Open letter to: Educators of CARICOM Territories, Attention All: Ministers of Education, Permanent Secretaries, Education Officers, High School Principals, and Guidance Counsellors

aquest
Sep 8
3 min read

Open letter tailored for high school principals across Jamaica and CARICOM, reflecting my ongoing concerns about clarity, equity, and international credibility of student transcripts.

Open Letter

8 September 2025

Dear Principal,

I write to commend to your attention A-QuEST’s 2025 Concordance # 2 for Academic Transcripts (Descriptor-Led). This tool has been carefully developed to assist Jamaican and CARICOM high schools in presenting student achievement with greater clarity, fairness, and international comparability.

Our students deserve transcripts that do not confuse or undervalue their accomplishments when viewed abroad. Too often, young people applying to colleges in North America, Latin America, Europe, Australia, Oceania, Africa, and Asia face obstacles because their transcripts lack transparent alignment with the grading conventions expected overseas. The result is unnecessary disadvantage for otherwise strong candidates.

From The Bahamas and Belize in CARICOM’s north, through Barbados and the Windward and Leeward Islands, to Trinidad and the Guianas in the south, the preparation of transcripts in more than 90 per cent of CXC-jurisdiction schools remains inconsistent and, most often, rather problematic. Drawing on over four decades of experience in preparing high school pupils for college admission, and teaching, researching, and consulting in firms and institutions across our region and beyond, I feel compelled to raise this concern candidly at the outset of the academic year. My intention is not to cast blame but to underscore the urgency of strengthening transcript systems so that our students may be more fairly and effectively represented.

My second Concordance (below) responds to this challenge by providing a flexible, descriptor-led table that links percentage bands, letter grades, grade-point values, and short evaluative phrases. Schools are free to adjust descriptors (e.g. “With Distinction”, “Honours”) and thresholds to match their own traditions, while still retaining a structure that admissions officers worldwide can easily interpret.

Key benefits include:

Clarity for foreign evaluators: Our children’s grades can be understood in the language of A+, A, B, and GPA.
Fairness to students: Performance is described in balanced, positive terms, avoiding unnecessary stigma while upholding rigour.
Administrative adaptability: Institutions can customise descriptors and grade cut-offs, yet remain aligned with global standards.

I strongly urge you to examine this Concordance and consider adopting or adapting it for your school.

In doing so, you will be equipping your students with transcripts that stand tall in the global educational arena, while also protecting the integrity of your institution’s standards.

With respect and urgency,

Dennis A. Minott, PhD, MISES

Chief Executive Officer

A-QuEST-FAIR & Enerplan-Verde Siempre

A-QuEST's 2025 Concordance #2 for Academic Transcripts (Descriptor-Led)

By Dennis A Minott, PhD, MISES Produced for Jamaica and Caricom 7/9/2025

Short Notional Phrase (Descriptor)	Percentage Range (%)	Letter Grade	Grade Point Value (GPA)
Exceptional / Highest Distinction	97 - 100	A+	4.0 / 4.3
Outstanding / Excellent	93 - 96.9	A	4.0
Excellent / Superior	90 - 92.9	A-	3.7
Very Good	87 - 89.9	B+	3.3
Good	83 - 86.9	B	3.0
Fairly Good / Above Average	80 - 82.9	B-	2.7
Slightly Above Average	77 - 79.9	C+	2.3
Satisfactory / Average	73 - 76.9	C	2.0
Approaching Satisfactory	70 - 72.9	C-	1.7
Marginal Pass / Below Average	67 - 69.9	D+	1.3
Minimal Pass / Poor	63 - 66.9	D	1.0
Barely Passing	60 - 62.9	D-	0.7
Fail / Unsatisfactory	0 - 59.9	F	0.0

Administrative Guidance:

Customization is Key: This table is designed to be a template. Administrators can directly adapt the Descriptor column to match their institution's official terminology (e.g., "With Distinction," "Honors," "Proficient").
Defining Thresholds: The Percentage Range column is the most common variable between institutions. This layout allows for easy adjustment of these thresholds to reflect precise institutional policies (e.g., changing an A from 93% to 90%).
GPA Scale Selection: The GPA column includes the common variance for an A+. Administrators should select and enforce the consistent use of either a 4.0-cap or 4.3-cap system across all transcripts.
Pass/Fail Boundary: Special attention should be paid to the definition of a passing grade (often the C/D boundary), as this can affect prerequisites, major requirements, and academic standing.
DAM--A-QuEST. Y41 7/9/2025