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Parents, teachers urge Berkeley County to stop grading DFAs amid mounting complaints
Summary
Dozens of parents and teachers told the Berkeley County Board of Education on Oct. 6 that the district's new district formative assessments (DFAs) are harming student wellbeing and are being counted as grades despite district guidance. Speakers cited a petition with more than 2,000 signatures and urged the board to pause grading while the practice is reviewed.
Dozens of parents and teachers told the Berkeley County Board of Education on Oct. 6 that the district's new district formative assessments (DFAs) are being treated as high-stakes grades and are damaging student confidence and teacher morale.
"My son came home saying, 'I'm stupid. I'm an idiot,'" said Adrienne Serpe, a parent and former public school teacher, describing an 11-year-old with ADHD who she said has been traumatized by the exams. Serpe said the DFA rollout has generated "over 2,000 signatures" across "over 40 schools" and called on the district to "stop grading the DFAs" and to give teachers flexibility to reteach and support diverse learners.
Summer Dukes said her eighth-grade gifted-and-talented student scored 50 on a DFA and 90 on a teacher unit test the next day,…
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