District outlines move to equitable grading and revised report cards; K–4 to adopt trimesters next year

Instruction leaders told the board on April 10 that the district has been developing a standards-based screening approach and equitable grading guidelines as part of its strategic plan, and that changes to report cards and grading practices will roll out in stages.

At the K–4 level the district plans to shift to three trimesters and three report cards per year beginning next school year. Leaders said they revised academic performance levels, developed narrative guidance for report-card comments and compiled lists of learning experiences and assessments for each grade and standard to promote consistency across buildings.

For grades 5–6 the district will keep a similar report-card format but move those grades to a trimester schedule for consistency with K–6. Representatives said teacher teams and shared-decision groups at Rogers and Iroquois have worked on grade-book structures and assessment alignment.

A 7–12 steering committee has met and will continue before summer to review equitable-grading research and form principles to guide implementation across more varied courses and programs. Instruction staff said the district’s work aligns with the draft Portrait of a Graduate being considered by the Board of Regents and that the district will solicit more family input as it finalizes practices.

Why it matters: The changes are intended to make grading and report cards more consistent and equitable across schools and to help families understand whether students are meeting grade-level standards. Board members requested family engagement and opportunities to review K–4 changes before the end of the school year.

Instruction staff said they will host parent sessions to explain K–4 changes and will gather feedback as the 5–12 work continues.