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Virginia House Backs Grades For Struggling Schools

By: Meymo Lyons // February 4, 2013
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The House of Delegates has passed legislation that would assign letter grades to public schools in Virginia in the same fashion that teachers grade students — from A to F.

The bill, a conspicuous piece of Gov. Bob McDonnell's education reforms, won final House passage today on a bipartisan 54-40 vote with six delegates not voting, according to the Associated Press.

A similar bill easily won Senate committee backing last week and is due for a final floor vote tomorrow.

Supporters say the grading system is the only way to hold underperforming schools to account and believe it would stimulate parental involvement in failing schools.

Opponents, including lobbying groups for teachers and school boards, say the grades unfairly depict a struggling school and would further harm at-risk students.

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