A-to-F letter grades are a longstanding way of signifying academic achievement. That’s why some school officials now fight to get rid of grades for both students and schools.
In 2011, Oklahoma lawmakers voted to assign A-to-F grades to schools to give parents some indication of school performance and allow comparison with other districts. Ever since, status-quo defenders have sought to eliminate the transparency measure.
During a recent study, Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller called for lawmakers to eliminate school grades. When asked why A-F grades are bad for schools if they are okay for students, Miller responded: “We are moving away from A-to-F grades as quickly as we possibly can,” but admitted Bixby still gives elementary students “a final grade, simply because our parents ask for it.”
