Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has introduced updates to its Synergy platform, prompting the discontinuation of third-party grading services such as Grade Melon and Grade View.
Grade Mellon and Grade View are widely renowned for the convenience they provided students in adjusting their grades and calculating GPAs. The discontinuation of these apps has caused major disappointment among MCPS students. Junior Claire Richards shared, “I have used Grade Mellon almost every day to calculate and adjust my grades; the timing could not have been worse, considering all the grades are closing for the quarter .”
The discontinuation of these third-party grading services was caused by raised concerns regarding the integrity of Montgomery County’s grading system. By centralizing all grading processes within the Synergy platform, MCPS hopes to better monitor and protect the accuracy of student evaluations.
The Synergy updates will offer enhanced features to grading processes for teachers, from customizable grading rubrics to automated grade calculations, and educators will have access to resources designed to optimize their workflow. Furthermore, students will be provided with a standardized method for tracking their academic progress. Through personalized dashboards, students can easily monitor their grades, attendance records, and assignment deadlines. Additionally, these updates will facilitate more efficient communication between educators, students, and parents.
Math teacher, Dr. Sawhill, stated, “I believe that students should have access to as many resources as possible. However, exclusively using the Synergy platform for grading processes will ultimately benefit both teachers and students in our community.”
