AUBURN — Edward Little High School dropped the controversial proficiency-based learning grading of 1-4 this past fall and went back to the traditional 0-100 scale.

Like Lewiston High School, Edward Little increased expectations for getting a passing grade: 76 is the new D, 75 is the new F.

Unlike Lewiston, juniors and seniors are not graded on the “standards,” or expectations of each class that typically number between 10 and 15. 

However, freshmen and sophomores are. Their teachers have to record students’ grades on standards required for proficiency-based diplomas.

They must get at least a 3 on standards, or targets, as they are called in Auburn. These rankings If they do not score at least a 3, which means they are proficient, they get an incomplete, Principal Scott Annear said.

Students with incompletes are given extra support to help them, Superintendent Katy Grondin said.

About 136 students, or about 14.5 percent, have incomplete grades. Most are freshmen and sophomores, Annear said.

Next year, freshmen, sophomores and juniors will have to get a score of at least 3 on each target. The year after that, the requirement will include all four grades.

Making the minimum passing grade 76 has not meant an increase of F’s, Annear said. About 26 percent of students have F’s, down slightly from the typical 30 percent, he said.

One reason for fewer F’s could be that the school made a push to identify students getting grades of between 70 and 75 and gave them extra support, he said. There are no plans to lower the passing grade to 70.

“We believe we need to continue to work to raise the bar for higher achievement,” Grondin said. 

June 29, 2018, aerial view of Edward Little High School in Auburn. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)