Recent proposals to change the grading system in the Santa Barbara Unified School District merit close attention from the community. One important concern is process. I have never known of as significant a policy initiative to be proposed for action in as short a period of time during 45 years of involvement with the Santa Barbara Board of Education.
It is unclear what is being proposed at this time. The original proposal, at the secondary level (grades 7-12), was to replace Ds and Fs with Incompletes and No Credits. However, a "new proposal (with stakeholder input)" has also been referenced in school district materials this week indicating that D grades might be retained.
It is essential for the Board of Education to keep D grades in secondary schools at this time. Eliminating D grades could cause a large spike in the number of Hispanic students, in particular, who would not graduate from high school this spring.