Throughout the history of education, many different grading systems have emerged for different reasons and purposes. The primary or traditional system that we know today emphasizes determining how good a student is at a certain subject. In the post-2000s era, this long-accepted system has been questioned and criticized for its outcome-focused approach with little to no emphasis on learning and personal improvement besides getting a desired score. These concerns have led to a new grading system alternative: standards-based grading (SBG). This new wave brings with it hope for an education focused on student development that is capable of fostering creativity, drive, and an appreciation for academics.
Yale College claims that they introduced the first grading systems in the United States in 1785 with a four-tier ranking system: Optimi — best, Secondi Optimi — second best, Inferiores Boni — less good, and Pejores — worst. This system was applied at the end of a student’s senior year to rank them by performance. A brief glance at today's general education system is enough to see that these values have persisted to this day. Students are defined by an outcome that disregards individual academic growth, creates dispassion for knowledge, and discourages skill building. In such an environment, learning becomes a tedious profit-based endeavor. All this being said, student evaluation has its place and is important for college admissions.
The SBG system offers a new approach to teaching and learning with an emphasis on growth and progression over time. SBG uses a four-point scale where a four or an A is 85 to 100 percent, a three or a B is 70 to 85 percent, a two or a C is 45 to 70 percent, a D or a one is 20 to 45 percent, and finally a zero, or F is equivalent to a zero to 20 percent. Along with the flexibility of the extended percentages, these evaluative standards allow students to receive precise feedback based on numbers or percentages that give students more room to improve. SBG should not be easier than traditional grading, but rather the percentage value shifts to more accurately represent a student’s mastery level. Additionally, SBG allows and incentivizes students to actually learn and grow, allowing them to become the students that the traditional grading system demands.
While SBG is a better grading system, some obstacles arise from a dual grading system at BHS. It is not fair that students evaluated in the SBG system are allowed to revise their work and seek a higher grade, whereas students in the traditional system might not have that option thus being stuck with a lower grade. Given that having two grading systems coexist is problematic and SBG is the better option, BHS would heavily benefit from adopting SBG as its only grading system and transitioning away from traditional grading systems.
A unified SBG system at BHS is an important and necessary change. It's crucial that students find ways to enjoy the process of discovery, and SBG is the best option to facilitate that. When you learn something just for a good grade, you are likely to forget it once you get your score. If the focus is on development, then you are much more likely to remember the content, and your interaction with the material is more profound.
There is no perfect grading system, but SBG gives students the best shot at a meaningful education and shapes students into the best version of themselves possible.