The new EBR grading system is a good fit for Mount Vernon students and teachers alike. Mount Vernon made a huge transition to EBR/Standards from the classic previous grading system just this year (a few classes haven’t changed yet). The transition was much easier and smoother than many anticipated, lots of people thought it would take a year or two to become effective. It has proven to be a more viable option for students and teachers alike.

The system features a grading scale of 1-4, one being the lowest and four being the highest a student can receive. The score then goes into a system which puts it in different categories or “standards”. The grades are put into each category and an overall for that standard is produced by the teacher looking for the mode. If a student gets all 3s, they will pass with a score equivalent to an A. Every class is different, but a student would have to get a 1 in two different standards to fail in most classes. However, if the students do not provide enough evidence to be graded they will receive a “no evidence” score and be dropped from the class if they don’t complete the work in time. Overall, it makes classes even harder to fail, yet makes sure students get all of their summative work done.

Another good feature about EBR is that homework is not technically required. This means that teachers do not have to go through the long, tiring process of grading countless assignments every night, because they are not grades in the gradebook. Students can still get practice work in that they might need without the teacher having to worry about grading them (except for summative assignments). This also means that if a student thinks they are well enough educated on the topic, they can focus on something else. Or just not do the homework and it can’t be counted against them.

EBR also shows how each student grows throughout the school year in each individual topic that was taught. It lets the teacher know how each student progresses and helps determine the final grade given. If a student makes big strides, a previous one or two they had can be ignored because of their recent mastery in the standard. The teacher also gets lots of leniency when grading. They give scores based on what they see from the student, not off of an answer key from a website. It is their personal opinion of how the student did.

EBR has been a great thing for students in its first year(s) and will continue to be so for many Mount Vernon students to come.