Standards-based grading fails at Kaneland School District 302

The educational system that’s being used throughout Kaneland School District 302 will be no more for grades 6-12 once students return to the classrooms next fall.

The Kaneland District 302 School Board voted unanimously 7-0 during their Oct. 30 meeting to sunset the standards-based grading system at the end of the 2023-24 school year for grades 6-12 and direct administration to come up with a timeline and strategy for implementing a curriculum-based grading system.

Standards-based grading focuses on a student’s learning and understanding of the material in a class rather than their grade.

Board member Bob Mankivsky spearheaded the campaign against the system, bringing it up on two separate occasions as a topic for future agendas during previous meetings.

“[Standards-based grading] is confusion,” he said. “Rather than the underlying theme of excellence, confusion is endemic now. Students don’t know and parents of students don’t know where they stand, and are we seeing any improvement by objective measures? Is this moving Kaneland closer to becoming a high-performing district? I have to answer no.”

Standards-based grading not only is disliked, but destined to fail, board member Aaron McCauley said.

“I look back at the survey, I see that 80% of parents disagreed with it, 64% of the student disagreed, were confused and it’s directly affected my household,” he said. “I’ve heard on social media, through friends, there is such a disconnect, a disgust, anxiety, possibly depression from it. There has been worry about honor roll being taken away. There is absolutely no way that should even be a worry or a concern. I know there are teachers not on board on it, and when you have a majority to almost a super majority of individuals, staff, students, the parents that don’t work this program or are struggling with this program, it’s never going to work.”