Grading policy approved at Bigfork elementary, middle schools

The teachers won.

Due largely to the desires of Bigfork’s middle school teachers, Bigfork School trustees voted 3-1 last week in favor of a standards-based grading pilot project.

Beginning this year, Bigfork Middle School students will begin receiving standards-based grades on their report cards in reading and math instead of traditional letter grades. The new report cards will provide more information on a variety of subject areas. Students will be given marks of advanced proficient (AP), proficient (P), nearing proficient (NP) and novice (N).

After the meeting, District Superintendent Cynthia Clary said she endorsed the proposal out of respect for the middle school teachers who supported the pilot project.

Zack Anderson, Paul Sullivan Jr. and Paul Sandry voted in favor of the policy. Maureen Averill opposed it. Doug Fraley, who was in Washington, D.C. at an emergency business meeting, also was in opposition but did not vote.

Board members Doug Carlson and Patricia Landon couldn’t vote because they represent the Swan Lake and Swan River elementary districts. Sandry said he was initially prepared to go against the proposal, but came to support it after learning more about it.

Sullivan — the son of Mary Sullivan, a Bigfork Middle School teacher who helped spearhead standards-based grading last year — said he always supports more information for grading and student assesment.

Carlson supported the new policy. “This is the first time in 12 years the teachers brought something to us,” he said. Landon, who also couldn’t vote, supported it as well. “I’m for this because I’m thinking, ‘Why wouldn’t you want more information?’ There’s always going to be flaws, holes and problems,” she said.

Averill said she is in favor of all the information one can get and supports removing attendance and behavior from the academic grading process. “I don’t think students need to be coddled,” she said. “Some of this is continuing to coddle students as they get into middle school.”

Averill supported a compromise that mixed more detailed reporting on grade cards while keeping a traditional letter grade. Somers Middle School made this compromise several years ago.

Averill said she got mixed reviews about standards-based grading from teachers. “It was all over the spectrum,” she said. Anderson asked Averill what part of standards-based grading is coddling. “Are you going to get a report like this in high school or college?” Averill replied. “They can continue to take the assessment until they get a better letter grade on it (AP, P, or NP).”

During public comment prior to board discussion, all but one person spoke against the policy change.

Jim Abney said he liked not counting attendance in a letter grade, for example, but still wanted a traditional letter grade.

“Overwhelmingly the parents are not in favor of this,” Jessica Martinz said.

Byron Whitney handed out copies of his son’s third-grade report card from last year. (Bigfork Elementary uses standards-based grading.) Whitney said the report cards are hard to understand.

“We’re sacrificing the best students on the altar of equality,” he said.  “My son got Ps (proficient) in reading, and he was reading below grade level and got the same grade as Byron’s son and he was advanced,” Stephanie Holtmeyer said. She added that she is happy to get more information.  

“I wish standards-based grading actually lived up to the hype,” Wendy Miller said. “Unlike standards-based grading, we don’t get a retake on raising our kids.”

Miller presented a petition with about 150 signatures against the proposed policy to the school board prior to the meeting. Miller announced that she was creating a new organization, Bigfork Parents Unite, as a result of the policy change. “Decisions have been made without your knowledge or consent,” she said, referring to parents in the district. “That’s going to change regardless of what happens tonight.” Miller said the organization was going to bring a Concerned Women for America spokesperson to Kalispell soon to talk about Common Core.

Substitute teacher Breanna Jenson said, “I really like this,” she said. “It’s a higher standard of excellence.”

Bigfork Elementary and Middle school principal Matt Jenson said the move to standards-based grading at the middle school has been a 30-month process. “This is a great recommendation ... and in the best interests of students,” he said.