Henry County parents and officials spar over new grading system as district shifts to rolling grades

A district staff member told the Henry County Public Schools Board of Education that the division adjusted grade weighting this year to 40% formative and 60% summative and has implemented rolling grades at the secondary level to better align classroom grades with Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL). The staff member said the change followed updated guidance from the Virginia Department of Education and analysis showing a mismatch between classroom grades and SOL performance.

The presenter said 33.19% of students earned A averages in classroom grading, but only about 8.8% of students scored at the "pass advanced" level on SOL tests. The staff member added that if classroom grades aligned with SOL rigor, the combined A/B/C group would correspond to an 84.67% SOL pass rate, but the actual divisionwide SOL pass rate is 68.27% and the divisionwide fail rate on SOLs is 31.73%.

To support student mastery, the presenter said retakes of summative assessments are allowed within three to five days after remediation and that teachers will report the higher of the two scores. At the secondary level, the division moved to a rolling grade system so grades are recalculated continuously over the semester rather than being locked at quarter boundaries, the presenter said. The stated goals were to reflect "what students know, what students understand, and what students can do," reduce stress, and promote growth.

Several board members expressed support for addressing grade inflation and for clearer, consistent communication to families. A board member said the issue was discussed during the board's summer retreat and principals and teachers have been asked to share the changes with families. The staff member said a letter was sent to families to address prior inconsistencies in communications.

During public comment, parent Mindy Miles said the rolling grade book was not communicated to Laurel Park Middle School families and argued the change has harmed high school GPAs because district practice counts certain current courses toward high school GPA once students are entered into high-school-level classes. "My eighth grader has a ninth grade math class. His high school GPA starts now," Miles said, adding that the rolling system puts undue pressure on students and may affect college prospects. She urged the board to reconsider the policy.

A separate speaker said students' opinions about the new system are mixed; some reported improved grades while others said their grades dropped because certain classroom assignments now carry heavier weight. Board members and staff noted the complexity of the change and emphasized targeted communication for families and guardians who may be less familiar with grading terminology.

Discussion points, clarifying details and next steps included continued principal and teacher conversations with families, the division's use of parent and teacher advisory groups to explain changes, and staff availability to meet with board members if they wanted additional briefings. No formal board vote or policy adoption was recorded during the meeting; the changes described were presented as administrative adjustments and district practice.

Ending: Board members asked staff to continue communicating with families and to provide data and context in future updates; parents requested the board reconsider timing and outreach for significant changes that affect GPA calculations.