Parents and students have shared that they desire fair and consistent grading practices across the district. Traditional grading practices are entirely dependent on what an individual teacher determines should be measured, which means two students doing identical work could earn different grades depending on the classroom teacher.  By implementing Standards-Referenced Grading (SRG), consistent grading practices are established across the district based on achievement of what students should know and are able to do at each grade level. 

Standards-referenced grading only focuses on reporting what students have learned and are able to do. In comparison, traditional grading typically averages student work and uses extra factors to determine a final grade. At the elementary and middle school levels, behavior factors (social skills, turning in and completing assignments, and effort) are reported separately on the report card. WPS maintains that these are important aspects for success in school and life, but should not inflate or deflate a student’s academic grade intended to reflect their understanding of what is being taught in class. When implementing standards-referenced grading, teachers will use proficiency scales and established grading practices.

These practices will be revisited annually for revision with the purpose of ensuring effective and consistent implementation of both grading and reporting student learning. 

This website will be updated as the Standards-Referenced Grading implementation progresses.

The Wichita Public Schools is proud to be featured as a national leading example of Standards-Referenced Grading implementation in Leading Standards-Based Learning: An Implementation Guide for Schools and Districts by Tammy Hefllebower, Jan K. Hoegh, and Philip B. Warrick. 

Questions about Standards-Referenced Grading? Submit questions to info@usd259.net. Common questions will be added to our Frequently Asked Questions.