Grades and transcripts

[quincy]

So you believe the error in grades is a civil rights violation?

Was there any acknowledgement of error in grades by school officials?

 

[efincherna11]

Yes they did admit they had a problem with the grade that was put in incorrectly and would address that with the teacher

 

[efincherna11]

Yes a civil rights issue

 

[cbg]

What civil right do you believe has been violated? Be specific, please.

 

[LdiJ]

Yes they did admit they had a problem with the grade that was put in incorrectly and would address that with the teacher

How long ago did they admit that? Have you given them enough time to actually get it corrected?

 

[xylene]

You need a lawyer. They have at the highest level said they won't do anything per your post.

 

[xylene]

You say this is affecting others. Seek them out.

 

[quincy]

There is a pretty good chance that it is not just my son but other students as well

Would these other students have been singled out because of the same specific characteristic that you believe your son was - or is this a diverse group of students? Is it one teacher who entered grades wrong for one class, or are these several teachers who entered grades wrong in several different classes?

If you believe your son is a victim of illegal discrimination, you can fill out a form with the ACLU to see if they can help or perhaps you and others who were affected by the grade-error can consult with an attorney in your area.

Here is a link to the ACLU in Alabama's legal issue in-take page:
https://action.aclu.org/legal-intake/al-legal-intake

 

[not2cleverRed]

In one of the classes the grade was put in incorrectly. So when they averaged the semester 1 and 2 they used the correct grade which was lower than the one that was put in. for example, he had a 84 but they used a 79 for calculation,
The other grades semester 1 and 2 did not average out to be the yearly average

I am not quite understanding you, so I hope that this is a typo.

It helps if we can understand at what point you believe that each "error" was introduced. Do they have an explanation for the discrepancy? If "yes", what is it? Do the other students affected have anything in common with your son that would indicate a type of discrimination?

Does your district have their gradebooks online that parents and students can access? Most districts do, at this point, have that for middle and high school students. If your district doesn't, then it should.

This is a public school? My son is a senior. Three grades are wrong. About 4 points. The transcript was sent to colleges incorrect which affected his GPA and a loss of scholarships. If he earned those grades I want him to have them and that prestige. Also the county is not in compliance with the consent decree. If I cannot sue what can I do?

Focus more on the "loss of scholarships" than honor society. "Loss of scholarships" can be argued as a financial/monetary loss, and the damages more easily quantified ($) than the effects of not making honor society.

 

[Zigner]

Focus more on the "loss of scholarships" than honor society. "Loss of scholarships" can be argued as a financial/monetary loss, and the damages more easily quantified ($) than the effects of not making honor society.

While correct, those scholarships would need to have purely academic requirements. For example, if the scholarship says all kids with a 3.8 GPA WILL be awarded the scholarship, then the OP would have a case, but if the scholarship lists the GPA as merely one of several requirements, then things might be murkier. For example, if the GPA opens the door, but the recipient is then required to have done x hours of community service, and write an essay that is reviewed by an award committee, then there is no guarantee that the child would have received the scholarship even if the grading error had not occurred.

 

[not2cleverRed]

While correct, those scholarships would need to have purely academic requirements. For example, if the scholarship says all kids with a 3.8 GPA WILL be awarded the scholarship, then the OP would have a case, but if the scholarship lists the GPA as merely one of several requirements, then things might be murkier. For example, if the GPA opens the door, but the recipient is then required to have done x hours of community service, and write an essay that is reviewed by an award committee, then there is no guarantee that the child would have received the scholarship even if the grading error had not occurred.

Additionally, grades alone are not enough for honor society. My district requires 2 letters of recommendation from faculty, an essay from the applicant, participation in at least 3 students groups (clubs, sports, performance groups) in addition to those good grades and community service.

There are some current cases in neighboring Mississippi that OP might be interested in, especially if students affected at OP's son's school have been discriminated against based on race, for example.

 

[xylene]

Additionally, grades alone are not enough for honor society. My district requires 2 letters of recommendation from faculty, an essay from the applicant, participation in at least 3 students groups (clubs, sports, performance groups) in addition to those good grades and community service.

But would those things override grades? In my experience they would not.

 

[not2cleverRed]

But would those things override grades? In my experience they would not.

Even with an average above 99%, the completed application is required. Seems stupid, but yes, if you have the grades but don't do the other things, you don't get in.

I grew up in a district where the requirements, in addition to grades, were to have passing grades in conduct and effort. While I can understand requiring good conduct, I question the effort requirement if one is taking accelerated classes, based on my personal experience. If you are taking the highest level course offered in a subject, in your grade, why should you be penalized if the subject matter comes easily to you? If you can get an A without working at it, is that the student's fault or the teacher's fault? I understand if someone is taking less challenging courses for the easy As, but I was initially denied membership in honor society because a (substitute) teacher gave me a failing grade in "effort" because she did not like that I earned an A that quarter. It was very unfair: I'd put more effort into that class than all my other courses combined. And the there wasn't a more challenging course available at my grade level meant, so if I could get an A without any effort, why punish me? Yes, I was able to successfully appeal.

 

[LdiJ]

The OP doesn't seem to be coming back to answer questions anymore.

 

[quincy]

Here is a link to information on the Beta Club mentioned by efincherna. It is a national organization and does not rely solely on grades.
https://www.betaclub.org/about/#whoweare