With the school of AFYW switching from the Jupiter grading system to SyncGrades, teachers have had mixed opinions as they adjust to the new way of entering and tracking grades.
Mr. Micheal, who teaches 10th and 12th grade government, shared that using SyncGrades can be frustrating during class. “So, like, I’m always having to constantly log back in, but when I’m teaching, I have so many different things to do… I don’t have time to.” He explained that having to verify logins through a phone makes grading harder when he’s already juggling lessons, students, and classroom management.
On the other hand, Earth Science teacher Ms. Rabi said SyncGrades has some helpful features. “I felt like I could see statistics about assignments and it would be like, oh, there’s kids who got an A, a B, failed it, need help, etc,” she said. Rabi said being able to see this information quickly helps her understand which students may need extra support.
Mr. Dave, who teaches 12th grade English, said that while SyncGrades has its benefits, with Jupiter doing some things better. “I would say the only thing I would give in the favor of Jupiter was that kind of, like, instant update,” he said, explaining that grades on Jupiter appeared immediately without delays. As the transition continues, teachers hope SyncGrades can improve its speed while keeping the tools that help track student progress.
Students have also noticed flaws in the system. Senior Elijah Ramos said that while SyncGrades has some advantages, it still has certain issues. “SyncGrades is a little easier to navigate, but the grades are just as inconsistent as they were with Jupiter,” he said. “It’s also significantly harder to log into if you’re using the app, since there’s always some kind of error.”
As the change solidifies, teachers and students alike hope SyncGrades can improve its reliability and login process while maintaining the advanced features that help track academic progress.
