Secondary-school teachers are surprised and frustrated by a collection of decisions made about how to address year-end grades for students in the secondary program — grades 10, 11 and 12.
First, the Labour Relations Board ordered that teachers provide final marks for all Grade 12 students by June 20, as this was deemed an “essential service.”
While this timeline was sufficient for some teachers in some classes, those with large amounts of unmarked student work — piled up due to the government lockout — were simply not able to complete the marking with the level of detail and attention they usually would. Others were left to provide a grade without having assessed all the areas of the curriculum.
This happened both because of the lockout — which restricted teachers’ workday for the last two weeks of classes — but also because at six of the seven secondary schools in Victoria, the school cancelled all course final exams for all students. This left many teachers feeling that they were not able to produce a valid and fair mark in the circumstances.
More difficult to understand is the need to produce marks, at this time, for grade 10 and 11 students. The second decision by the LRB has principals and vice-principals providing marks that teachers then verify within a two-day turnaround time.
Different districts have produced marks using different methods. Some used the last mark available, some used an average, and at least one district bumped up marks as much as 10 per cent (for example a 40 per cent becomes a 50 per cent pass) for some students in some grade ranges.
Teachers, who are on the picket lines, do not have the information or completed, marked work to adequately verify final marks. As a result, these student marks will vary significantly across the province. Provision of these grades could instead be part of a back-to-work agreement once a settlement is reached and done properly.
Next came the announcement that most of the written components of the Grade 10 English and Grade 11 social studies exams would be eliminated this year only. These exams count for 20 per cent of a student’s grade. It is therefore surprising to hear that such a large component of a grade would come from a multiple-choice test, particularly in a subject like English 10.
The B.C. government makes strong claims about student assessment and reporting. The much-touted B.C. Education Plan states: “Students’ progress will continue to be monitored through rigorous provincewide assessments. Effective classroom assessment practices are key to student success and will be even more vital in a more personalized learning environment.”
Yet what teachers have seen these last few weeks is the “rigour” of a multiple-choice test counting for 20 per cent of a student mark, a lockout that deprived students of effective and accurate assessment, and term grades or term averages substituted for final marks. These decisions make a mockery of student assessment and the government’s plans.
Tara Ehrcke is a secondary school teacher and past-president of the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association.
