Somers High proposes switch to A–F reporting; administrators stress zeros remain where earned

Somers High School administrators presented a proposal at the May 26 Somers Central School District Board of Education meeting to change how student grades are reported — shifting from a 0–100 numeric scale to an A–F scale with plus/minus bands and a 4.0 GPA translation.

The proposal, delivered by Pete Rodriguez, framed the change as a reporting adjustment rather than a change to academic standards. Rodriguez said the move is intended to reduce point‑obsession by students and create a single external reporting language that better maps to internal frameworks (MYP, IB, AP and evidence‑based grading). He told the board: “Any notion that we'll stop giving zeros is false. An F is still a 0.0 on this scale.”

Administrators proposed a phased rollout: transcripts for the class of 2027 would be sent to colleges in the existing 0–100 format for this cycle, with a notation explaining the forthcoming transcript change; the district would use the A–F system on report cards and transcripts for classes entering in 2028 and later. Rodriguez said plus/minus bands (for example, 90–92 = A‑, 93–96 = A, 97–100 = A+) would carry GPA point values and that weighted classes (AP, IB, dual enrollment, honors) would continue to receive higher GPA weightings.

The presentation emphasized three rationales: reduce students’ fixation on marginal point differences; correct perceived mathematical distortions of the 100‑point scale (Rodriguez said a 4.0 scale proportionately penalizes failure differently than a 100‑point scale); and provide a consistent external transcript format across the school’s multiple internal grading systems. Rodriguez said faculty were heavily involved in earlier reviews and that colleges had been consulted about transcript translation.

Board members and students pressed for specifics during a lengthy Q&A: how assignment‑level numeric scores will appear to students, how proficiency rubrics and evidence‑based grading translate into letters, whether grading weights must be consistent by course, how late work and revisions will be recorded (self‑management category), and how honor‑roll, valedictorian and salutatorian calculations will be handled. Rodriguez and other administrators said:

- Students may still see numeric scores on individual assignments; the student information system (Schoology/Infinite Campus) would translate those numbers or rubric outcomes to A–F for in‑progress and report‑card display. - Internal scales (IB, MYP, AP, and evidence/proficiency rubrics) will remain inside classrooms and be translated for external reporting. - Course‑level consistency is required (courses at the same level should use aligned category weights), though some implementation details (two‑year course rollover, some reassessment policies) require further work. - Technology integration (Infinite Campus/Schoology) must be validated before implementation; the administration said it is working with vendors and will not finalize rollout until systems are ready.

Administrators presented the change as primarily a reporting and communication reform intended to focus students on demonstrated learning rather than small numeric differences on report cards. A number of board members and student leaders welcomed the intent, while asking for clear rubrics, visible teacher calibration, and firm guidance on how honors and class‑rank recognitions will be computed during the transition.

Next steps the administration described include continuing faculty calibration work, finalizing consistent course‑level category weights, completing the technical integration with grading platforms, and returning to the board with implementation details and timelines. The board did not vote on the policy at the meeting.