NEWS: The 2023-24 school year will be the first year all school districts in B.C. will implement a provincial proficiency scale instead of letter grades on student report cards from kindergarten to Grade 9.

VIEWS: I have been fascinated by this issue since it was first piloted in 2016-17.

Instead of letter grades, the scale uses the terms emerging, developing, proficient and extending to describe student learning. Students in Grade 10 through Grade 12 will continue with letter grades.

One big reason IB次元官网网址檝e been fascinated by this is my own love of letter grades as a youngster. As a hyper-competitive lad, grades were like playing sports. The end game was winning, always. And the only way to win was to get straight AB次元官网网址檚.

That was my motivation.

IB次元官网网址檓 certain that B次元官网网址榚xtendingB次元官网网址� wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have inspired me much, nor did I care much about the teacher comments on a report card.

They could have written B次元官网网址淧hilip is a vile miscreant who flicks boogers non-stopB次元官网网址� and I wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have batted an eyelash as long as the letter grade was the one I craved.

So, kid version of me will always be a letter grade guy and it remains my natural first impulse. IB次元官网网址檓 also curious to see how youngsters (yes, among the most adaptable beings on the planet) will now fare going the entire way with no grades, then suddenly start on them in Grade 10.

It all dovetails nicely with the old guy shakes fist at cloud and proclaims B次元官网网址渋f it was good enough for me, thatB次元官网网址檚 how it should remainB次元官网网址� mentality that always has a large voice out there.

However, youB次元官网网址檇 hope with advanced age comes some changed perspective. My son enjoyed earning AB次元官网网址檚 as he worked his way through the system, but, as a more well-rounded human than his dad, wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have been crushed by a B.

And as a parent, I was surprisingly more focused on the teacher comments, in person and on a report card, than I was with the letter grades. That feedback helps you help the children, always a big part of the process.

That continues today with a 12-year-old in the home.

B次元官网网址淒oing nicely, well-liked, respected and a leader to the younger studentsB次元官网网址� is more important than a letter grade or other designation.

According to the Ministry of Education and Child Care, the modernized K-12 curriculum B次元官网网址渃ontinues to provide students with a strong foundation for core learning, such as with reading, writing and numeracy, while also teaching children how to communicate, solve problems and use their knowledge in ways that matter in school, post-secondary education and future careers.B次元官网网址�

One thing I have learned all on my own over the years, is if you want to better understand something, talk to people who know more than you do.

In this case, I talked to a variety of educators, with a wide variety of interesting responses.

Some of their thoughts included:

B次元官网网址淭here is nothing new here and so far the Grade 10s have transitioned nicely. I might go on a rant as to why letter grades are bad!B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think there should be grades on everything because anything done before a final test should be about learning and they can see what needs to be worked on.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淪tarting the grades in Grade 10 is a really poor idea, in my opinion.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淣o grades is harder on the keeners because they are the ones who thrive on the grades. Now, if you are B次元官网网址榩roficientB次元官网网址� at something itB次元官网网址檚 harder to motivate them to get to the B次元官网网址榚xtending.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e are giving more constant feedback and kids should know what they need to work on/improve on throughout the year.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 think it happened too quickly and there may possibly be a happy medium but I donB次元官网网址檛 know how that can happen.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭hink about those students that grades did not motivate nor help them know what to do to get better grades. I would also state that grades are very subjective.B次元官网网址�

Also this, from the ministry website:

B次元官网网址淲hen you were in school, learning likely involved being asked to memorize information and repeat it on a test, only to forget it soon after. We now know good learning is not just memorizing B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 being able to use what we know in real-world settings. Universities, colleges, and employers now care more about how students think than how many facts they can memorize and recall. This is why B.C. has changed what students are taught and is changing how theyB次元官网网址檙e assessed.B次元官网网址�

The memorization note definitely rings true for me, although IB次元官网网址檓 still working on the B次元官网网址榝orgetB次元官网网址� part, with an endless amount of unusable information stored in the nether regions of my brain. And there definitely could have been a little more B次元官网网址榬eal-worldB次元官网网址� training.

Is there a way to combine the new and the old without creating more work for teachers?

As mentioned, I find the evolution of our education system fascinating.

WeB次元官网网址檒l definitely have an educator or two on our to offer some more fleshed-out responses as well.

What are your thoughts on letter grades? You can vote in our , or send me an email at the address below.

PQB B次元官网网址/Vancouver Island Free Daily editor Philip Wolf welcomes your questions, comments or story ideas. He can be reached at 250-905-0029 or via email at philip.wolf@blackpress.ca.