The Honors Bio Final: Has it Gotten Harder?

Although every class for juniors at the School is a struggle, the Biology Honors class this year stands out for its rigor and unprecedented impact on even the top 11th graders, sparking a critical conversation about the problem with the course. 

For the first semester, grades ranged from a D+ to an A-. Even top-class performers said, “It’s the most challenging class I’ve ever taken.” Several students left the class past the add/drop deadline before entering quarter two of the first semester. 

The Biology Honors average final exam grade was 61% uncurved this year. This was also the first time the School had to curve a final in a long time. This was the lowest result the course had ever seen. With such a low average grade, many have wondered: What is happening?

 When asked why she thinks the kids are struggling, Jen Brakeman, Biology Honors Advisor and Head Scheduler, responded, “I think that this topic is too complicated for me to be able to succinctly answer. It’s a big debate right now that many of the science teachers are discussing. We’ve literally spent hours already trying to figure out what’s going on. I’m afraid that any answers or hypotheses I give will end up sounding like I’m blaming various factors that may or may not even be the most relevant. More importantly, none of us are very confident in the hypotheses we’ve come up with.” 

I wondered about further changes the class will have this semester. Brakeman responded enthusiastically, saying, “The way we all respond to the data from the first semester will be a key factor in making the second semester an impactful and positive growth experience for us all. We, the Biology honors teachers, are really looking forward to modifying some things that we hope will make a difference!”

When asked if they found the curriculum hard, juniors Jonah Greenberg and Malaya Fernandez reported that it was one of the most challenging classes they had ever taken. When asked what could make it easier, Greenberg said, “I don’t like the SPC system because I think it’s challenging to see how well I did on an assignment, and it’s hard to calculate my grade, which makes it less motivating. I feel like a percentage [grade] would make it easier”. 

The SPC system is one of the most debated forms of grading. Instead of a standard A-F grading scale, Bio H students are graded on a scale of 0-4 in 8 different categories, so kids are constantly calculating their grades to figure out what grade they need to get to improve. 

Senior Skye Mitchell has one of the highest grades in the class. When asked about the class, she responded, “​​I guess it’s more that the class is hard, not necessarily the concepts themselves. Learning the material and attaining good grades is possible if you just put in the work, but there’s also a lot of work.” 

Some may think this class is just a hard course, but there was an immense difference in the final grade between 2024 and 25. There will be changes for the class of 2026.