Mayor De Blasio’s Dept Of Education Wants to Eliminate Honor Roll, Recognize ‘Social Justice’...

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Department of Education (DOE) has come up with a new way to thwart education for our youth. Much like the notion of “participation trophies” De Blasio and his cohort liberals want to eliminate honor rolls and class rankings, thinking it’s “detrimental” to some kids.

“Recognizing student excellence via honor rolls and class rank can be detrimental to learners who find it more difficult to reach academic success, often for reasons beyond their control” a new grading guidance document states.
Instead of honor rolls and rankings, the DOE wants schools to utilize “recognitions” such as “contributions to the school or wider community, and demonstrations of social justice and integrity.”

The New York Post reports this new suggestion is just part of a “larger set of grading imperatives that seek to entrench and further a new concept of student assessment.”
https://nypost.com/2021/08/31/nyc-wants-schools-to-rethink-honor-rolls-deemed-detrimental/
The DOE wants more emphasis on evidence of progress and the mastery of individual “learning goals” rather than the cumulative quality of assignments and tests.

If a new exam score shows improvement, the DOE advises teachers to disregard or lessen the influence of the prior showing.

“Rather than just averaging the two assessments, replacing the score or part of the score is a more valid measurement of student achievement,” the guidance states…

…The guidance also reiterated that “non-mastery” measures like behavior, attendance and participation should not impact grades.

Staffers should “minimize the effects of bias and eliminate practices that penalize students who have been marginalized based on their race, culture, language and/or ability.”

…Educators are advised to “invite students and families to offer meaningful input and engage in decision making about how students will learn and demonstrate proficiency on course goals and co-create learning goals with teachers.”

The document suggests “grades are not only a reflection of student performance but can be self-fulfilling prophecies.” Therefore, “Influencing future student performance either directly through their psychological impact or indirectly through instructional decisions, placement in courses, and guidance in post secondary options.”