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Central CUSD 301 board approves standards‑based elementary report cards for 2026–27
Summary
The Central CUSD 301 board voted to remove the letter‑grade component from third‑ through fifth‑grade elementary report cards for 2026–27, shifting to a standards‑based (mastery) report format; staff will prepare parent guidance and continue professional development.
The Central CUSD 301 Board of Education voted to approve changes to elementary report cards for the 2026–27 school year that remove the letter‑grade component for grades 3–5 and emphasize standards‑based measures of student mastery.
Kim, a district staff member who presented the proposal, said the recommendation grew from work begun in 2022–23 and from teacher feedback this year. "We came up with the recommendation to eliminate the grade piece in third through fifth grade," Kim said, adding the change is intended to let families see which standards a student needs to improve rather than averaging multiple factors into a single letter grade.
District officials told the board the change is meant to clarify expectations for families and to allow targeted instruction. Kim said teachers selected representatives from each grade level to help create the new report format and that the district will continue professional development and provide model rubrics. "We talked about creating a companion guide that goes along with the report card for next fall that walks parents through a little bit more in scenarios," Kim said.
Board members asked how the system would handle accelerated learners, struggling students, and potential grade clustering. Danielle, a board member, said she supports the shift to standards because it "is just clear for [students] and clear for the teacher," while also pressing staff to ensure interventions for students earning lower performance marks. A speaker with experience leading a district transition to standards‑based grading said parent education and transparent rubrics made the change smoother in that district.
After discussion the board moved and seconded the recommendation and held a roll call vote. The motion passed, with at least one dissenting vote recorded; the board directed staff to prepare the parent companion guide and continue professional development and rubric modeling ahead of next school year.
What happens next: staff will finalize communication materials for families, continue teacher professional development on standards and rubrics, and return to the board as needed for related implementation decisions.
