FACT: Consistent grading practices do prepare students for the real world
The mission of Virginia Beach City Public Schools is to prepare every student to become a life-long learner who is a responsible, productive and engaged citizen within the global community. The division would not take any action to keep students from exceling after graduation. In fact, the intent of the guidelines is to help better prepare students for the practices outside of school. For example, in the workplace, if you do not complete a job on time, you do not just avoid it all together. You work until it’s finished, and find ways to improve your process for the next time. Similarly, there are numerous “real world” scenarios where retakes are a common practice. For example, if you fail a driving exam, the Department of Motor Vehicle allows you the opportunity to retest without penalty. If you fail the bar exam, you are given the opportunity to retest. When students take the SAT test, the College Board allows students to take the test multiple times and take the higher result from each test administration. These scores are not averaged nor are students penalized for taking the test multiple times.