Sunday, October 26, 2008

Image More Important Than Substance?

Hillsborough County Students Get High Grades | Tampa Real Estate Blog


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Anonymous said...

Richard I am sure you know very well that it is better to look good than to be good.

Of course image is more important than substance. What does an 8.00+ GPA really mean? It means that grades are so inflated that 4.0 means nothing.

In my school kids are routinely placed in "advanced" classes. Are they really "advanced". There are more advanced classes now than ever. do you think that mpre kids are really advanced?

Its madness.

October 27, 2008 at 9:18 PM
PRO On HCPS said...

One reason the system is set up so that 8.00+ GPA's can occur is to skew the statistics to offset the low GPA's. I would assume this is only for the system and a select few who would benefit from such, as we keep hearing that universities re-calulate these inflated GPA's. However, most people, including decision makers, only look at a score and have no clue of it's legitimacy.

Apparently the push towards "advanced" classes has a reason for it. Perhaps it is tied to financial gain. I wonder if this type of over-identification could be subject to some type of discriminatory practice. Time will tell.

October 28, 2008 at 6:22 AM
Anonymous said...

If the majority of students are pushed towards AP classes, what does that say about the basic curriculum? Does it not adequately prepare our students for higher education? If AP becomes mainstream education, where do the honors/gifted go for enriched curriculum?

Is AP being pushed on students to make someone look good? How does this serve the educatiional needs of our students?

October 28, 2008 at 8:52 AM
PRO On HCPS said...

Despite some critics of mine, I think that money drives what the HCPS system deems as "best practices" or "what is educationally relevant" or the "education plan du jour".

I have to think that the push for students into AP programs must have a direct correlation to the Superintendent's bonus.

What else could it be? How does a system as big as HCPS change so quick in this area when other types of changes within special education or career tech take major force to bring change?

October 28, 2008 at 8:52 PM
PRO On HCPS said...

When I say major force, I am talking about lawsuits that carry a longtime cost.

October 28, 2008 at 8:54 PM

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