Six weeks, or nine weeks, that is the question. The question students, parents teachers and administrators have been asking themselves for the past three years. The dust surrounding this controversial argument has far from settled, but this paper stands firmly in support of a nine-week system.
Currently, the district’s upper level schools are rooted in a six week grading system. Secondary campuses currently have three grading periods per semester, two semesters per year, and (very) roughly six weeks per period. On the nine-week system, all this would change. There would be nine weeks per period and two grading periods per semester. For teachers and students, this difference is incredible.

The primary positive part of nine weeks is the freedom for teachers to space out assignments. When there are only two grading periods squeezed into a semester instead of three, teachers aren’t under quite so much pressure to churn out assignments. With a six-week system, teachers are more constricted. They are required to force a certain number of grades into a comparatively short time. Long-term projects become nearly impossible, and teachers have to adapt and shape their lesson plans around the inconvenient schedule. Under a nine week administration, teachers would be able to assign grades based on what they believe will do the best job of educating their students. It would dispense with last-minute quizzes and tests thrown together in urgency. It would provide more freedom to the people in the education field who need it. It would let our teachers be better teachers.

Some may claim that a six-week system allows students greater opportunity to redeem themselves if they fail a grading period. Three grading periods per semester mean three blank slate start-overs per semester. However, what these people don’t seem to realize is that each semester is still the same length of time. Students still only have so many weeks to maintain their grades. Starting from zero more frequently doesn’t really help. Academic material doesn’t naturally divide itself at the grading periods. Chances are, if a student struggles to pass at the end of one grading period, they’re going to keep struggling in the beginning of the next. The only way to recover from bad grades earned as a result of difficult material is to wait until the material gets easier. The six week system hasn’t helped with student redemption. It’s only made things harder.

The district should stop trying to constrain teachers and students with the six week grading system. A nine week system will open up the school year schedule, allow teachers to teach more freely, and help students to learn. It’s time for district high schools to switch back to the nine week grading system.