As many students have experienced first-hand, one failed test or a few forgotten worksheets have the potential to tank your final grade in a class. This can drop your GPA, which could then interfere with your chances of getting into certain colleges.
Some California school districts, including Los Angeles Unified, Oakland Unified, Sacramento City Unified, and San Diego Unified, are trying to avoid this snowball effect—particularly as it pertains to acceptances into the University of California and California State University school systems—by phasing out D and F grades. It’s not just about collegiate futures: It’s also a way to refocus on comprehension, rather than making school a numbers game.
“Our hope is that students begin to see school as a place of learning, where they can take risks and learn from mistakes, instead of a place of compliance,” Nidya Baez, assistant principal at Oakland Unified’s Fremont High, told Bay City News, per KRON4. “Right now, we have a system where we give a million points for a million pieces of…
