Columbia Board of Education members get update on new high school grading system
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Standards-Referenced Grading has been used for years at the elementary and middle school level throughout Columbia.
The system educators call SRG is now moving into high schools.
SRG uses a four-point grading scale. These scores are based not only on performance on tests or homework but on a "body of evidence." Classroom behavior is reported separately from a student's academic achievements, using the same model of scoring.
The new grading scale is aimed to create a fair and accurate grading scale for students, Columbia Public Schools officials said Wednesday. Grades are based on student achievements, not behavior or attendance.
According to Jessica Lucas, an English Language Arts coordinator, "We want our grades to reflect the level of mastery that students have," she said. "Our grades should reflect levels of mastery, not just students completing assignments."
The system focuses in part on gauging students' readiness for the workforce. That includes measuring effort, behavior and conduct in class usnig the following scale, CPS officials said:
| Conduct | Effort | |
| 4 | Exceeding Expectation | Exceeding Expectation |
| 3 | Proficient | Proficient |
| 2 | Progressing | Progressing |
| 1 | Emerging | Emerging |
Secondary schools need to provide letter grades for transcripts. These number scores will be converted to percentages at the end of the semester for high school students, CPS officials said Thursday. This conversion will provide a GPA and letter grade for parents and transcripts.
The proficiency scale is not complete for high school, but teachers are being urged to take into consideration.
“Teachers can give students multiple opportunities," Lucas said. They will also be able to look at several assignments, several assessments or activities around a standard and look at how the student progresses," she said.
CPS officials say SRG is a more specific way of communicating with students and parents regarding their academic development and achievement. The new system will help pinpoint where students need to improve, officials said. According to Michelle Baumstark, the Chief Communications Officer for Columbia Public Schools, this system honors learning, growth and mastery-- not speed.
CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said in an email that the system also gives students multiple opportunities to master the material.
The wheels on this project have been turning since 2016, with extensive planning and development of the proficiency scale. SRG was launched in 2019 in elementary schools and in 2021 for middle schools.
