Fairfax's Higher Standard

Cheapening the value of an A won't help students.

FAIRFAX COUNTY holds its students to a higher standard. That's admirable -- something the county and its well-regarded schools should be proud of. Instead, some parents are waging a fierce battle against the county's tough grading policy. School officials should be cautious before tampering with a system that has successfully encouraged excellence.

A parents' campaign led by the group Fairgrade, is aimed at persuading school officials to change a system in which students must earn at least 94 percent for an A and at least 64 percent to pass. In most school systems, 90 percent buys an A, and anything 60 percent or better is passing. Other systems also give more weight to students who complete honors, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses. The discrepancy, parents contend, places Fairfax students at a disadvantage in winning college admission and merit-based scholarships.

A voluminous county study produced no conclusive evidence that Fairfax students are being harmed in college admissions. Most colleges and universities consider not only grades but strength of curriculum, performance on standardized tests and other factors. Changing the scale actually could work against the interests of Fairfax students by devaluing the worth of an A. One admissions officer surveyed in the report said that Fairfax is renowned for its rigor, adding, "Instead of inflating your grades, trust us to know that a 'B' in Fairfax County is better than an 'A' at most other schools."

A far more persuasive argument exists for Superintendent Jack D. Dale's recommendation to leave the scale alone but to adjust how grade-point averages are boosted when students take more competitive courses. The evidence is stronger that Fairfax students are disadvantaged in getting scholarships because their grades are weighted less. Students taking AP and IB courses are expected to do the same work, no matter where they go to school, so there is logic in bringing Fairfax in line with the practice of other districts. Fewer students would hesitate to take challenging courses for fear of harming their GPAs.

We understand the distress of Fairgrade parents, who see more and more districts across the country moving away from rigorous grading to adopt the 10-point scale. But just because everyone else is doing it doesn't make grade inflation any more desirable or acceptable. Fairgrade has done commendable work in focusing attention on this issue, but the School Board should not dilute Fairfax's tradition of high expectations.