In the middle of each marking period, students receive a quarterly progress report from our administration.  These progress reports allow students to see comments from teachers, how many absences they’ve accumulated, and grades that are an indicator if students are at a comfortable mark, or if they need to improve and work harder.  But Infinite Campus, our new grading system, does something our students have never seen before regarding progress reports.  The week that progress reports are set to release, Infinite Campus hides averages on the students’ side.  This restricts students from previewing their grades.  While this might make sense from an administrative point of view, for students, it’s incredibly stressful and unnecessary.  Closing Infinite Campus the week of progress reports does not assist students in any way.

By preventing students from viewing their grades during this time, students may become overly stressed.  They are unable to see their grades or have the opportunity to correct possible errors made by their teachers on their progress reports.  If a mistake happens while the portal is closed, it may not even be caught until after progress reports are finalized, which hinders the student’s grade.  That can affect GPA, eligibility for sports (due to the passing rule for athletics at Schreiber), or even how our parents view our progress.  

  School is already overwhelming enough between tests, projects, and activities.  Being locked out of Infinite Campus adds to that anxiety.  For achievement-oriented students who like to track their progress, having visible grades gives them the tools to be successful.  For some students, especially those who rely on frequent grading updates to stay organized or those who need additional academic support, not being able to check Infinite Campus makes things more challenging.  These grades can help students plan, stay motivated, and give a visible indicator of hard work in the classroom paying off in the gradebook.  When we can’t check our grades, the uncertainty is certainly stress inducing.

Schreiber students cannot take full responsibility for their individual learning if they are unable to track their individual progress.  The hiding feature on Infinite Campus for grades doesn’t teach responsibility, but takes away an important part of student motivation: a letter grade.  Although according to the Schreiber guidance office, the hidden grades during the week when progress reports are being finalized are not intentional, some students can’t help but feel as if there is some secrecy concerning grades.  This can cause frustration between both an anxious student and an overwhelmed teacher, a conflict which can be prevented by Infinite Campus remaining open at all times during marking quarters.