GPA dilemma

Happy Holidays. My husband Bob has a 2.67 GPA from college. He graduated in 1975. He needs a 2.75 to get into an alternate route teaching program. He tests well an has recently passed the NJ State test for realitors. His Praxis is scheduled for January. Any ideas for boosting this through testing. He has a BA in Econmics with a minor in Political Science. He is succesfully self employed and works full time as a substitute teacher teaching math.
Have a relaxing holiday. Hille

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Could you elaborate more on the program he wants to enter? Many graduate programs will allow a person to take a couple of classes in advance of admission. These both demonstrate the competence to enter the program and would raise the overall gpa. 5th year teaching programs also fall into this general category. If what you are looking at is a minimum gpa for teacher candacy? I am not sure of the specific rules in your state. Most states are part of a reciprocal agreement with other states. To be a a licensed teacher one needs to complete a teacher "internship". Generally they cover two semesters. If he has taken the teacher internship, but the gpa is too low to take a the subject competency test? (mathematics, english, etc.) There must be a way of getting an exception. I checked my state, Vermont. To teach in the subject field one needs a gpa of a "C" in the field. There does not seem to be a reference to the overall gpa. Actually, it says you need a minimum of 30 semester credits (a major) in the field and there cannot be a grade of less then "C" in the credits counted toward the major. The same rule applies to teaching in a minor, except the minor requires only 18 credit hours. Perhaps he could be licensed in another state, and then use reciprocity to get the NJ license?
I believe that you can get letter grades for the Excelsior exams. You might want to check their website. It may require reading some fine print.
A little more information would help.
Good luck!

 

Hello. Thanks for the quick reply. I will check the Excelsior web site for the exam schedule. We live in New Jersey and the school district requires a 2.75 overall in an undergraduate degree. He would be actually teaching in September of 2002 with a special certificate to get a year of on the job training. His 18 years in construction qualifies him to teach vocational studies with a mentor. The district is very encouraging and supportive so getting the GPA in place is a priority. This would not be a graduate program. Thanks. Hille

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Simon's point is a really interesting one. I've heard of people successfully making the claim of grade non-equivalence across schools (i.e., a C at Harvard reflects performance at least equivalent to a B at Auburn), but never across time (i.e., a 1975 B is equivalent to a 1995 A). That argument could open a rather large vessel of Annelida, but I think it has merit.

 

Thank you for the ideas. He will be meeting with the Board of Education representative next week and discuss his GPA. He graduated from Marshall University. Life experience credits could be an option if a grade is issued and factored in. Have a peaceful holiday week. Hille

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Thanks forum members. Is there any documentation he can use with this argument? Anything published ? Hille

 

I had posted this link to a Boston Globe article about rampant grade inflation at Harvard some time ago in the Off-topic Discussion Forum. The full article can be found here. The article includes graphs showing that the percentage of Harvard students graduating with honors has increased steadily since the 1940s.

 

Gus,

Thanks for the info. In addition, to the school you mention, there are quite a number of others that engage in this same standard of escalating grades. Anecdotely, I have spoken with colleagues who teach in several universities, and the "stories" they relate about the quality of academic performance they are encountering is remarkable.

 

Good Morning, Are any members aware of portfolio or life experience credit that is graded? I have been doing an internet search an haven't come up with anything that looks real. Marshall University is closed for the holiday so that option is currently on hold. My husband purchased the Excelsior test guide and will be taking several tests as soon as his schedule allows. thank you. Happy New Year. Peace to all. Hille

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Hello. I hope everyone is having a peaceful January. In the GPA repair journey I got some interesting advice from a advisor at Mountain State University. She said there is a growing trend to forgive low grades from early years of college and expunge them. Credits would then be re-taken. I have hopes that this will help my husbands GPA situation. We will find out Monday when Marshall opens for the spring semester. Have a great weekend. Hille

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I hope everyone is having a peaceful evening. The GPA journey goes on. Marshall will not forgive the D from 1970 and will not cooperate on a second degree using life experience. Lawrie gave some excellent suggestions but they won't be a possibility until May. The lack of 2.75 is creating a loss of potential income of around 2000 a month. Considering that, are there opportunities that are more costly but speedier then the big three? Thank you. I realize this topic may have become annoying.

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I was listening to the radio in the car a while back and someone had obtained statistics from Lehigh University revealing how the average GPA of Lehigh Bachelor's graduates had changed over the last four decades. Unfortunately I don't remember the details, but the average GPA had changed from something like 2.5 in the mid-sixties to 3.2 or thereabouts today.

Correcting for grade inflation, that 1975 GPA of 2.67 is probably equivalent of better than a 3.0 today. Not much consolation though...

 

Hi Hille,

That is truly outrageous! The fact that they are not willing to forgive an unsatisfactory grade which is thirty two years old is not only unfair and petty but raises some significant issues that you may wish to consider. First of all, have you discussed this matter with somone in the upper echelon within this institution? If you have'nt you may wish to point out that during the past thiry years or so open admissions has allowed countless numbers of individuals, many with exceedingly unsatisfactory GPAs,' enter undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and with questionable motivation levels in many cases. In addition, as discussed previously, the issue of grade inflation, which was so prevalent during the eighties and nineties can also be raised.

The primary factor, if you desire, is to broach these issues with a person in a position of authority who has the clout to do something about your husband's situation.

Issues of ageism can also be evoked due to the totally different criteria and standards your husband was held to versus todays "watered" down grading protocols and expectations in many schools. A sitution like this may require an assertive posturing!
This is not a matter of a GPA which is under ten years old but a rediculous anachronistic bureacratic standard which may soften if approached in the "right" manner.

Best of luck should you decide to proceed!

 

Hello, A DETC school may be an option for a second degree to eliminate the GPA problem. I know those initials cause a storm. What one would you suggest? Thanks. Hille

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Hille: A DETC school may be an option for a second degree to eliminate the GPA problem. I know those initials cause a storm. What one would you suggest?

John: One whose individual courses have been evaluated, for credit recommendations, by the American Council on Education. I believe that significantly increases the likelihood of their acceptance in the academic world. Edison, for instance, does not accept DETC-accredited degrees, but does give credit for ACE-evaluated courses from DETC-accredited schools.

There is a list of these on the DETC site (www.detc.org). Only a few of the degree-granting DETC-accredited schools have done this -- and none (not surprisingly, I guess) of the more controversial accreditees -- the ones that have aroused the concern or ire of people on this forum.

For further information, this is ACE's site for their credit evaluation service: http://www.acenet.edu/calec/corporate/

 

Good Morning, After e-mailing and calling many colleges I re-read the state document for the alternative teaching credential.The 2.75 must be from a baccalaureate degree, POSTBACCALAUREATE PROGRAM, or advanced degree. I'm optimistic that this opens the door to a certificate option that will be life experience oriented. MY husband will get the exact meaning today. I've read from many of the forum dl experts, or senced from their postings not to give up when the roadblocks seem endless. I also realize that the school board is diligent. Last year a teacher in the program was let go because her transcript did not reflect 2.75. At that time there was an audit of the educators degrees. Have a peaceful day. Hille

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Good Morning, After several frustrating days of researching we still don't have the meaning of post baccalaureate certificate. I have e-mailed several schools listed in John Bears books and have a feeling there may be an option that is not printed in literature. When one of these academic magic tricks works out I'll let the moderators know. There was a letter in our local paper questioning the validity of the 2.75. That fall out could help our situation. Thanks for the encouragement and direction of the forum. Since my husband is nearing 50 this will be a postitive and timely life change. Hille (Have a great three day weekend.)

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Hille

I appears that you are in NJ. My understanding is that the NJ Dept of Ed has proposed to modify N.J.A.C. 6:11 to allow people with either a baccalaureate 2.75 GPA OR a post-baccalaureate end-of-program 2.75 GPA. The latter option applies to a state-approved post-baccalaureate certification program with a minimum of 13 semester-hour credits.

Groetjes,
Gert