Giving Compass' Take:

• Education Dive writes about the importance of communication in making a successful transition to a standards-based approach (rather than letter grades) in schools.

• For those who want to advocate for this approach, take a page out of the Alpine School District in Utah, which got teacher buy-in, hired a marketing firm and walked parents through every step in the process.

• Here's more on what the grading system of the future might look like.

Standards-based grading is becoming increasingly popular in an educational culture that stresses personalized learning. Though the method has pros and cons, it does provide a way to assess and track student progress on individual elements and prepares a clearer picture of where students need to improve. Colleges are also getting on board with the method and are usually accepting of standards-based grading methods.

However, the use of standards-based grading does not necessarily equate with improved learning. In a recent study entitled “Getting High School Students Ready for College: A Quantitative Study of Standards-Based Grading Practices,” researchers compared ACT scores with standards-based assessments and noted that “the findings revealed [grade point averages] remain unchanged and ACT scores may be negatively impacted when high schools utilize standards-based grading practices.”

Many educators favor standards-based grading because it provides more useful information that can inform current and future teachers about student strengths and weaknesses. However, though the method shows real promise for both personalized and project-based learning environments, some parents are still reluctant to get on board, especially if they view it as diminishing the perception of student achievement, and thus, bragging rights. Clear communication is needed to overcome this barrier.

Read the full article about converting to a standards-based grading model by Amelia Harper at Education Dive.