Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Standards-based grading has come to Jennings Elementary School in Colfax.
New Principal Travis Howell and two teachers gave a presentation to the school board Monday night on the new system.
Howell explained that the intent of it is not what a student’s cumulative grade is in a class, but their level of mastery of the subject, as compared to state standards.
In addition, the new grading system comes with a revised report card, which allows more space for specific feedback from a teacher.
“We really feel like this report card will give parents so much more information,” said fifth-grade teacher Carey Fulfs.
She explained that life skills are a separate assessment in standard-based grading – citing that whether a child turns in all of their homework isn’t the same as whether they know the material.
“It’s based solely on how they are doing against the standards they’re being judged against,” said Howell.
A group of teachers spent time at Education Service District 101 this past year in training for the system. Brenda Kneeshaw, Instructional Coach for the Colfax School District, helped model it after a program in the Cheney School District.
The system uses numbers from 1 – 4 with 4 being highest. “4” means a student is above the standard, “3” is at grade standard, “2” is nearing standard and “1” is below standard.
“We feel this is going to be a draft year of this,” Howell told the school board. “We need to get our mindset off of A, B, C, D to 4, 3, 2, 1… It’s more in line with where we’re at in education now.”
Boardmembers indicated some concern, such as Jennifer Hauser asking whether or not a student will still have the drive to “get an A.”
“It’s not about getting the A, but creating a lifelong learner,” said Howell, as part of his answer.
Superintendent Jerry Pugh spoke after Howell and Fulfs’ comments.
“We’re not hearing A, B, C, D from the state and federal government anymore,” Pugh said. “We’re hearing, ‘Are they above or below standard.”
Howell and Jennings teachers will talk about the system with parents at two curriculum nights in early September.
Board president Robert Smith was not in attendance.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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