Wake County Schools seniors to be graded pass/fail for semester, decision not yet made for other students
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- As Wake County students prepare for at least another month of learning from home, schools leaders announced some changes to the grading policy for this semester.
In a news conference Thursday, Wake County Public School System Superintendent Cathy Moore said all graduating seniors will be graded on a pass/fail basis.
Moore said all high school seniors who were passing as of March 13 will receive a passing grade. Any seniors who weren't passing will receive an "I," or incomplete, with the opportunity to get a passing grade through online classes.
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Moore clarified that the pass/fail system does not apply to any other students, and said a decision about grading policies for other students had not been made at this time.
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Moore said instructors were advised not to give grades on assignments until all students have access to remote learning materials. More than 28,000 Wake County students said they don't have access to an appropriate computer at home, and more than 10,000 said they do not have home internet.
Moore said the district has already distributed more than 13,000 chromebooks to students with internet access. In addition, 10,500 WiFi hotspots will arrive next week for students.
RELATED: Teachers receive laptops, Wake County schools move closer to remote learning launch
Leaders said parents should encourage their students to keep up with their learning, because they have not yet decided whether grades will resume if schools reopen on May 18.
School Board Chair Keith Sutton offered these tips for parents who have students learning from home:
- Designate a learning space with the least amount of distractions possible
- Learn your child's schedule
- Familiarize yourself with virtual platforms like Canvas, Google Classroom and Seesaw
- Check for messages about teacher phone calls and video conferences
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