"Concord High School has begun rolling out a new grading system aimed at encouraging progress rather than marking achievement. But two years after the new 1-to-5 grade scale saw its first limited use, major questions remain about how competency-based education will work in Concord.
Parents demanded answers last week at a meeting about the new system, asking whether siphoning work into only five levels could hinder applications to competitive colleges. Some asked whether students would develop a false sense of security in lower grades.
The high school has prepared for two years to shift its academic criteria from traditional standards to broader competencies, a move requested by the New England accrediting body and required by the state. Teachers had to prepare lists of competencies before classes began this fall, though the system will not be fully implemented for at least two more years."
Parents demanded answers last week at a meeting about the new system, asking whether siphoning work into only five levels could hinder applications to competitive colleges. Some asked whether students would develop a false sense of security in lower grades.
The high school has prepared for two years to shift its academic criteria from traditional standards to broader competencies, a move requested by the New England accrediting body and required by the state. Teachers had to prepare lists of competencies before classes began this fall, though the system will not be fully implemented for at least two more years."