Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC Schools Will Issue No Fs To Students During Remote Learning This Semester
By
Jessica Gould
Published Apr 29, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Golubovy / Shutterstock
By
Jessica Gould
Published Apr 29, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The New York City Department of Education announced on Tuesday a new grading policy for remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic in which no student in the public school system will fail this semester.
Instead, students in kindergarten through eighth grade will be marked "meets standards" or "needs improvement."
High schoolers will get grades but can drop them from their GPAs if they want to. And middle or high school students who fell behind because they were sick, didn’t have a device, or because of other crisis-related issues, will receive “in progress” on their report cards, which is similar to an incomplete.
Mayor de Blasio said the policy aimed to give the school system’s 1.1 million students crucial information about their progress while also recognizing the challenges so many are facing.
“We have to recognize that some kids are having a tougher time because of the crisis, emotionally and academically,” he said. “We have to help them catch up.”
Officials said these designations would help identify students who need extra help over the coming months, and plans are afoot to expand summer school for those who need it.
But what exactly those plans will be are still up in the air. “We are working through the shape of summer as we speak,” de Blasio said. He said “at minimum” the education department will have online learning for students who need it, like students in special education.
But many teachers who said they are exhausted from the herculean effort of transitioning to remote learning and then working through spring break are worried about being asked to work through the summer. Parents have also said they’ve reached a limit.
Officials said they’re still discussing how they’ll determine whether a student will be promoted to the next grade.
School districts across the country have been grappling with how to evaluate students during this unprecedented period. The question has been especially vexing here in the epicenter of the pandemic, where the virus has amplified racial and economic disparities, and so many families are struggling with loss.
Six weeks into remote learning, devices have been delivered to a quarter of a million students, but at least 19,000 still don’t have what they need. Some students have said they’re managing, while others report drowning under an excess of homework, difficulty completing assignments, and struggling with anxiety.
Schools Chancellor Carranza said he hopes to “thread the needle” of keeping students engaged while recognizing the strain.
Some parents said they were relieved by the decision. Others said it was too lax, or too strict.
Lucas Liu is a member of the group PLACE, Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education, which advocates for keeping the SHSAT entrance exam for specialized schools and expanding gifted and talented programming. The group includes some of Chancellor Carranza’s fiercest critics.
Liu applauded the decision for high schools but argued that younger students should be graded as well.
“Why are you throwing out all the work students and teachers put in prior to remote learning,” he said, adding that grades help motivate students and could be a useful strategy for keeping them inside in the warmer months.
He said he believed the mayor and chancellor’s grading policy is part of a broader effort to deconstruct screened admissions in middle and high schools. He noted that most criteria used for screens are now moot: attendance is no longer allowed to be factored in, tests have been canceled, and now grading policies are being relaxed.
But NeQuan McLean, president of Community Education Council 16 in Brooklyn, said the policy was too harsh and would stigmatize vulnerable students.
“Who are you saying needs improvement at this time? The parent? The student? We’re already under stress. This was an add-on,” he said. “This pandemic has shown the digital divide, the wealth divide, the difference between haves and have nots in the city. And this grading policy with this negative language of ‘needs improvement’ takes it to another level.”
McLean joined other parent leaders and social service organizations in calling on the mayor to adopt narrative reports for elementary school students, use the terms “approaching standards” instead of “incomplete,” promote all students, and graduate all seniors.
The mayor said the city would do all it can to support seniors, but stopped short of guaranteeing that they will automatically receive a diploma.
For those who are graduating, he promised a virtual ceremony with special celebrity guests.
Tagged
COVID-19
coronavirus
DOE
schools
remote learning
Jessica Gould
Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani names re-entry specialist as chair of Rikers oversight board
Christopher Watler will help the department that a federal monitor says remains in crisis.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 6, 2026 at 3:52 p.m. ET
NYC weighs expanding upstate reservoir following drought
The Delaware River Basin Commission is evaluating options to increase water storage, including expanding a reservoir in New York City.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
NYC weighs expanding upstate reservoir following drought
The Delaware River Basin Commission is evaluating options to increase water storage, including expanding a reservoir in New York City.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Legionella found in Staten Island building's water system after 2 positive cases
By
Catalina Gonella
Legal 'loophole' helps NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, Bruce Blakeman raise millions
By
Jon Campbell
Police identify 2 men wanted for stabbing an off-duty NYPD officer
By
Ben Feuerherd
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .