Committee advances high‑school grading rule allowing LEA citizenship grading; parents may opt out

The committee advanced R277-717 — a rule implementing high‑school grading changes authorized by House Bill 502 — after staff described new definitions and a citizenship-grading section that allows educators and local policies to incorporate 'durable workplace skills' into course grades.

Policy adviser Jennifer Wadsworth told the committee teachers may assign up to 10% of a grade for citizenship behaviors; an LEA policy may raise that to 20%. She explained parents may opt out of an LEA’s citizenship-grading policy, but parents cannot opt students out of a teacher’s classroom decisions when the teacher independently implements the citizenship measure.

Board members sought clarity on measurability and implementation. Questions centered on which criteria are objectively measurable (attendance, meeting deadlines) versus subjective measures (class participation, personal engagement) and how that interacts with scholarship eligibility tied to voluntary tax donations. Wadsworth said the scholarship fund is currently empty and fluctuates with voluntary contributions; the board would manage eligibility if funds exist.

A motion to approve R277-717 on first reading and forward it to the board for second and final reading passed unanimously.

What to expect

If adopted by the full board, LEAs will be authorized to adopt local policies that include citizenship grading up to the statute’s limits. Staff said the rule includes new definitions and a dedicated section on citizenship grading standards and noted the opt-out mechanics will need to be included in local policy documents.

The committee also directed staff to ensure parents and LEAs have clear procedural guidance for opt-out requests and the district-level policy approval process.