Genesis or Nemesis?

NVOT places new restrictions on gradebook access

Students+and+staff+share+their+thoughts+on+new+Genesis+restrictions.+

Sam Cruz

Students and staff share their thoughts on new Genesis restrictions.

At NVOT, checking Genesis is as habitual as waking up at 7 a.m. to get up for school. However, starting February 1, students and parents will not be able to access the Genesis gradebook from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The results of the Challenge Success Survey students took on November 16 showed that students reported high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression because of the school’s academically competitive environment. Genesis, the student and parent portal introduced to the district during the 2020-2021 school year, facilitates easy access to grades that often consumes students’ daily lives. Before online portals such as Genesis and PowerSchool— which the school phased out after the 2019-2020 school year— the policy regarding checking grades was only allowed twice during each marking period: once during the middle and once at the end of each marking period via a report card sent physically to families’ homes. With access to these online portals, students can check their grades at their leisure.

Pausing Genesis access during the school day has been a long time coming. “I know a bunch of teachers have been wanting it for a while,” said English teacher Helena Gliatta. “Many people are going to have a tough time acclimating to it, but I think in the long run they’ll see that they’re able to focus more and, hopefully, see their anxiety decrease significantly.” The survey results released to parents via email showed that 71% of students said grades are a major source of stress. 

The survey results released to parents via email showed that 71% of students said grades are a major source of stress.

According to senior Holly Budinich, the pause is inefficient: “I hate it because the only time I check and email teachers about grades is during class. I’m not going to do that on my own time.” 

Most students share a similar sentiment: stopping their access to their grades isn’t going to stop their stress—but rather, increase it. “I feel like it will just make prolonged issues with how people are checking grades,” said senior Alex Kranzler. Communication about grades and missing assignments will be more difficult with the ban on Genesis during school hours, explained Kranzler. “It will only stress students out more outside of school rather than in school hours.” 

Students also believe there are other solutions to decreasing stress during the school day. “I think that [stress] is more about how students handle work and how teachers give work,” said junior Muskan Patwa. “I don’t think a website really has anything to do with it.” 

For others, the problem lies within the academically competitive culture that makes kids want to view their grades constantly out of obsession with their fluctuating grades— the survey results also report that 43% of students check their grades more than once a day. “There’s a lot of things that need to be done about this concept of instant gratification and obsession with grades,” said science teacher Steve Ahad. “The idea that a kid can influence their grade by looking at it is pretty ridiculous and our kids are obsessed. It’s probably the number one place they go on their laptops every chance they get.” 

“In our school’s culture, [students] want to take every single AP class they can, and spread themselves so thin that they’re not really successful in one class, but rather okay in a bunch of classes, just so it looks good on a transcript,” Ahad said. During the 2021 testing cycle, students in the 32 AP courses the school offers took a total of 446 AP tests—with students taking a total of nearly 900 AP tests during the 2022 testing cycle, according to a letter principal Bruce Sabatini sent to the NVOT community at the beginning of this school year. 

The idea that a kid can influence their grade by looking at it is pretty ridiculous and our kids are obsessed. It’s probably the number one place they go on their laptops every chance they get.

— Steve Ahad

The school also plans to implement more initiatives to reduce stress placed upon students— including having Challenge Success coach, Laura Easley, share tips for students to get more sleep and handle their stress better. “Your primary job is to learn,” said Director of Guidance Matthew Spatz, “What I find is that a lot of students worry about the next grade the other teachers can put in.” The restrictions on Genesis are “meant to let you focus on what you’re focusing on.” 

In the letter sent to parents via email on January 24, superintendent James Santana emphasized that students’ grades should not define them: “Your child is more complex, talented, and unique than one test, quiz, or paper grade. Grades do not define worth,” he wrote.