By: Dr. Michael Kuzniewski, Superintendent J. Sterling Morton High School District 201

As a District, not unlike communities across the country, what we have been doing in schools has not resulted in the high achievement we all desire. So, to continue repeating the same practices, will unlikely produce improved results.

We have seen evidence in the grades that shows the traditional grading system was not promoting mastery of the learning standards. Rather, students were often receiving high grades based on compliance and extra credit for items not related to the standards they needed to learn.

With that in mind, this past fall Morton 201 implemented a new grading scale. Students are now graded on a 0-5 scale, rather than on the traditional percentage scale.

For example, a “5” indicates exemplary work – equivalent to an A+ grade; “4” – advanced work (A); “3”- proficient work (B); “2” – basic work (C); “1” – need for improvement (D); and below 1 designates no attempt/beginning (F).

The 0-5 scale is more fair to students than the traditional percentage scale, in which each passing letter grade corresponds to ten percentage points, while failing is 60 percentage points wide.

Report cards still report letter grades, but parents also see students’ 0-5 ratings for the standards in each course. When fully implemented with fidelity, this will provide parents specific information on what students have mastered, and what they need more help to master.