefits like raised standards for students, and forcing students to transition once again.

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