Is the new SIS grading system a valuable change?

This 2015-16 school year, Fairfax County officials have implemented a new grading system. The SIS Parent Account allows students and parents to view students’ grades. Grades are visible as soon as teachers have recorded them. If there are questions, the parents can discuss the grades with their children. The expectation is that students will communicate with parents and teachers allowing greater communication to address issues before they become serious problems.

Many teachers are adapting to the new system, but there are many struggling with the changes.

“As with any change, there has been an adjustment period,” said chemistry teacher Emily Texdahl.

Opinions on the new system vary depending on the person. The question is whether the system is effective for some subjects and not others. English teachers have found it much more difficult to balance grades, especially since they typically have fewer graded assignments in each of the weighted categories. Whereas with subjects such as Math and Science, the change has been fairly simple and the program is easy to use.

Although the system will allow for parents and students to view grades, currently it’s only designated for parent viewing. This poses a problem for students who want to monitor their own grades.

“SIS is okay,” said junior Devyn Jones when asked about the new system. “I do not like how only our parents are able to see the grades.”

Many schools had already made the transition to the new system prior to this year. Some teachers find some functionality within the program cumbersome.

“Both systems are fine,” said Math teacher Emily Burrell. “Once everyone gets used to SIS, I think they’ll like it.”

Students are only a quarter of the way through the school year, and there are still mixed emotions about whether or not the system is better than IG Pro, the one previously used. Many believe that it is too soon to be able to draw an accurate conclusion about whether or not it is actually more efficient. The chatter in the hallways among students indicates it is not popular, but they do appreciate the emailed progress reports.

Although some teachers have said that working with the system can get a little confusing, it is beneficial for helping students stay consistently updated on their grades.

Only time will tell whether or not the new system will be embraced. For now, the jury is still out.