Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will propose changes to the current loss of credit (LC) policy at a May 11 meeting which would go into effect for the 2010-2011 school year.

Currently, a student must have missed five or more class periods or have 15 or more unexcused tardies during a semester to receive an LC and a failing grade (E2) in the course. However, the proposed plan will completely eliminate the entire policy.

According to MCPS consulting principal Suzanne Maxey, who is head of the committee for LC reform, the current policy does not work because it does not decrease student absences and it has an unequal impact on different subgroups.

“The LC policy is harder on students receiving free and reduced meals, ESOL students, special-ed students, and freshman in high school,” Maxey said.

Data collected by the LC policy improvement board in the past 18 months has shown that it is four times more likely for African American and Latino students to LC a class than white students.

“The reason for this is parental involvement,” Maxey said. “Some parents write notes for their kids and others don’t.”

According to Principal Joan Benz, a conflict exists with students who are independent learners and can perform well in the course without attending school on a regular basis.

“Some students even take AP exams without taking the course,” Benz said. “If we prohibited this, it would be taking away their choices. This [new] policy helps people who don’t need to be in that class to do well.”

Critics of the new plan say that it will encourage students to skip class without consequences.

According to the official proposal, the new LC policy calls for a minimum of a conference with a maximum of administrative detention for cutting class. Additionally, teachers are not required to allow students to make up work for days missed without a legitimate reason.

In contrast with common beliefs, sophomore Bart Lambergman does not believe that the current policy is strict enough.

“I think five [absences] are too much,” Lambergman said. “They should learn from their mistakes the first or second time around.”

If approved, the new LC policy will:

• Not allow students to lose credit in a class.
• Not limit how many classes an individual can miss.
• Enforce consequences including parent conference and administrative detention for missed classes.