Should a public school be allowed to expel a student based purely on the student's low grades?

[Boojatta]

To me, the title (i.e. "Subject" line) of this thread suggests a train of thought. Should students have an opportunity to appeal to an academic authority outside of the school that the student is attending? I'm talking about appealing against comments written by an instructor and/or against marks assigned in connection with those comments. It's common for an instructor to write comments on completed assignments that a student submits for grading, and for an instructor to write comments on a student's test or exam paper.

An appeal procedure might have two benefits. First, it might prevent a student from being unfairly expelled, long before the student came close to being expelled. Second, it might allow educational administrators to identify people who have been given authority to assign grades, but who have subject area misconceptions. We can imagine a scenario involving a major conflict between a student's work on an assignment or test and the instructor's belief about what is correct, even though the student's work might be adequate, good, or even excellent.

[realisticphish]

1. does this ever happen?

I can see a private school doing so, but I can't imagine a public school expelling a student for poor grades alone.

[Posteritatis]

3. They're hesitant enough not to advance students with poor grades, never mind expelling them

Unless the OP's talking about university level, at which point of course they're allowed to boot them.

[realisticphish]

5. that's what I was thinking

of course at a university, you are not legally required to attend; you are there voluntarily, and accept the terms of enrollment

[lazarus]

4. it sort of happened to my daughter

After one semester, she was transferred to an alternative school that was wholly unsuited for her. They did such a bad job of handling her, we ended up having them pay for her to attend an appropriate private school in the area.

[realisticphish]

7. i can see that happening

especially at a public school known for high grad rates/SAT scores/whatever. I've heard stories of kids being labeled as LD to get them out of the school, just to keep the school's slate clean. But that's all second hand, in my case.

[Hannah Bell]

17. charter schools do.

[WinkyDink]

2. Is there a current context for your query?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. You appear to have confused two separate topics

- Appealing grades that are unjustified due to content etc
- Public schools expelling students for poor academic performance.

I have seen unjustified grades dues to instructor opposition to content or dislike of the student. Its very unprofessional but it happens. Occasionally the instructors are set up to an extent as well. Regardless its fairly rare.

On the flip side a colleague who teaches writing often encourages students to take a controversial stance when writing persuasive papers. His POV is that anyone can make a case for feeding the hungry and that one should try defending apartheid in South Africa. From an academic perspective, he has a point. Some of his papers he received were quite interesting in the approaches they took and stretched the students. A good thing in an education.

As for expelling students, one really needs to look at causes. Lack of attendance, behavior, special needs, health, and other factors all play a role. I have never seen a student who was attending regularly and seriously trying be expelled for academic performance from a public school.

[Boojatta]

9. I think that explusion is typically more serious than...

a court finding the defendant in a civil suit formally liable, but setting the amount of damages payable by the defendant at one dollar. Where there is serious matter of principle and precedent involved, even a small monetary damages award may be appealed.

Note: Before I said anything about appealing a decision to expel a student, I explicitly indicated that there was a train of thought that began with the idea expressed in the title of this thread. Given this context, the title of your message ("You appear to have confused two separate topics") suggests the existence of an attitude problem, such as arrogance or a passionate attachment to the status quo.

[pscot]

8. Of course

Low scoring students bring down average scores and jeopardize funding. School is a business now.

[YvonneCa]

10. No. Low grades are not...

...grounds for expulsion.

[Boojatta]

11. What is and what should be aren't always the same thing.

In your opinion, should low grades be grounds for expulsion from a public school?

[YvonneCa]

12. No. n/t

[mbperrin]

14. Good lord, no! The little darlins can't get away from me that easily!

As I tell them, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. You can, however, hold his head under until he drowns. That's my basic pedagogy, so no, no escape by expulsion for malingering.

[exboyfil]

18. What about having a three or four year spread in ages

Lets say having a 16 year old in 6th grade with 12 year olds. I think this is inappropriate and potentially dangerous. Right now my 7th grader is going to be attending school with a troubled child who should be in 9th grade (she is my older daughter's age). I do not like the situation.

[MichiganVote]

13. Nah..we should just waterboard em'

[Boojatta]

15. Kick

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. No but their teachers should be fired

[Boojatta]

19. Kick

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. never mind