But some parents and school officials say such equity hasn't been achieved and are worried that inconsistencies in grading are causing drastic differences in failure rates on different campuses. At the end of the second nine weeks of the fall 1997 semester, the percentage of students with a failing grade in at least one class varied as much as 20 points between some campuses. But grading policies are not identical on every campus, she said. The district sets grading parameters but leaves some variables up to individual campuses, such as how much weight is given in a final grade to homework and quizzes or performance standards. Performance standards are projects or tests students must complete to show they have mastered the academic standards.
Some parents say it is such options that lead to varying failure rates.
King had the second-highest failure rate, at 49 percent. Similar differences exist at the middle school level. The year before, the percentage of students who failed at least one class ranged from 15 percent at Cunningham to 45 percent at Haas, according to district figures. Yes,'' Lanier-Lerma said. Yes,'' Lanier-Lerma said.