The Coalition of Concerned Citizens for African American Children is calling a community meeting for Thursday to complain about "the inaction of" the Wake County school board's student achievement committee.

In a Tuesday night press release, CCCAAC calls it an "an inexcusable dereliction of duty" that the student achievement committee hasn't met for a year. The standing committees were suspended by the Republican board majority but have been restored by the new Democratic majority.

The CCCAAC specifically focuses on how the grading policy has been put on hold. The CCCAAC charges that putting the policy on hold "has resulted in our children being retained at alarming rates and failing courses that are needed for graduation.

It looks like opponents of the proposed grading changes for Wake County schools have won some more time on the issue.

The school board was set to resume discussion on the issue today. But school board chairman Ron Margiotta, who opposes most of the changes, said the proposal has been pushed off until later this year while more questions are answered.

In the meantime, Margiotta and school board candidate Heather Losurdo have both strongly spoken out against changes such as reducing how much homework is counted and capping the penalty for handing in late assignments.

Should a student's grade be based on how well he does on exams or should it also reflect factors such as work habits and classroom behavior?

As noted in today's article, Wake County school board members had some fundament disagreements over whether to adopt the revised grading policy that would put a focus on mastery of material as opposed to "behavior."

School board vice chairman John Tedesco was the most outspoken in favor of the changes during Tuesday's discussion while board chairman Ron Margiotta was the most vocal dissenter.

Here's an abbreviated recap of today's Wake County school board meeting with more to come later.

A decision on the grading practices was delayed until Aug. 16 to give more time for public comment and to allow staff to report back on additional information on the rationale for going back to letter grades in grades 3-5 and to learn more about how behaviors would be incorporated into the policy.

But the signs are that the new grading policy will pass with school board vice chairman John Tedesco strongly advocating for the revision. But you could still see some revisions made to the R&P.

A partial return to letter grades in elementary school and a discussion of revising how grades are issued in middle school and high school will form part of today's Wake County school board discussion.

As noted in today's article, staff will present to the board a number of changes they want to make in a draft R&P on grading policies. It would go along with revisions they want the board to make to the grading policy.

The secondary school changes would mirror efforts begun in 2001 at elementary schools to separate out what could be considered classroom behavior from the academic grades. But the changes may be going too far for some parents and board members.

Should Wake County go back to using letter grades on report cards for at least some elementary school students?

That's what school board member Deborah Prickett suggested during last month's school board retreat. She said Wake should at least bring back the old-style report cards for grades three through five.

The issue came up as part of a discussion on the use of EVAAS to place students in math classes in middle schools.

From this weekend's News & Observer, an in-depth look at Cathy Davidson, the Duke professor who has turned grading on its ear.

Davidson, 60, is a tenured professor with two distinguished professorships and a long history of scholarship. Over the years, she has taught traditional literature courses and bristled just a bit when she gave out traditional letter grades.

Last year, she tried something new. In an interdisciplinary course about technology, communication and the Internet, she decided to let students grade themselves. Gasp!

Some skeptics furrowed their brows at this clear repudiation of the long-held academic grading tradition. But Davidson swears it works. Her students worked both harder and in different ways knowing they'd be evaluated not by a professor but by their peers.

Have a read.

Wayne County school officials have put the brakes on a cash for grades fundraising effort at a Goldsboro middle school.

The school district reacted to today's article by Lynn Bonner, in which she reported that a $20 donation to Rosewood Middle School would have gotten a student 20 test points — 10 extra points on two tests of the student's choosing. That could raise a B to an A, or a failing grade to a D.

Are any individual Wake schools following similar policies?

Today's article included a Raleigh parent who objected this year when her daughter's social studies teacher at Knightdale High School had students bring to school tissues and hand sanitizer. The supplies counted for 25 percent of a "supply check" grade.

School administrators are getting some support in their efforts to review and possibly change grading practices in middle schools and high schools.

The Coalition of Concerned Citizens for African American Children issued a press release Saturday in which it says the grading review "will allow all students an equal opportunity to receive equitable evaluation on assessments."

Supporters of the review argue that the elimination of work habits and behavior will make grades truly reflect what students know. Critics complain that the potential adoption of policies such as not giving out zeroes could set a bad example for students.

UPDATE

Calla Wright, head of the CCCAAC, is raising concerns about the headline describing them as a black advocacy group. She said the group's members include people of many different races and that their support for the grading review isn't designed to benefit children of any particular race.

The "Grade Doctor" won't be making any house calls to Wake County.

As noted in today's article, school administrators have broken off contract negotiations with education consultant Ken O'Connor, who calls himself "The Grade Doctor." Administrators had been hoping to hire him to speak with teachers as part of the district's review of middle school and high school grading practices.

At a cost of as much as $6,000 a day for up to eight days, the contract negotiations had become controversial.