The simplest ethical principle that could be applied to the use of school equipment would be the rule of universality in which the rule (or violation thereof) is applied universally to everyone (S. Mackenzie & G. Mackenzie, 2010). Essentially, we should ask ourselves, what would the result be if everyone violated this particular rule? If every teacher in the school were to use the copy machine or fax machine for personal use, it would be tied up by personal items when it is needed to prepare items for a class or send documentation regarding students. Additionally, the extra wear and tear on the machines could have the potential to prematurely damage the machine and cost unnecessary time and money for repairs. Most importantly, it would deplete
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In previous schools in which I worked, the computer software would not allow a grade override without principal approval. If a student or parent has filed a formal grievance with the principal, the principal may elect to consult the teacher regarding changing the grade or even change the grade unilaterally (though one would hope that the latter would not occur). The Centennial High School Student Handbook (2016) provides a grievance process for students that begins with the teacher, then the department chair or assistant principal and finally the principal. Because the principal is the instructional leader of the school and ultimately responsible for the curriculum (Ubben, Hughes, & Norris, 2016) he/she should have the final say if there is a problem with a grade. Although unlikely, a principal may choose to override a teacher’s request for student retention or placement in credit recovery if the teacher has not provided sufficient evidence of an attempt to provide notification to parents and appropriate classroom interventions (Williamson County Schools, …show more content…
The grade is not being disputed due to an error on my part. The grade is not being disputed over unfair practices. The grade is being disputed to help a particular student pass a class or boost his/her GPA. Honest grading is essential to student success, even if it means temporary failure. A 2009 study by Robert Laurie found that grade inflation essentially equates to lower expectations for students which ultimately leads to lower performance and motivation. Laurie (2009) instead suggests that if we want to improve motivation and performance, we should maintain higher expectations. In this case, that would require the principal to not change the grade in order to inflate a GPA or unfairly pass a course. If the practice of changing failing grades was applied universally, Levine (1994) explained that it could “produce artificially high grade point averages which lead to student performance evaluations which have no meaning” (as cited in Addy & Herring, 1996, p. 1). The potential danger here is the devaluation of a school’s GPA pool in higher education, making a student from a school that is known for inflated GPA’s less desirable than those with more reliable scores. If school "A" students who have inflated GPA’s are more likely to fail out of college, colleges will be more inclined to select students from school "B" since the college knows these students will be more successful.
Williamson County Schools has three policies
In previous schools in which I worked, the computer software would not allow a grade override without principal approval. If a student or parent has filed a formal grievance with the principal, the principal may elect to consult the teacher regarding changing the grade or even change the grade unilaterally (though one would hope that the latter would not occur). The Centennial High School Student Handbook (2016) provides a grievance process for students that begins with the teacher, then the department chair or assistant principal and finally the principal. Because the principal is the instructional leader of the school and ultimately responsible for the curriculum (Ubben, Hughes, & Norris, 2016) he/she should have the final say if there is a problem with a grade. Although unlikely, a principal may choose to override a teacher’s request for student retention or placement in credit recovery if the teacher has not provided sufficient evidence of an attempt to provide notification to parents and appropriate classroom interventions (Williamson County Schools, …show more content…
The grade is not being disputed due to an error on my part. The grade is not being disputed over unfair practices. The grade is being disputed to help a particular student pass a class or boost his/her GPA. Honest grading is essential to student success, even if it means temporary failure. A 2009 study by Robert Laurie found that grade inflation essentially equates to lower expectations for students which ultimately leads to lower performance and motivation. Laurie (2009) instead suggests that if we want to improve motivation and performance, we should maintain higher expectations. In this case, that would require the principal to not change the grade in order to inflate a GPA or unfairly pass a course. If the practice of changing failing grades was applied universally, Levine (1994) explained that it could “produce artificially high grade point averages which lead to student performance evaluations which have no meaning” (as cited in Addy & Herring, 1996, p. 1). The potential danger here is the devaluation of a school’s GPA pool in higher education, making a student from a school that is known for inflated GPA’s less desirable than those with more reliable scores. If school "A" students who have inflated GPA’s are more likely to fail out of college, colleges will be more inclined to select students from school "B" since the college knows these students will be more successful.
Williamson County Schools has three policies