[etni] Re: Oral Bagrut
- From: Bari Nirenberg <bnirenberg@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Nehama Barbiru <nehamab@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 08:40:18 +0200
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> a. The project is only a whole 30% of ONE of the modules (as of next year's
> 12th graders). You can choose which one it goes with. So basically you can
> figure out where it would do less damage having a zero of 30%.
Yes, but since the students don't normally take all of the modules at
the same time, this makes no difference to them or to the
administration. In fact, even the Ministry, in an around-the-bout
sort of way, will penalize you for penalizing your students if this
happens to too many of them, as your magen grade will end up being
worth less than 50%. I feel pressure from our administration
regardless of the fact that the grade is for a single module. And it
doesn't stop there -- the real pressure comes from the parents. I
have a mother this year who is furious because I gave her son 90 and
he got 100 on the Bagrut -- on ONE module. It makes absolutely no
difference to her that this takes exactly one point off of his final
grade (do the math -- his final grade was 95, 5 points on one module
is 1.67 points of the final grade for the written exam and multiplied
by 80% that comes out to 1.336 points, so no, he can't get 100, but he
can still get 99). And although no one has come out and said anything
to me outright (yet), from bits and pieces of things I've heard, I
understand that a 10 point discrepancy (the exam grade being higher
than the magen, not the other way around) is unacceptable to the
administration, as well. So just imagine what kind of reaction a 30
point discrepancy would create.
>
> B. This year it was only one of many quizzes, class and home work, so its
> weight wasn't that much.
Yes, that's true, though in my 11th point class (taking E), it does
actually come out to quite a bit more than just a quiz or homework,
because it was the only thing they did in the 3rd quarter, apart from
one unseen and one listening comprehension. Fortunately, in most
cases, this is actually beneficial to the students, as some weak kids
worked with stronger students and produced very nice projects which
boosted their grades. However, there were also a few good students
who did horrible projects and failed.
>
> C. In general, I feel, and to some extent so does the administration at my
> school, that a big part of what we do is educate. If a kid doesn't fulfill
> his duties as a pupil - and I can prove it by showing all his zeros! - he
> should suffer the consequences by receiving a low year grade. The
> administration asks whether I think I could add a few points, but if I
> refuse they leave the grade as is.
The administration at my school would not change my grades, either.
However, on more than one occasion, I have felt very pressured to
change them myself. I don't normally give in to pressure, but the
bottom line is (for all of us, not just me) that if you don't make
your administration (and the parents) happy, you could find yourself
not teaching the better classes or, even worse, your job could be on
the line (note that I do NOT think that my job is on the line or that
I'm going to be "punished" in any way because of my magen grades --
this was a very general statement).
Bari
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