CLEARFIELD – A debate is brewing over the 2023-24 program of studies for the Clearfield Area School District.
On Monday night, the school board spent about an hour-and-a-half debating topics, such as weighted grades and student-athlete eligibility requirements.
The administration’s proposed program of studies would weight students’ grades in chemistry and Pre-AP (Advanced Placement) English, and keep athletic eligibility in alignment with PIAA rules.
Weighted grades are letter grades that are assigned a numerical advantage later on when calculating a student’s grade point average, or GPA.
Weighted grade systems give students a numerical advantage for grades earned in higher-level or more-challenging courses, such as honors or AP courses.
Following a dispute over grade calculations in 2015, the board limited weighted grades to junior and senior students in the most-challenging core classes.
Board member Gail Ralston worried that adding weight to these two courses would put unnecessary pressure on freshman and sophomore students.
“I don’t see a need for it,” she said.
She also didn’t see how it could possibly hinder any student’s pursuit of higher education, and said they would continue to succeed academically so long as they put forth the effort.
If chemistry remains unweighted, David Domico, director of curriculum, said it would deprive a large group of junior chemistry students from having the reward of a weighted grade.
Domico said it could possibly hurt students as they apply for college, and board member Susan Mikesell said having weighted classes may even let students skip introductory college classes and take more advanced classes sooner.
Superintendent Terry Struble said adding weight to chemistry and Pre-AP English would give students some incentive to take these more-challenging courses because even if they get a “B,” they would have the reward of a weighted grade later.
Ralston, however, still felt freshman and sophomore students should be “left out of this competition,” and given time to mature.
“But they are already in it,” said board member Phil Carr, adding it “starts the first day of ninth grade,” and they shouldn’t hold any students back and give them every bit of weight to get them to the college and program of study of their choice.
Following board debate on weighted grades, another began brewing over student-athlete eligibility requirements.
Currently the PIAA requires student-athletes to pass at least four, full-credit subjects—a rule Ralston said was enacted by the PIAA nearly four decades ago.
She said the district requires 28 credits, or seven credits per year, for graduation, and thought it should “raise the bar” over that of the PIAA for its student-athletes.
Principal Heather Prestash and board Secretary Kayla Caragein said student-athletes are already taking the most-challenging classes and having to push themselves.
Domico agreed, saying athletics were the “on-ramp” to get student-athletes more invested in their education.
He said if student-athletes who already have to push themselves to stay eligible suddenly lose eligibility for a week or month due to a higher bar, then there’s risk that student may give up on athletics and school altogether.
Following debate of how to proceed, the board voted to approve the proposed program of studies as presented, which failed 6-3.
Following the vote, it formed a committee to further examine the topics causing the most division – weighted grades and student-athlete eligibility requirements.
This committee will consist of board President Greg Clarke, board member Shawna Rothrock, Ralston and Carr.
Following formation of the committee, the board voted, 5-4, to approve the program of studies with intent of making revisions at a future date.
