San Francisco schools adopt new grading policy amid pandemic

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco school authorities have adopted a credit/no-credit grading policy for middle and high school students after dropping a proposal to give automatic A grades on this semester's transcripts because of learning difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Superintendent Vince Matthews told the school board Tuesday that giving the students A grades could complicate admissions to colleges and would not be an accurate assessment of student progress, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Students who receive no credit can reverse that mark if they submit make-up work. For seniors the deadline will be July 31. The first day of fall classes is the deadline for other middle and high school students.

Elementary school students will only see teacher feedback on report cards, the Chronicle reported.

For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and death.