According to the calendar, this should be about the time of year for Pascack Valley students and faculty to be transitioning into the third marking period, as the first half of the school year has come to a close.

Except that marking periods no longer exist.

Last spring, the administration decided to scrap the four-quarter schedule in favor of one continuous, cumulative grading period. The thought process behind the move was to allow for a more natural grading process, rather than making teachers feel rushed to get a certain amount of grades in before the marking period closes.

The idea was initially met with mixed opinions. Some students did not like the possibility of one bad grade lingering for the entire year, while others applauded the change, noting how each individual grade feels less important in the grand scheme of things.

Now, having experienced three months of semester-free school, how do PV students and faculty feel about the change?

Matt Novakowski (PV junior)– Having experienced Pascack Valley with both the old and new marking period schedules, Matt thinks the administration ultimately made the right call, as the change has resulted in an overall less stressful school environment. “I was always just making sure my average would remain above a certain number until the marking period ended,” he noted. The process would repeat itself, with the next quarterly date becoming his new deadline. The constant worrying about marking periods caused him to value grades over the actual course material. With the new schedule, he has found himself more focused, less stressed, and not checking his online grade book as frequently.

Mrs. Mattessich (English teacher)- Mrs. Mattessich appreciates that she can work and adjust on her own timeline, rather than the previously mandated timeline of the school. She believes that the artificial deadlines of the past made her feel pressured to give assessments when her students may not have been ready. Also, she noted how the English department has revised their entire grading system for this year in reaction to this change. This newly weighted system classifies all English grades into four categories: vocabulary, presentation, reading, and writing. This new structure has helped her incorporate common core standards into her grading, while having a set weight for all of her assignments.

Nicole Beckemeyer (PV junior)- Nicole thinks that students have had less motivation to do well so far, as the previous marking periods provided much-appreciated deadlines. From a physiological standpoint, she used to push herself to get her grades up before the end of each marking period, but with no quarterly grade, she does not have that incentive. Also, she believes that this year has gone on a noticeably slower pace than usual, and thinks that the end of the year will be a mad scramble to get everything together.

Mrs. Ricca (Math and computer science teacher)- As a math teacher, Mrs. Ricca’s class has many grades to begin with. Therefore, she feels like she has not changed her pace or the way she inputs grades significantly this year, even with the change. She is more concerned about how the new system is affecting the students, for better or for worse. Still, she added that she could not make a full conclusion on the change until the year is over and it could be completely evaluated.