THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 18, 1996 TAG: 9602170133
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Vanee Vines
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
Here's a look at some of the action taken at Thursday's School Board meeting:
Vote on grading scale,
graduate plaudits delayed
The School Board voted to delay a decision on how to recognize the top high school graduates and whether to change its middle and high school grading scale, which determines the value of each letter grade.
The board will discuss the issues at its upcoming retreat and reconsider them at a March meeting.
Board Chairman J. Thomas Benn III said there was no need to rush the decision.
A proposal from a committee of educators, student representatives, parents and coaches - with a nudge from Superintendent Richard D. Trumble - called for the district to abandon the custom of naming a valedictorian and salutatorian in each of the Portsmouth's three high schools, beginning next school year.
The brightest students would instead fall into three groups: summa cum laude, magna cum laude and cum laude.
The two students with the highest and second-highest grade-point averages traditionally are named valedictorian and salutatorian.
One of the committee's main goals was to find a way to recognize more academically talented students, administrators said.
The same proposal called for the district to change parts of its grading scale to more closely mirror those in neighboring districts.
Doing so would level the playing field for scholarships and college admission, students and parents have said.
In Portsmouth, an A is now given for scores of 95 and above, compared with a 92 in Newport News, 93 in Norfolk and a 94 in Chesapeake, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.
In other matters . . .
Beginning Tuesday, the school day for Portsmouth public school students will be extended by 15 minutes every day - for the rest of the school year. The extension allows the district to make up the days schools closed because of inclement weather this year. For details, call 393-8743.
Schools will be closed tomorrow for the Presidents Day holiday.
Katherine P. Divine, the district's director of research and student services, will step down from her job in April. She's relocating to Florida.
The central office, which has attempted to reduce the number of administrators in recent years, has yet to announce when - or whether - a new person will be hired to replace Divine, who's worked in the district for two years. She earns about $62,000 annually.
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL BOARD by CNB