Should student test scores be private? (Debate).

It happens every day in school: Students grade each other's papers while checking homework or correcting quizzes. Then, students read these scores aloud to their teacher, who notes them down in a grade book.

Many people think peer grading is harmless. But others--especially parents--think it embarrasses students. Kristja Falvo of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was upset that her fifth-grade son was called "dummy" after his scores were read aloud in class. She sued the school district to get them to keep students' grades private. That case, Owasso Independent School District v. Falvo, is before the Supreme Court.

What do you think? Should student grades and test scores be kept private?

yes

Keep Scores Private

Sharing test scores with the class violates student privacy. It also may be illegal.

A 1974 federal law, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, says that "educational records" must be kept private. So sharing grades--even in class--may be a crime.

More importantly, sharing scores can hurt a student's feelings. "Sometimes I get bad grades, and I don't want anyone yelling them out loud," says Pedro Carlos Martinez, a seventhgrader at Barkalow Middle School in Freehold, New Jersey.

"Grades are private and only parents and teachers should see them."

no

Share Scores

Sharing scores does not hurt students and saves teachers a lot of time in grading papers.

Our current law doesn't mean that student test scores should be kept private. It applies only to end-of-the-year grades and other permanent records.

"I've never been embarrassed by hearing my grades read aloud," says Justin Bachta, a seventh-grader at Robert Frost Junior High in Schaumburg, Illinois. "It's a good idea sometimes. And making it illegal is a little harsh."

Since many teachers think peer grading helps them--and doesn't hurt students--scores should be shared.