Salem students urge retention of percentage grading as board stalls on new policy

Students, teachers and school leaders filled the Salem School District media room on June 17 to press the School Board about a proposed change to high‑school grading policy and to urge keeping a 100‑point percentage scale.

The board considered a fourth reading of proposed Policy IKA R1, which would formalize a new reporting method that allows teachers to use either a rubric (formerly discussed as a 4‑point scale) or a percentage score and converts those results to a single letter grade for report cards. The board did not adopt the proposal at the meeting: a motion to adopt (with a proviso to create a study committee) failed for lack of a second.

Why it matters: students said the conversion and reduced granularity would lower high performers’ grades and obscure achievement. Board members and administrators said the policy aims to provide flexibility for different kinds of assignments while moving the high school toward a consistent approach; several board members asked the administration to continue work with a grading study committee and Infinite Campus staff before a final decision.

Students gave detailed examples at the start of the meeting. Jack Redmond, an upcoming senior at Salem High School, told the board, “The shift to a grading scale that does not work for myself, my peers, and most of the teachers across the school will be detrimental to the seemingly bright future ahead of all of us students.” Abigail Joss described a final exam scored 20 out of 22 points and said, “This means that my 91%, just 1.5% shy of an A, which is normally a 92.5, was effectively reduced to an 87.5%.” Several other students and the student representative, Mackenzie Donahue, urged the board to delay any forced change while a broader committee studies implementation and Infinite Campus compatibility.

Administrators said the draft policy attempts to reconcile different classroom needs. Assistant Superintendent for Academics and Support Angela Markley said the proposal “provides teachers the flexibility of the 4‑point scale or the percentage scale and then calculate it to a final letter grade for a report card,” and proposed a grading committee to study implementation from September through April. Superintendent Mara Palmer and Markley said the district has been working with Infinite Campus and IT staff to ensure the system can accommodate whichever reporting method the board adopts.

Board members voiced a range of concerns. Attorney and Vice Chair Bernard Campbell, who led much of the discussion, said the current policy language is sparse and that the administration’s draft does not yet address mechanics such as semester vs. year‑long grading, weightings for assignments, or how data is entered into Infinite Campus. Kelly Moss, board secretary, said she was “on the fence” but emphasized the need to preserve teacher flexibility and to avoid overwhelming staff with sudden changes. Several members asked the administration to return in July with concrete plans for Infinite Campus configuration and communications to parents and teachers.

Actions and next steps: A motion by Campbell to adopt Policy IKA R1 (dated 06/17/2025) and to require a grading policy committee by Sept. 15, 2025, with a report by April 1, 2026, failed for lack of a second. The board did not adopt a final grading policy and directed administration to return with implementation details (including Infinite Campus setups and a plan for teacher and parent communications) for discussion at the July meeting.

Context: The district had piloted changes and debated multiple formats (100‑point percentage, a rubric‑based 4‑point scale, and an 8‑point “A/B” variant). Students and some teachers said the 100‑point scale gives more granular corrective opportunities late in the year; administrators and some board members said fewer, clearer buckets can increase inter‑teacher reliability. The administration proposed a cross‑stakeholder grading committee for 2025–26 to resolve outstanding operational issues.

Provenance: Public comment on grading began with student remarks at 07:01 (June 17 public comment period) and continued into the policy discussion and vote on Policy IKA R1 (final reading) later in the meeting. The board debated the draft policy at length but did not take a final adoption vote.