Beginning this year, English classes will now be graded on the standard grading scale. In years past, in order to earn an A grade, students needed to have a 94% in their English classes. However, the grading scale will now be adjusted to the same grading scale as every other class; a 93% will earn an A grade.

This year, BSM adopted a new software for entering grades in a technological gradebook. The settings for an A are fixed at 93% and it cannot be altered. For this reason, the grading scale got shifted by one percent. English teacher, Ms. Maura Brew, has a problem with this shift. “Even though it won’t make a difference in individual grades, I personally have philosophical issues with anything in the realm of education being dictated by a software program,” Brew said.

This scale change brings many questions of if it would be easier to get an A in English nowadays. Brew puts these questions to rest. “English teachers put more emphasis on writing, which makes up the majority of the grades. Our parameters for an A paper have not changed so the corresponding percentage is of less importance,” Brew said.

Will there be some retaliation for this action that people have been awaiting for years? Some upperclassmen have some choice words and strong opinions about this change in the school. Surprisingly, most actually agree with the change. Even though the English department didn’t make the change because of the students, it seems to be making the students happier. “I felt cheated because in most classes it would’ve been an A but then it brought down GPA, but now it should be easier so I kind of like it,” junior Katie Tucker said.

Instead of being bitter from the pain in the past that the 94% gave them, upperclassmen now look forward to the change. The grading scale change that was caused by a technological shift resulted in a thunderous approval from the rest of the school. “It is fair that they changed it. It is good for the betterment of the school and for years to come, it will be a more just system,” senior Natalie Kroll said.