Portland committee backs task force to tackle inconsistent high-school grading
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Summary
Staff told the Curriculum and Student Success Committee that PowerSchool data reveal wide variation in secondary grading (scales, cadence, cut scores) that complicates comparisons, transfers and may create inequities; the committee directed staff to form a task force to develop a recommended districtwide grading policy for 2027–28 implementation.
The Curriculum and Student Success Committee of the Portland Board of Public Education on March 9 heard a district staff presentation on how inconsistent grading practices across secondary schools are undermining data quality and could create inequities for students.
Haley Didrikson, senior director of data and technology for Portland Public Schools, told the committee that newly available PowerSchool dashboards made visible substantial variation among high schools — different grading scales (for example, 0–100 versus 1–4 proficiency), different cadences for assigning credit (annual, semester, quarterly) and different cut scores for passing — all of which make district-level comparisons and transfer-credit work difficult. “These inconsistencies … lead to potential inequity,” Didrikson said during her presentation.
The data team recommended forming a representative task force to analyze grading practices across secondary schools, document the variation, examine the rationale behind different approaches, review research on equitable and standards-based grading, and draft a recommended districtwide grading policy. Didrikson proposed a working group of staff, teachers, building leaders and community members that would meet roughly six to eight times and aim to produce a draft policy the committee could consider; staff said the timeline would allow for implementation planning targeted for the 2027–28 school year.
Committee members asked how the district would handle historical records, accommodate multilingual and special-education students, and communicate changes to families and colleges. Didrikson said PowerSchool can support back-end “crosswalks” and conversions that would let the district normalize GPA calculations and, if desired, retro-map historic data, but that doing so would be a significant project for the data team and might require year-by-year work. On vulnerable students, district staff and special-education representatives said Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams would continue to consider accommodations and progress toward individualized goals while expecting students placed in general-education classrooms to meet course standards with appropriate supports.
Several members urged faster, incremental “quick wins,” while staff urged time for training, calibration and clear family communication so a new policy would be implemented smoothly. Dr. Ahmed flagged downstream effects such as how guidance counselors translate new grades for college admissions and how weighted and AP grades are handled.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the policy but approved moving forward with the task-force formation and asked staff to return with updates and recommendations; the meeting adjourned at 8:13 p.m.
The committee is expected to receive progress reports from staff as the task force convenes and produces draft recommendations.