Grading revised for some Montgomery Co. students after confusing report cards

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Montgomery County school officials are switching back to a traditional grading scale for most elementary school students after four years of report card confusion.

Starting in the 2013-2014 school year, the county school system replaced elementary school grades using a different system that gave students an ES instead of an A as the highest possible mark. ES stood for exceptional work.

Grades also included P (proficient), I (in progress) and N (not yet making progress/making minimal progress).

At the time, county officials said they implemented the grading system in response to reforms on the state and national levels that called for tougher education standards. The program was piloted in 25 schools for nearly 10 years before Montgomery County adopted it.

As education leaders quickly found out, many parents were not on board...

http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2017/09/grading_revised_montgomery_co_students/

Out in Left Field: Aiming for mediocrity - On MCPS' Elementary Grading System

Aiming for mediocrity
The largest school district in Maryland, the Montgomery County Public Schools, has unrolled a new grading system for elementary school. The scale now runs from N to ES:
At one school, officials explained the new system via the following analogy: 

N: Not yet making progress or making minimal progress toward meeting the grade-level standard  

I: In progress toward meeting the grade-level standard  

P: Meets the grade-level standard by demonstrating proficiency of the content or processes for the measurement topic   

ES: Exceptional at the grade-level standard

N - cannot ride a bike  

I - rides a bike with training wheels  

P - rides a bike with two wheels  

ES - rides a Pogo stick

 - See more at: http://oilf.blogspot.com/2014/02/aiming-for-mediocrity.html#sthash.cj3tkyDX.dpuf