While other schools are progressing through more profound and better grading systems, Mount Vernon is stuck in the past hurting students by sticking with EBR. 

EBR or Evidence Based Reporting is what Mount Vernon is using as a grading system changed to, claiming it is a more effective and more refined way to grade students. But as it seemed to be better, it instead it holds students back from achieving their full potential in school. 

The major problem with EBR is that it leaves out major components of learning like homework and projects factoring into grades, but instead focuses solely on tests, some being worth a major percent of your grade. Students who put time and effort into homework or projects don’t get to show their academic capabilities and instead have to stress over tests that don’t show their true potential.

EBR affects not only the students but even teachers. They see homework as an important tool and try to use it, but with EBR overlooking it, this causes students to not care about their homework. This leaves out an important part of learning, while students are instead stressing over a high stakes test. When students don’t do homework they aren’t able to get repetitions over the selected unit or topic causing them to fall behind. 

Students also get put into a very tough situation with one bad grade, it can majorly affect their overall grade for that semester with the few tests that there are. That can put students into lots of stress and anxiety worrying about the next test and if they’re going to be able to get their grades up.

This is why at MVHS we should switch to a grading system which covers all forms of work including homework and projects. Doing this would build responsibility and accountability in students,  allow them to progress faster through units, it gives more chances to boost grades, and minimize stress and anxiety over tests. Changing to this type of system will greatly boost academics at MVHS and will be very beneficial to students.