I have done a lot of thinking about the idea of an honour roll over the years. I remember 15 years back, teachers were posting students’ grades on the wall for all to see. At one point, I had heard rumours of schools that allowed students on the honour roll to skip their final exam. I could never understand that thinking.

My school has a tradition of an academic awards assembly where high-achieving students are recognized, including the top arts students, athletes, and academic students. My first time at the assembly, I was struck by the number of students who were recognized for honours (80%-89%) and high honours (90%-100%). Almost 80% of students fell between those two categories at most grade levels. I wondered how this could be. It generally goes against sound assessment practice. What a miracle to have so many students achieve at such a high level.

The odd thing is, however, that at those pesky standardized test checkpoints, the students did not show as well, at least not at that volume. Averages were coming in around 70%. This came in higher than provincial averages most years, but that made sense. Smaller class sizes, smaller communities…should make it easier to teach content and get students prepared.

What has become increasingly troubling to me is the reduction of effort, but the expectation of those high grades. I hear about “these kids put in zero effort” that it is “impossible to get work finished or turned in on time,” but that list of honours and high honours students seems to grow, or at least that average never really changes.

The last few years, I have noticed a troubling pattern: students developing an almost manic obsession with “high honours.” A panicked rush to complete missing and late work in the week leading up to an arbitrary deadline that they did not have any interest in meeting when it was set in class (thank a virtual no 0 policy for part of that). Last week, after sending emails, both to students and to home throughout the semester, after invitations to come to Flex (think study hall), after giving extension after extension after extension I was greated with assignments being turning in 76 days late, 93 days late, 104 days late, then came the emails of “why have you not marked my assignment yet, I turned it in last night, I won’t get high honours unless you mark it by the end of the day tomorrow. A coworker reported being cornered by kids mad about a grade; their grading was more generous than mine would have been. This student was not worried about why their grade was low; they were mad that it might keep them from high honours.

I never thought grading was about learning. Years ago, I made a valiant attempt to move to a gradeless approach, heavy on monitoring progress through learning goals and looking at how students were meeting outcomes. It fizzled out as more and more students pushed for numbers, “Ok, but is this high honours?”

I was working with my AI thought partner yesterday and asked about honour rolls and possible issues and ideas that could help make them actually meaningful, because let’s face it, if 80% of students are achieving 80% and above, we are reaching the levels of participation trophy rather than actual achievement. One point that I mentioned earlier was assessment. ChatGPT popped this out from a synthesis of research papers.

Consistency Creates Trust

If students, parents, and staff believe grades are earned through clear and consistent standards, honor roll recognition carries weight. However, if grading varies dramatically between teachers—one teacher grading very strictly while another inflates grades—the honor roll can begin to feel arbitrary rather than merit-based.

For example:

• A student earning 92% in a highly rigorous English class may have demonstrated deeper mastery than a student earning 97% in a less rigorous course.
• If assessment practices differ widely, honor roll becomes more reflective of grading systems than student achievement.

This does not mean all teachers must assess identically, but there needs to be enough shared understanding of proficiency, rigor, and evidence of learning that grades remain reasonably comparable.

If two teachers teach the same course, one assesses with a higher standard and fidelity to a rubric, while the other assesses based on “well, I don’t want to be mean,” what value does the 90% hold? When both students are standing in line celebrated for that honour roll, they are seen the same, but the achievement certainly is not.

This may seem harsh. I am certain some will read this (I mean if anyone actually reads this) and clutch their pearls at the thought of not recognizing student greatness. If I were suggesting that, I would be clutching mine too, but I am not. I am suggesting that we need to start redefining great. Scoring over a 90% in a core class should be rare air, not something we can achieve just by getting everything turned in.

Achievement only matters if the assessment that indicates it is valid and rigorous. We have to start there. Further, we should reexamine what we value and make that a part of the honours criteria in school.

• Respectful
• Honest
• Hard working
• Punctuality
• Effort
• Leadership
• Citizenship
• Kindness

All of these traits, as well as academic achievement, are things we could consider as we ponder honours and high honours. Growing up having 10/12 assignments missing and 100 days late would not invite an opportunity to rush them and get them turned in to achieve high honours. I would have been told, “Sorry, but you have not demonstrated the responsibility of an honours student.” We would have lost marks for late work (that is bad practice, and I am not actually advocating that, but we would have lost the opportunity to be celebrated)

I guess in the end, I wouldn’t hate the idea of an honour roll if I put any value in how it was determined. I think society has lowered the collective bar. We have embraced the Golom effect, low expectations equal low results, but we have continued to reward them as if they were high.

I try to hold my students to a higher standard, I value the effort they put in, and I think this term I have 2 students who will be receiving High Honours and maybe another 8 who reached Honours. 10 out of about 60, I think that is like 17% of the class, which feels right, standardized tests generally align, outside a few anomalies. The grade is only one piece. I see my students as whole people that I want to succeed, but I want that success to be earned and celebrated because it was authentically earned. I don’t think honour rolls traditionally do that.

I could be way off, but I doubt it.

It has been a long time since I ranted about education.

#ThingsMrGsays