As the school year comes to a close, many feel relaxed and calm, looking forward to the rapidly approaching summer. Yet for others, the past month has been one of the most stressful points of the year. The assessments in recent weeks have been crucial for students striving for a particular grade or on the cusp of course eligibility. And ultimately, each transcript will only show one letter, a letter that the final few cycles can influence greatly.

Most people are aware of Newark Academy’s grading system: for each semester, a letter grade appears on the report card based on the student’s semester average. However, after each semester, the numbers have no future impact. If the spring and fall semester letters match, this will be the final grade. If they are an even distance apart, the grade in between becomes the final grade. Yet if they are an odd number distance away, the spring semester has more weight in determining the letter that appears on transcripts.

In both the trimester and semester systems, at the end of each term, the number averages no longer matter. As Upper School principal Dr. DiBianca described, showing a percentage on the transcript would create unnecessary divisions between each student’s level of achievements. He stated, “We’re a letter school…it doesn’t feel Newark Academy-like to have stratifications.” Humanities department head Mr. Vinikoor elaborated on this idea, explaining, “By embracing the spirit of being a letter school, if grades are indicated by student achievement, we want it to be in groups rather than numbers. Our philosophy is not to focus on the minute, but to focus on the range.”

However, Dr. DiBianca also explained, “Once a grade goes into the book for a semester, the number is gone. A 91 is the same as a 92. That’s a consequence of being a letter school.” Some may view this as a disadvantage to students who have received higher grades within the range of each letter. Yet this prevents two students with the same letter grades from ending the year with different final grades.

Although it was simple to break ties in the trimester system, weighting each term equally was not always fair due to the varying days per trimester and differences in accumulated points. Therefore, Newark Academy made the logical switch to semesters, and chose the spring semester to be the tiebreaker, partially because of the length factor that had not been considered in the previous system.

Other advantages besides length give logic to the greater influence of spring term grades.  Science department head Mrs. Celente noted that the spring grade is weighted more heavily because it shows “where the student ended up rather than where they started.” Students that begin the year with an adjustment period are not disadvantaged, and a majority of students have gained skills and awareness of the expectations, making them more successful in the spring.  Dr. DiBianca also remarked that spring grades reflect the students’ current levels, since they are the most recent indications of achievement.

However, the insignificance of previous semester averages sacrifices precision, a downfall especially for subjects where progress is measured more quantitatively. Mrs. Celente sees that the math of the final grade may differ from the grade according to the school system, but stated, “I recognize as a school we have to be uniform and have consistency in the way we determine our yearlong grades. There are so many points over the course of the year that I think [students’] grades reflect what they’ve done.” This perspective varies departmentally: according to Mr. Vinikoor, the humanities department views a clear distinction between the semesters, which made the tiebreaker system easy to implement and logical to use. He views the disappearance of the fall number average as positive, explaining, “It’s good, psychologically, to have a clean slate.”

Despite the advantages, faculty and students alike have recognized some flaws of the system. Mrs. Celente referred to year-end stress, while Dr. DiBianca brought up “fall complacency” as a potential shortcoming. Generally, students are accepting of the system, but have taken note of its imperfections. Matt Wei `16 considered a voice proposal regarding the role of numbers in the final grade. He stated, “I believe that the current system gives a slight edge to most students, but does not accurately reflect the numerical grades. A major issue I see is the definite grades that are set after fall term. For example, a high B+ of 89 in fall term with a high A in spring should average out to a low A overall…I believe a 40%/60% or similar system should be implemented.” For now, Wei’s idea is unlikely to be considered: the present system, statistically, suits the community overall. According to Dr. DiBianca, 80% of students benefit from the spring tiebreaker. However, he also noted that the seniors’ grades suffer: their spring semester is shorter and dominated by “senioritis.”

Although this system may adversely affect seniors’ grades, the Class of 2013 experienced the trimester system and therefore recognizes the tiebreaker’s benefits. Zoe Huber-Weiss `13 commented,“Trying to fit in all those grades in such a short time in the old system was so much more stressful than the current system that I don’t really mind the kinks.” As far as the theoretical disadvantage to seniors, she noted, “I don’t really hear seniors complaining about it, but I think that’s mostly because we’re too focused on how close the end of the year is to worry about details like this. No one has ever really brought it to our attention before, otherwise I’m sure there would be complaining.”

The tiebreaker system reflects many of Newark Academy’s philosophies: adapting to community needs, fairness, recognition of progress, and celebration of achievement. Yet, loss of precision can alter the culminating representation of a student’s yearlong work. Although that one letter that ends up on the transcript does not show the breadth of learning and experience one gains in a course, it should indicate each student’s accomplishments accurately in all situations.

Despite its faults, the heavier weight of the spring term provides a valuable motivator for students to work hard throughout the year so the final grade can show one’s highest potential growth. As Dr. DiBianca described, “I think it’s a good lesson in life to try and end strong.” In these last few days of school, Newark Academy should hope to embody this core principle by finishing the year with the spirit, determination, and success that characterize our community.