The new format no longer features the familiar A’s, B’s, C’s, D’s and F’s.
RUMFORD – Report cards for SAD 43 kindergarten through grade nine students will be coming home by the end of the week, and instead of the traditional A’s, B’s, C’s, D’s and F’s there will be E’s, M’s, P’s, and N’s.
Superintendent Jim Hodgkin and administrators exchanged questions and concerns with the board at Monday night’s meeting.
The grading system will measure how well youngsters are doing, as aligned with the Maine Learning Results and the Maine Educational Assessment tests. E means the child exceeded the standard; M means the student has met the standard; P shows partial understanding of the standard; and N indicates no understanding of a particular standard.
“This will give parents a lot better understanding of where their child is,” said Rumford board member Diane Paterson.
Rumford Elementary School Principal Anne Chamberlin said students are already taking the new grades in stride.
“I hear students talking in terms of E’s, M’s, P’s and N’s, even the older elementary students. And for the kindergarten they know nothing else. It is the students who will bring the adults into the 21st century,” she said.
The new grading system shows how closely students meet certain standards expected of them in subjects ranging from math and English to social studies and science.
Hodgkin, along with district curriculum coordinator Gloria Jenkins, recently held several community forums to explain to parents the importance and workings of the new system.
While most board members understand the expected benefits of the new grading system, some were still not convinced.
Board member Chris Dickson said he was not convinced, at least not yet, that the new system was better.
Mark Touchette, however, believes the new system will help many kids. He is concerned, though, about youngsters who don’t achieve well. Those fears were somewhat alleviated by statements from the elementary principals, who said a sufficient number of educational technicians and special teachers were available to help children almost immediately.
Meroby Elementary School Principal Scott Drown said how these teachers are used will be restructured to the best advantage of students who need extra help.
Mountain Valley Middle School Principal Charles Lever said some system of rewarding or honoring students will also be put into place.
“We’ll still have an honor roll,” he said.
Principals are also considering adding a numerical grade, such as 1, 2, 3 and 4, to the new letter grade system during the second trimester.
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