41 Percent of Baltimore Public High-School Students Have Under 1.0 GPA: Report
Forty-one percent of Baltimore public high-school students held a grade-point average of less than 1.0 during the first three quarters of the 2020–2021 school year, Baltimore local Fox 45 News reported on Monday.
This means that almost half of Baltimore’s 20,500 public high-school students earned less than a D average for most of the school year. Meanwhile, 21 percent of high-school students received a G.P.A. above 3.0, according to a chart showing grading averages obtained by Fox 45‘s Project Baltimore investigation.
The number of students earning less than a 1.0 G.P.A. almost doubled from the previous school year, when 24 percent of high schoolers recorded a D average during the second quarter. Baltimore schools only began opening for in-person learning in late February and early March of 2021, following closures enacted during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns.
“Consistent with the experience of many school districts across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic created significant disruptions to student learning,” Baltimore City Schools said in comments to Fox 45. “Each student’s progress will be assessed, and an action plan will be developed to complete any unfinished learning. These plans will guide families and teachers in helping students get back on track.”
Schools across the U.S. struggled to implement online learning for students during the lockdowns, and many districts saw rising rates of failure and absence from class. Maryland’s Anne Arundel County, which includes the capital city of Annapolis, saw failure rates increase from 3 percent to 7 percent, while other districts in the Baltimore metropolitan area also saw higher rates of course failure, the Baltimore Sun reported in June.
“I am still optimistic in the coming years we will be able to meet kids’ needs, but at the same time . . . I am humbled by the significance of students struggling online,” Baltimore City Schools chief John Davis told the Sun at the time.
