At Thomas Jefferson, 2.8 Is Tantamount to Failure
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 26, 2008; Page B01
Matthew Nuti finished 10th grade at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology with much to be proud of. He excelled in oratory on the Model United Nations team. He was a starting lineman in junior varsity football. His English teacher complimented his classroom wit. Like virtually all students at the very selective public magnet school in Fairfax County, he scored near the top on the Virginia state Standards of Learning exams.
Oh, and he had a 2.8 grade point average for the school year. At most schools, that would be a B-minus, not too bad, but at Jefferson it has just gotten him expelled.
This is puzzling to Matthew, 16, and his family, because Jefferson, often known as TJ, admitted him in 2006 when he had a 2.8 average in middle school. His high score on the entrance test helped secure him a seat in the regional school. But TJ administrators, influenced by an accreditation committee recommendation, decided last year to make 3.0 the minimum to stay in the school. At that time, fewer than 2 percent of students fell below that benchmark. Read the full article on WashingtonPost.com>
