From: Mark Nusterer
Columbus
GPA and class rank have long been the prevailing statistic of academic achievement. The college admissions process rides, in large part, on numbers such as these to determine eligibility for admission and financial aid. With thousands of applications to sift through, who can blame admissions staff for taking the most practical approach? Unfortunately, the practical approach places disproportionate emphasis on GPA and class rank in a way that undermines the fundamental purpose of our education system.
This glorification of academic statistics fosters a pervasive and unhealthy mindset in today’s youth. Children are taught that the secret to success is getting into college, and that to gain admission into these institutions, and be able to afford it, their grades must be impeccable. Students view their report card as the tarot cards that spell out their future, and they toil, day in and day out, to secure their place at the top of their class.
Motivation to get good grades is certainly not a bad thing, but the lengths to which students go to do so harms the learning process. Starting in seventh grade, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. students are given the choice to take high school classes such as a foreign language or algebra. Challenging oneself early, perhaps at the expense of an A- instead of an A+, is not an enticing prospect, so some middle schoolers choose to put off these courses until high school. This phenomenon continues as they enter high school, with students deciding to take easier courses to improve their GPA, instead of applying themselves to rigorous honors and AP courses. For many students, the entire second six years of their education is in pursuit of the best possible GPA.
In addition, focus on class rank has fostered a toxic sense of competition among fellow students. Many high-level students are so driven to win this contest, they will cheat on homework, projects and tests, with some even going so far as to take pictures of the material during tests. Not only is this unethical, but it wholly undercuts real learning from the classroom.
What BCSC must ask itself is whether or not it wants to encourage such behaviors at the expense of true learning. Overemphasized GPA and rank encourages students to prioritize their report card over challenging themselves and furthering their knowledge.
This goes directly against BCSC’s own motto of “Deeper Learning Works.” Continuing to support a system of class rank undermines the ability of BCSC to carry out their objectives. BCSC must do away with the detrimental contest that is class rank if it wants to properly prepare its students for the bright future ahead of them.
