Northwest High School - Vanguard Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADE REPORT CODE 35590 NZJI-QTPIILEST HIGH SCHQQL IS 05C 23 ' 4 2 O06 ENG 66 YOUNG 1.05 B 2 O 6 US FIS 2 RYAN 1,08 6 5:3 2 0141C PRATI-I 1 BALLI 461,05 C Z 4+ 2 0254-C I 2 HEDEGAI-i1,0D F 2 L8 I L KHONOR POINTS AVERAGE-P APIC ISFIABE TI-IAT Orr February 3, 1972, an unusual overcrowding saw ation occured at Northwest: the conference room adia- cent to the main office, traditionally the site where prin- cipal Kenneth Smartz awarded certificates to straight A students for their work, could not accommodate the record 42 8.0 average students, and the group was forced to move to the science lecture hall. Compared with the first grading period at Northwest in 1963, when 157 achieved honor roll status, including one with an all-A record, the first semester final mark of 434 honor students in the l97I-72 year greatly surpassed the initial figure. At the other end of the grading scale, 471 students received one or more failing grades on the semester-end reports. But how well an F or straight A's define a student's abilities was a question that many, students and teachers alike, asked. Through the years, educators have come to realize the necessity for effective methods of evaluating stu-

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laj Using a vice and elbow grease, Lanny Grimes, senior, employs his manual skills in a a metal shop class. lb, After adding figures man- ually, Christy Campbell, jun- ior, rechecks her work with a machine calculator. lcj Home economices teacher Mrs. Pat Thomas shows Dawn Outerbridge, sophomore, how to measure cloth to fit a pattern. ldl Stacy Loncar, senior, con- centrates on forming the fine lines of her clay sculpture. le, With nimble fingers, Vend- etta Green, junior, brings a melody from her violin in orchestra. TU LUEET ACA EZDIE El-IALLEN 4-v wN Ve

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E sci-I. O f ' swiss -- zfffsfsgesmgi: I fm, s,gs11.- PHONE 921-13 3 DATE fi-hun X 'His -4 , 2 2 2 J RENT'S com' qovazep B15 U Alll l55LlE? fr dents' abilities. The marking system consisting of the let- ters: A-honor standing, B-High, C-average, D-low, F-fail- ing, I-incomplete, E-conditional and W-withdrawl, and a series of code numbers indicating insufficiency in such areas as I-attendance, 2-daily preparation, 3-class re- sponse, 4-interest, 5-tests, and 6-citizenship was created to fulfill this need. The Carnegie Unit, a meas- urement of the amount of time required to attain one credit, was devised as an additional means of eval- uation. There existed, however a variety of contrasting ideas regarding the actual purpose and validity of the letter grade system. Some believed that grades served as a kind of outlet for students' natural competitiveness, others felt that grades helped students to establish personal identities since they provided the opportunity for comparison of academic achievements. This is a competitive world and if students don't learn to compete now, they will as Mr. Harold Hines, biology teacher, shows John Teskey, sophomore, the outcome of his six weeks work. never be able to make it later in life, commented Mrs. Arwilda Burton, guidance counselor. Of those who opposed the present grading system, most offered the passffail system as a replacement. This would hypothetically de-emphasize the sometimes heated competition many students dislike, and shift im- portance to the amount of learning gained from a class. Dr. Gilbert Shuck, guidance counselor, disagreed, be- lieving that dispensing with grades would prove to be unjust because students who work to maintain high aca- demic standards would receive equal recognition as those who put forth no effort at all. In addition, col- leges, universities and future employers would have little or no criterion on which to base their evaluations of students' individual qualifications. Dissatisfaction with the grading system did not reach a high enough level to warrant a serious revamping, it seems unlikely that it will within the near future. lbi Mrs. Sondra Hayes, Span- ish teacher, laughs as Pat Johnson, sophomore, and Rodney Jackson, freshman, try to weasle out a better grade for the six weeks. e moment of truth comes 21