The Wright City R-II Board of Education voted unanimously (5-0) to discontinue evidence-based grading at the middle school and high school on Dec. 19.
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The Wright City R-II Board of Education voted unanimously (5-0) to discontinue evidence-based grading at the middle school and high school on Dec. 19.
Evidence-based grading removed the traditional 100 point grading scale and replaced it with a four-point scale, with four being an ‘A’ and zero being an ‘F.” Students were graded on assessments of learning in any forms and not areas of non-learning, such as attendance or homework completion.
The model was piloted in select middle school classes during the 2023-24 school year, and was fully implemented in the middle school this semester. Before voting to discontinue the model, the plan was to implement it at the high school in the 2025-26 school year.
However, after conducting surveys, hearing from middle school students, teachers and staff, Superintendent Dr. Amy Salvo suggested to the board that it be discontinued. After the decision, the district will now go back to the traditional letter grading system starting next semester.
Salvo noted that with this being a pilot, it’s important to gather feedback, explore new approaches and then make an informed decision about the best path moving forward.
When Salvo started in July, she started to ask and gather numerous forms of feedback from the model due to it being a pilot. Salvo met with parents, teachers and students and noticed a main theme she was receiving was the difficulty of understanding the model.
Based on all of the feedback and re-evaluating with the evidence-based grading committee, district officials believed it was best to revert back to the old model.
“If it’s not doing what we want it to do, then we change course and that’s not a bad thing -- that’s what a pilot is,” Salvo said at the board meeting. “It’s good work. I think we’re just not there yet and I’d like to reset.”
School Board President Austin Jones also added the amount of work teachers had to do through the data entry was another issue. Salvo followed up that comment by adding it is a CSIP goal to keep and retain staff.
With the end of the semester completed, the middle school and high school will now be following the same traditional letter grading system.
