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Edison and Washington Jr. High will move to Standards Based Grading starting this August, a move that follows on the heels of Rock Island-Milan School District’s 2013 decision to implement the system at the elementary school level.
Standards Based Grading differs from percentage-based grading in that it seeks to identify what a student knows as opposed to just averaging test scores. Proponents of the Standards system believe that grading averages can mask what a student has actually learned.
For example, a subject like math will be broken down into several categories, such as algebraic thinking or fractions. Each category comes with a list of necessary skills a student should be able to accomplish. Next to each skill, students will be given a 1-4 score to show how they are doing.
“The main thing to remember is that we are working with levels, not percentages,” Kathy Ruggeberg, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, said. “As the grading system becomes familiar, parents will get more comfortable. The important thing is that your child is learning and making progress. Celebrate learning, and the grades will follow.”
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