East Haddam Parents Submit Petition Against Standard Based Grading System

At Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting in East Haddam parents presented a petition to the Board concerning the Standard Based Report Card System being implemented in their school system. There were 243 signatures collected on he petition. Several parents also spoke out against the issue at the meeting as well.

Rather than a traditional letter grading system of A, B, C, D, the standard focusses on a number system of 1-4 that does not correlate with the traditional letter-based grading system.

The standard based report card (SBRC), instead, evaluates the progression towards learning the curriculum:

1=Emerging
2=Progressing toward standard 
3=Meeting standard 
4=Exceeding standard

"What I wonder is, does this grading system really improve grades?" asked one parent at the meeting. "And when you look at the true research, all you find is a bunch of theories. It's not really proven."

Several parents agreed that the new grading system "fails to motivate students" because students are graded on a continuum for a year end goal of achieving a '4,' meaning they have masted the skills needed for that grade level. Parents were worried that children who deserve a '4' mid year would not get it.

"Having a year end goal is hard for students," said another parent. " Kids think, I can show up and get a two and I can excel and I get a two; its kind of invalid. How is that motivating? It doesn’t give information to a parent who wants to know where their kid is at now."

Other parents were upset about the explanation they were receiving from educators. "I keep getting a different answer from each person I ask," said one parent. "I've asked the same question over and over, and no one has given me a straight answer."

A parent of Special Education student also spoke saying: "If you think this explanation is gray when it comes to students, you have no idea how gray it is to apply it to Special Ed kids."

Several presenters shared a power point presentation to parents on the grading system and many, including Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Mary Beth Iacobelli, stated they were available to answer questions parents may have on the new system.

"In current letter grading, one teacher can give one grade and another teacher can give another," said one of the presenters. "This gives a grade meaning because it is based on a specific set of standards, or measurable goals."

The Board also provided several handouts and articles about the system to those who attended the meeting.