What do grades tell us?

Below are the passing rates for the first trimester of this school year at Hayes.  These are for core curriculum courses.

Core Curriculum
Course	Enrolled	Pass	Fail	% Passing
English
English 7	337	331	6	98.20%
English 8	371	350	21	94.30%
Math
Math 7	319	297	22	93.10%
Algebra A	199	180	19	90.50%
Algebra AB	141	141	0	100.00%

Core Curriculum
Course	Enrolled	Pass	Fail	% Passing
Science
Science 7	343	324	19	94.50%
Science 8	379	348	31	91.80%
Social Studies
Social Studies 7	354	347	7	98.00%
Social Studies 8	393	369	24	93.90%

What am I trying to do when I generate data like this?  Am I trying to suggest that we grade too easy or too hard?  Am I trying to suggest that we are failing too many students or passing too many students?

Data like this gives us information.  It allows us to examine our practice.  More importantly it allows us to reflect on who the students are that are not succeeding and gives us a chance to ask ourselves what can we do for those students.  How can we help them?

Students need to pass their classes.  Yet they must earn their grade.  We should not just give a student a passing grade unless they can demonstrate to us that they have learned the material.  When we see our passing rates it allows to ask ourselves questions, to see if we are accomplishing our goal.

What is our goal?  That every student will make at least a year's growth in a year's time.  That every student will learn.