Updated

A New Jersey school district that eliminated the "D'' grade for students says the change has been a success.

The new policy in Mount Olive took effect in September. It raised the failure score to anything under a 70 instead of 65.

Superintendent Larrie Reynolds told the Daily Record that the number of failing grades for middle and high school students dropped 42.5 percent in the first quarter. And more students earned A's and B's.

Reynolds had proposed the policy last summer, saying he was tired of kids getting credit for not learning.

But some school officials and teachers say it's too early to declare the policy a success.

They note the new policy allows students to retake exams and redo assignments after initial failing grades, often bringing up their scores.

___

Information from: Daily Record, http://www.dailyrecord.com