As the first nine-week grading period ended, many students felt the effects of the ongoing grading pilot program. According to Assistant Principal Brooke Weekes, the grading pilot program is part of an ongoing process that consists of a revised grading policy introducing measures to make sure that students complete their assignments. Eighty selected teachers, at least one from each department, participate in the program.

“We’ve had a grading committee for the last two or three years, and (the program) is one of the things that has come out of that grading committee,” Weekes said. “One of the things we haven’t done in the past is universally hold students accountable to completing their work. ”

The grading policy of the pilot program includes a three-step method to confront incomplete assignments, including an SRT detention, an academic detention and finally a behavior issue office referral. In the past, students were able to opt out of completing assignments if they chose to unless a teacher initiated specific action. Now, however, according to Weekes, there is not an option to opt out anymore.

Social studies teacher Tracy Hadden, who is part of the pilot program, said she received positive results from her experience so far.

“It has forced a lot of kids to get work done, and of course when they actually do the work, their grades on quizzes and tests goes up, and we have fewer failures than we did before,” Hadden said. “Ultimately the goal (of the program) is to make sure that kids learn the information, and by these measures they’re being forced to do that because they don’t want to go through the punishment.”

On the other hand, sophomore Mustafa Zaidi, who attended at least one SRT detention this year, said he believes the revocation of his SRT is a con of the program.

“I like the old policy because you can use SRT to work on your other homework that’s due next day,” Zaidi said. “But now, you have to do homework you didn’t do in SRT.”

English teacher Kristin Lentz, however, said she believes in an alternative solution between the pilot program and the old grading policy.

“I personally feel that there should be a middle ground where there should be some sort of punishment, some sort of percentage taken off for late work, because I feel like that’s not realistic at all for college,” Lentz said. “It’s not preparing kids for either one of those things because in real life if you’re late on things, like your bills, you do have a penalty. Or in college, you may fail the class. So I just feel like it’s too much hand-holding, but I like the idea that it’s encouraging kids to do the work. You don’t have an option not to do the work anymore.”