MANCHESTER, N.H. – In a unanimous decision by Manchester’s Board of School Committee (BOSC), public school students will not receive failing grades until the current COVID-19 pandemic concludes.
The recommendation by Manchester School District Superintendent John Goldhardt came from the principle of causing no educational harm to any child, with the fear that the unprecedented difficulties faced with remote learning during the pandemic could have long-lasting impacts on student morale.
In the place of “F” grades, students will receive “incomplete” grades, with classes able to be made up after the current mandatory remote learning ends and the city’s educational system returns to normal.
A separate recommendation was made for children below fifth grade, with the focus there on progress toward learning goals.
There were thoughts to recommend a “pass/fail” grading system, but this idea was scrapped after discovering long-term disruptions to GPA, class rank and NCAA eligibility for graduating high school students.
Mayor Joyce Craig noted that the idea balanced fairness toward students who may face added hardships with remote learning that they may not face with in-person learning while ensuring that the motivation of grades remain in place to help students push themselves to higher educational outcomes.
“if students get no grade, then what is going to motivate them to work?” said Craig. “I think this goes beyond limitations in our system. As said, it should do no harm but should also motivate students to work when they’re having troubles meeting the requirements but working with their teachers to get there.”
Assistant Superintendent Amy Allen said that pro-active assistance will be in place for any students in danger of achieving an incomplete grade, including physical education classes.