A new policy involving the visibility of students Grade Point Average (GPA) in PowerSchool was implemented at the start of this school-year at Colegio Menor. While students could once view their overall GPA in the application, that possibility no longer exists.
The new policy was pushed by high school assistant principal Anabella Andrade. She claims many studies have shown the policy to decrease students’ stress and anxiety, while increase student performance and confidence.
“The students and their well-being are always at the center of any change we make in high school,” Andrade said. She added that there is no firm policy established yet, but there are guidelines that will remain until the semester reporting period.
It’s the students that might need further convincing on the topic. Some of them disagree with the policy and are discontent with their inability to keep up with their GPA.
George Fernandez, a well articulated senior who is currently taking six Advanced Placement (AP) courses, is one of the students against the policy. In his opinion, the new GPA policy has had the opposite of the desired result.
“I think that it is causing harm to the students, by prohibiting them from using a basic tool that can help keep them responsible during the school year,” Fernandez said. “It is really important for me to realize when something is going wrong, or if there is a class that I am falling behind on specifically.”
Fernandez mentioned that his parents have also shown some negative attitude towards this change, since it is harder for them to keep tabs on his performance.
It is this pressure to perform that Andrade believes is central to the administration’s changes, which seek to keep important values of education intact.
“When a student is primarily driven by their grades, they may be less likely to engage deeply in the learning process, take risks, or explore subjects outside of their comfort zone,” Andrade wrote El Ojo in an email. “Reporting the GPA upon completion of the reporting period can help shift that focus from end results to the learning process.”
She went on to emphasize that the goal her team has is to “foster a growth mindset in students where they are willing to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them. “
Andrade credited numerous studies, including research by Carol Dweck and Angela Duckworth, that highlight the benefits of fostering a growth mindset and intrinsic motivation in students.
These ideas are not lost on all members of the student body. Alegria Davila, a senior and president of student government, has seen some of the immediate benefits of the policy to her stress levels.
“In my opinion I think that the new GPA policy is an exceedingly good idea for students,” said Davila. “I remember when I saw my GPA go down and I would immediately be scared and try to make it better instantaneously.”
Davila also pointed out that as seniors near the finish line of their high school careers, however, the GPA is becoming even more important.
“I also think it’s important that you know the reality of your grades and how are you doing because as you get older, you realize that the GPA is important for your future,” she added.
So far, according to Andrade, the changes have brought about positive outcomes.
“In some conversations, students have expressed feeling less anxious when their GPA is not immediately visible,” Andrade said. “In other cases, I´ve been able to shift their attention toward the learning process by explaining that they can still access their individual class grade.”
She added that the high school administration team will make sure the community is informed about any further changes, if they need to be made.
