Failing Grade

Carroll County students who wish to participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities are allowed one failing grade to remaineligible, but students could get by with one F and 4 Ds under the county policy. Some have suggested a more stringent requirement, such as a 2.0 (C) average, but others have said that if the requirements are too tough, some students will take less difficult courses.Should the school board adopt tougher academic requirements? What should those requirements be?

Children in grades one through eight who are in danger of failing a grade and did not attend Baltimore's summer school have one last chance to take the national standardized test to be promoted to the next grade. The Terra Nova test will be given at all summer school sites throughout the city today and tomorrow. Parents should call the principal of their child's school to register for the test. Pupils who score at the 23rd percentile on the national standardized test or above will be promoted to the next grade.

Parents, don't panic if your son or daughter doesn't come home from high school today with a report card.Your child isn't hiding it. The dog didn't eat it.Anne Arundel County school officials announced yesterday that report cards for high school students will be delayed nearly a week because of problems in computing new academic eligibility for students involved in extracurricular activities.High school students will receive their report cards Tuesday, said school spokeswoman Nancy Jane Adams.

ANNAPOLIS -- Disturbed by state environment regulators' failing grade for financial management, Maryland legislators said yesterday that they want the attorney general to decide whether laws were broken in a multimillion-dollar computer purchase.Department of the Environment officials were asked to explain how the 4-year-old agency could have spent $2.1 million for a computer system that was budgeted for only $1.4 million.The legislators said they wanted a legal opinion on whether the department substantially changed its specifications for the computers after the budget had been approved thereby subverting lawmakers intent when the approved the $1.4 million.

When the school board voted in August to raise the minimum grade point average for students participating in sports, it marked not the end but the beginning of controversy.But the new 2.0 GPA comes up for discussion again at the Board of Education meeting, set for 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at board headquarters on Riva Road.Since the Aug. 5 decision, parents, students and coaches have appeared at nearly every board meeting to express concern over the new GPA policy.Many people, including board Vice President Dorothy Chaney, have complained the decision was made without input from the community.

Motivate students in academics, not extracurriculars The Howard County Board of Education last night (Jan. 27) removed the requirement that incoming 9th-graders meet academic eligibility requirements to participate in extracurricular activities, despite support of the majority of eighth-grade parents and middle school principals for the requirement. Until last night, incoming freshmen were required to have a 2.0 ("C") average and no failing grade in the final eighth-grade marking period.

Bernie Fowler evidently found the faintest glimmer of hope Sunday in his 25th annual Patuxent River wade-in.  The Associated Press reports the former Calvert County state senator and friends made it 35 inches deep into the river at Jefferson-Patterson Park in St. Leonard before they lost sight of their feet in the water. That's the clearest he's seen the water in a decade. Though his wade-ins are an unscientific survey of the river's health, it's the third year in a row Bernie's " Sneaker Index " has made it above 30 inches.

WASHINGTON -- In a surprising reversal, the Navy is no longer trying to persuade a sexually harassed officer to remain in the service and is moving to discharge her.The decision to end the career of Lt. Rebecca Hansen, 28, who failed pilot training, was made after she declined other Navy job offers and made three demands -- an apology from Navy Secretary John Dalton, the upgrading of her low performance ratings to "outstanding" and a return to flight school.Lieutenant...

Running backsBam Morris had a great week of practice and played well yesterday, but he still needs to get lower on runs to gain the extra yards on short-yardage situations. He runs too high.-- BQuarterbackMaybe Vinny Testaverde is starting to come out of his slump. He threw some nice touch passes on mid-range routes and seemed comfortable in the pocket. Testaverde didn't have an interception. -- CReceiversMichael Jackson has become a better blocker and caught everything that was thrown his way yesterday.