Texas judge knocks down minimum grading on report cards
06:57 AM CDT on Tuesday, June 29, 2010
AUSTIN – A state judge upheld Texas' truth-in-grading law Monday, rejecting arguments by several school districts that contended that they could still require teachers to give minimum grades – such as a 50, 60 or 70 – on student report cards.
State District Judge Gisela Triana-Doyal said the law was clear that school districts cannot enforce policies that require a minimum grade for students regardless of their achievement on report cards, class assignments and homework.
Eleven school districts from the Houston area had filed suit against the state, asserting that the 2009 law applied only to class assignments and not to progress reports or semester report cards. They cited vague language in the law to support their position.
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But the judge dismissed their arguments, saying the legislation was "not ambiguous" and reflected the Legislature's intent to protect teachers from having to give grades that weren't earned.
Teacher groups had supported the measure by Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, last year, asserting that minimum grades were undermining the authority of teachers to accurately assess the performance of their students.
"This ruling is a victory for Texas teachers, students and parents because now all grades – on class assignments and on report cards – will accurately reflect how well students have mastered their coursework," Nelson said after the