CBS’s Face the Nation host John Dickerson ‘87 still remembers his time in Sidwell English teacher Neal Tonken’s class. Dickerson -- who later earned a degree in English with distinction from the University of Virginia and wrote for Time magazine and Slate, the online news site -- loved Tonken’s class and worked hard to do well, but he got a C+.
Some teachers say grading standards have softened slightly since Dickerson graduated, but administrators and outside observers acknowledge that the grading at Sidwell is still tougher than at many high schools with large numbers of students applying to selective colleges.
Shelley Levine, a private college admissions consultant in Potomac, said Sidwell’s academic standards are some of the most stringent among area private schools.
Some teachers say grading standards have softened slightly since Dickerson graduated, but administrators and outside observers acknowledge that the grading at Sidwell is still tougher than at many high schools with large numbers of students applying to selective colleges.
Shelley Levine, a private college admissions consultant in Potomac, said Sidwell’s academic standards are some of the most stringent among area private schools.
“[At Sidwell] the grades are definitely lower and the rigor is definitely higher” compared to competing high schools, she said. “I’ve worked with kids from Maret, [Georgetown Day School], Bullis, Holy Child, and many other schools. Other privates don’t parallel the rigor of Sidwell.”
One student who wished to remain anonymous said that grading in some departments can feel “unfair” and “subjective.”
One student who wished to remain anonymous said that grading in some departments can feel “unfair” and “subjective.”
Another said, “The really unfortunate part is just because you study a lot and put the time in doesn’t mean you’ll reap the benefits of doing well.”
Assistant Principal and Academic Dean Min Kim said Sidwell does not have a policy that determines the number of grades per class. “I think the teachers are all very fair with their grading,” she said. “And really teachers don’t want to give out bad grades. Teachers actually relish being able to give students the highest grade they’re able to give.”
But Kim and Patrick Gallagher, director of college counseling, said Sidwell administrators understand the need to make college admissions officers aware of the school’s particularly high standards.
Assistant Principal and Academic Dean Min Kim said Sidwell does not have a policy that determines the number of grades per class. “I think the teachers are all very fair with their grading,” she said. “And really teachers don’t want to give out bad grades. Teachers actually relish being able to give students the highest grade they’re able to give.”
But Kim and Patrick Gallagher, director of college counseling, said Sidwell administrators understand the need to make college admissions officers aware of the school’s particularly high standards.
Gallagher said the school includes detailed information on grades in the “school profile” sent to undergraduate schools with each Sidwell applicant’s transcript.
Gallagher said most high schools send a profile to colleges, but Sidwell’s is “one of the most elaborate.” The packet includes a summary of the school’s philosophy, information on course offerings in each department, and an explanation of any relevant study abroad program.
Gallagher said most high schools send a profile to colleges, but Sidwell’s is “one of the most elaborate.” The packet includes a summary of the school’s philosophy, information on course offerings in each department, and an explanation of any relevant study abroad program.
The portfolio also includes material that is not shared outside of the college admissions process, including the grade distribution in every course offered to that year’s class.
Chris Levy, dean of academic life at Georgetown Day School, said his school does not release data to colleges on the distribution of grades.
Chris Levy, dean of academic life at Georgetown Day School, said his school does not release data to colleges on the distribution of grades.
Levy said GDS “doesn’t have an established rule for grading outside of what individual departments agree on,” and added that “to my knowledge, there isn't much complaining about grading standards by teachers or students.”
St. Albans and Maret administrators did not respond to requests for information for this article.
Gallagher allowed Horizon to look briefly at the school profile, but not to examine or publish specific data from it, citing the school’s Quaker value of not comparing students academically and the fact that the data changes every year.
Gallagher allowed Horizon to look briefly at the school profile, but not to examine or publish specific data from it, citing the school’s Quaker value of not comparing students academically and the fact that the data changes every year.
In addition to grades, the packet also includes the middle 50% of SAT and ACT scores, the middle 50% of SAT subject test scores, the number of students selected as National Merit semifinalists and finalists, the scores on AP exams taken by students that year, and a list of colleges where the previous year’s graduates enrolled.
In July, Gallagher and Registrar Jane Lenherr work together to assemble data for the profile. Gallagher said information about Sidwell students’ performance on standardized tests and in individual classes is not released outside of the profile out of respect for student privacy, and Kim said the administrators do not circulate the information to teachers.
Gallagher said the profile “helps to show [colleges] the competitiveness of the school. That allows an admissions office to realize you may be a B student at Sidwell, but you are with people that are incredibly driven academically and very successful . . . . It’s showing there are no easy A’s here, and it shows there’s a wide distribution of grades and and there’s no grade inflation at Sidwell . . . . This allows us to educate colleges about Sidwell.”
Kim said Sidwell provides detailed information about the rigor and content of individual classes through the course curriculum guide and school profile so that colleges understand the rigor of the school's courses.
In July, Gallagher and Registrar Jane Lenherr work together to assemble data for the profile. Gallagher said information about Sidwell students’ performance on standardized tests and in individual classes is not released outside of the profile out of respect for student privacy, and Kim said the administrators do not circulate the information to teachers.
Gallagher said the profile “helps to show [colleges] the competitiveness of the school. That allows an admissions office to realize you may be a B student at Sidwell, but you are with people that are incredibly driven academically and very successful . . . . It’s showing there are no easy A’s here, and it shows there’s a wide distribution of grades and and there’s no grade inflation at Sidwell . . . . This allows us to educate colleges about Sidwell.”
Kim said Sidwell provides detailed information about the rigor and content of individual classes through the course curriculum guide and school profile so that colleges understand the rigor of the school's courses.
“I understand that there could be heightened anxiety for students and parents in the college admissions process because it’s getting increasingly more competitive,” she said. “What I can say is, our college counselors are working very hard and have developed good relationships with college admissions offices at big and small universities across the country. Colleges do understand who we are as a school [and] they look at college applications in the context of the school.”
But do colleges -- especially the ones that receive tens of thousands of applications every year -- have the time to read the profile and evaluate the rigor of each applicant’s high school?
But do colleges -- especially the ones that receive tens of thousands of applications every year -- have the time to read the profile and evaluate the rigor of each applicant’s high school?
Jonathan Williams, associate dean and director of admissions at New York University, said Sidwell’s reputation together with the information in the profile are used in the admissions process.
“Students from Sidwell are not at a disadvantage [when applying to college],” he said. “Sidwell students are fortunate that most colleges and universities are very familiar with the academic rigor that exists at the school because we know that they are students who are being very well prepared to handle the rigors of postsecondary education.”
Williams said that even though NYU received over 67,000 undergraduate applications this year -- more than any other private university in the United States -- its admissions officers make a holistic review of each application, and do not base their decisions on just one component of a student’s academic performance.
“GPA is just a number -- we cannot make a decision based on such little information,” Williams said. “Our job . . . is to educate ourselves as to what a GPA means at a particular school. We learn what a student has to go through to earn an A or a B by building relationships with the counselors at a school and by studying the school reports . . ...”
Ffiona Rees, senior associate director of admissions at the University of California, Los Angeles, agreed with Williams, saying that “GPA doesn’t show how consistent a student has been, if they have taken challenging courses, or if they are on an upward or downward trend.”
She noted that “Sidwell has a great name and reputation” but that because of Sidwell’s strong academic pedigree, applicants from the school will be evaluated to see “how they are doing within the opportunities and challenges [of Sidwell]. We know Sidwell students are afforded many opportunities that kids at most other schools do not receive . . . and we take that into consideration.”
Margit Dahl, director of undergraduate admissions at Yale, said Sidwell is perceived as academically challenging, which is an advantage, but Sidwell students are competing against each other, which can be a disadvantage for students whose grades are less than stellar.
“If you look at our admissions history at Sidwell, we are taking a lot of kids . . . but they tend to be some of the best students at Sidwell. Given that we do see so many Sidwell applicants with excellent grades, someone with a low GPA would have a tough hill to climb simply because of their stronger peers who are also applying,” Dahl said by e-mail.
Williams said that even though NYU received over 67,000 undergraduate applications this year -- more than any other private university in the United States -- its admissions officers make a holistic review of each application, and do not base their decisions on just one component of a student’s academic performance.
“GPA is just a number -- we cannot make a decision based on such little information,” Williams said. “Our job . . . is to educate ourselves as to what a GPA means at a particular school. We learn what a student has to go through to earn an A or a B by building relationships with the counselors at a school and by studying the school reports . . ...”
Ffiona Rees, senior associate director of admissions at the University of California, Los Angeles, agreed with Williams, saying that “GPA doesn’t show how consistent a student has been, if they have taken challenging courses, or if they are on an upward or downward trend.”
She noted that “Sidwell has a great name and reputation” but that because of Sidwell’s strong academic pedigree, applicants from the school will be evaluated to see “how they are doing within the opportunities and challenges [of Sidwell]. We know Sidwell students are afforded many opportunities that kids at most other schools do not receive . . . and we take that into consideration.”
Margit Dahl, director of undergraduate admissions at Yale, said Sidwell is perceived as academically challenging, which is an advantage, but Sidwell students are competing against each other, which can be a disadvantage for students whose grades are less than stellar.
“If you look at our admissions history at Sidwell, we are taking a lot of kids . . . but they tend to be some of the best students at Sidwell. Given that we do see so many Sidwell applicants with excellent grades, someone with a low GPA would have a tough hill to climb simply because of their stronger peers who are also applying,” Dahl said by e-mail.
“We do want to consider students in the context of the schools they have attended. That includes having an understanding of the school’s grading system," she said. "We know someone who has been at Sidwell for four years has been pushed and challenged by teachers as well as peers, and has been ‘educated well.’”
Even if admissions officers are aware that Sidwell has tough standards, lower grades still may put applicants at a disadvantage.
Even if admissions officers are aware that Sidwell has tough standards, lower grades still may put applicants at a disadvantage.
Inside Higher Ed reported that one study found that at the graduate school level, at least, “admissions officers appear to favor applicants with better grades at institutions where everyone is earning high grades over applicants with lower grades at institutions with more rigorous grading.” The study was based on an experiment involving 23 admissions officers reviewing applications to graduate business programs.
Another common concern among students is the fact that different teachers have different grading practices. For example, some history teachers may have open-book tests, while others may not, possibly making it easier to get an A in one section of a class than another.
Kim, however, says such discrepancies are only natural, and are actually a positive aspect of the school.
Another common concern among students is the fact that different teachers have different grading practices. For example, some history teachers may have open-book tests, while others may not, possibly making it easier to get an A in one section of a class than another.
Kim, however, says such discrepancies are only natural, and are actually a positive aspect of the school.
“I think one of the greatest things of being in an independent school is that there is variety in approaches [amongst teachers]. While a student may feel that puts him or her at a disadvantage . . . using a single approach . . . may not necessarily be benefiting the student either," she said.
Kim said teachers are "really looking to try and figure out how to allow students to show what they know, and there are a lot of ways for students to show what they know. There’s a range of assignments, and that allows students with different skill sets and areas of strength and challenges to show their best self in the range of assessments.”
Kim encourages students who are concerned about the fairness of a teacher’s grading practices to speak up. “Engage us in discussion,” she said. “One of the best things about being in a school like Sidwell is that teachers really want to be reflecting upon what they’re doing, and those conversations are important to provide opportunities for reflection.”
Some teachers say grading practices at Sidwell have become more relaxed over the years. English teacher Dan Entwisle, who has taught at Sidwell for 25 years, says it is easier to get an A today than it was when he started teaching.
Kim encourages students who are concerned about the fairness of a teacher’s grading practices to speak up. “Engage us in discussion,” she said. “One of the best things about being in a school like Sidwell is that teachers really want to be reflecting upon what they’re doing, and those conversations are important to provide opportunities for reflection.”
Some teachers say grading practices at Sidwell have become more relaxed over the years. English teacher Dan Entwisle, who has taught at Sidwell for 25 years, says it is easier to get an A today than it was when he started teaching.
“The grades were definitely lower when I came to Sidwell than they are today,” he said. “I don’t think there was a conscious movement to inflate grades, but over the years I think they were.”
How much have grades changed? “I would say it’s a plus or minus . . . ,” Entwisle said, “but I don’t think that means students today don’t deserve what they’re getting . . . . There’s an understanding also that we have to make distinctions between and among our students here.”
Kim said Sidwell’s administration has “no set policy that only a certain percentage of students should be getting an A, B, C, or D. Not at all. Nothing written, nothing spoken. In the 13 years I’ve been here, that’s never been part of the conversation.”
Entwisle, however, acknowledged that faculty members in the English department discuss grading.
How much have grades changed? “I would say it’s a plus or minus . . . ,” Entwisle said, “but I don’t think that means students today don’t deserve what they’re getting . . . . There’s an understanding also that we have to make distinctions between and among our students here.”
Kim said Sidwell’s administration has “no set policy that only a certain percentage of students should be getting an A, B, C, or D. Not at all. Nothing written, nothing spoken. In the 13 years I’ve been here, that’s never been part of the conversation.”
Entwisle, however, acknowledged that faculty members in the English department discuss grading.
“Sometimes we share papers or parts of papers with each other. I think we have an understanding for what makes a good paper that’s pretty consistent. The way you discover that somebody may be inconsistent is by looking at the grades. If one of us is giving vastly different grades from others, that may be a red flag and we address it,” he said.
English department chair Jennifer Solomon works with new teachers, grading the first set of papers together to help them acclimate to the school’s standards. Also, teachers in their second-year evaluations are required to submit samples of graded student writing for the department chair and the principal to evaluate.
Dickerson, the journalist, said in an e-mail interview that he appreciated the rigor of his classes at Sidwell, especially the challenge of Tonken’s English class.
English department chair Jennifer Solomon works with new teachers, grading the first set of papers together to help them acclimate to the school’s standards. Also, teachers in their second-year evaluations are required to submit samples of graded student writing for the department chair and the principal to evaluate.
Dickerson, the journalist, said in an e-mail interview that he appreciated the rigor of his classes at Sidwell, especially the challenge of Tonken’s English class.
“[Tonken] required excellence in effort and engagement," Dickerson said. "He wanted you to bring your best and to keep striving to do your best, not just on papers and tests but in class every day,” he said. “But trying wasn't all that he asked for. He wanted excellence and that meant something. It was a fixed point. It meant if you were not excellent there was a way to measure that.”
Dickerson said, “I never got better than a C+ in Mr. Tonken's class, but it was the best grade I may have ever gotten -- better than all of the A’s I got in other classes later in life. The grade was a spur, a guide and a symbol of a kind of intellectual rigor that has really helped me in my future work. Now that I think about it, that was the lowest grade I ever got at Sidwell. It was the most important."
By Kelly Anderson, Horizon Staff Writer, May 2017
Dickerson said, “I never got better than a C+ in Mr. Tonken's class, but it was the best grade I may have ever gotten -- better than all of the A’s I got in other classes later in life. The grade was a spur, a guide and a symbol of a kind of intellectual rigor that has really helped me in my future work. Now that I think about it, that was the lowest grade I ever got at Sidwell. It was the most important."
By Kelly Anderson, Horizon Staff Writer, May 2017
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