Fairfax County Public Schools’ new online information system is an incredibly useful tool for students and teachers alike. SIS’s debut is receiving quite mixed reviews from the student body of McLean High School. The Student Information System, a system that has been in the county for years but only recently implemented on the high school level, allows for live viewing of student grades by parents, as opposed to the previous status quo of bi-quarterly grade reports.
SIS forces teachers to be held accountable for what some students might consider ill-conceived and nonsensical grades. “She gave me a B” is a common sentiment that rings throughout the hallways of McLean on a regular basis. While this is often expressing nothing more than an entitled refusal to take responsibility for one’s own performance, there are cases where it can be justified. In cases where information regarding grades is withheld to the point of acquiring a mysticism not unlike the sections of old nautical maps marked “here be monsters”, it could appear to students as if teachers are conjuring these grades out of thin air.
In a majority of cases, where this as a fallacious assumption, students can now see in-depth reports on each of their assignments and know for a fact that their grades are produced through mathematics rather than opinion. Such transparency is bound to create a more professional academic environment for all parties involved.