‘No-zero’ is a new approach to the grading system here in New Jersey for grade school students.

This approach is “of a recent but heavily-researched nationwide movement asserting that traditional grading practices on a 0 to 100 scale aren’t working effectively for students. Versions have been tried in both urban and suburban school systems across the country including in Pennsylvania, Virginia Arizona, Michigan, and North Carolina and have achieved varying levels of success” per NJ Spotlight.

The current grading system is seen as a reward or punishment, while the ‘No-zero’ wants to be a totally reward based system. My problem is that in real world there are rewards and punishments in the workplace and in life itself, so by having such a reward system the educators are ignoring the facts of life. And thus they are creating a fantasy world that has nothing to do with how the real world works.

When these children grow up and enter the higher education system they will be ill prepared and might even go into shock when they find out that they can fail. Plus there is no makeup work or test for them to take to prevent them from failing in college.

According to this theory a student who starts with a 50 on an assignment or test will find that to achieve a passing grade average it is well within his or hers reach with a little effort. When using the traditional grading system students who receive a couple of failing grades in a marking period can find it virtually impossible to pass the course and of course get a failing grade.

What is the point of all of this is almost beyond belief, as in the real world this is what these children will eventually encounter and in that world there frequently are no do overs. My point being is that a grading system should not be seen as a reward or punishment, but as a tool to judge how the student is absorbing and understanding the material.

Our educational professionals are trying to create their version of Never Neverland where no one grows up and becomes a responsible adult. In the real world that is exactly what our educational system should be striving towards.

I for one think that this ‘No-zero’ idea should have been dead on arrival! Our education system here in New Jersey has enough problems without introducing new ones, so you parents better go to your boards of education and tell them that ‘No-zero’ is a no go.

That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike