As middle schoolers prepare for high school, the importance of grades weighs heavily on their academic goals and future. However, many students are inexperienced with the high school letter grading due to its change from the middle school grading system. Incoming freshmen often struggle with the transition from standards-based grading in middle school to letter grading for the rest of their academic years. Middle schools should transition to letter grading that way students will be better prepared for high school. 

Although standards-based grading is currently used at Kent, Del Mar and Hall Middle School, Redwood’s three main feeder schools, there was a time when all three used letter grading. For instance, current juniors and seniors who went to Kent learned with letter grading throughout their four years of middle school. 

Junior Saia Bach, appreciates having had letter grading in middle school in preparation for high school.

“The letter grading at Kent gave me a preview of what to expect in the future. I didn’t have to worry about learning a completely new grading system on top of all the other challenges that come with being a nervous freshman,” Bach said, “By becoming familiar with letter grades earlier, students can better understand academic expectations and how their performance is measured, [which makes] the shift to high school grading less stressful.”

Not only did Bach reflect on her own experience, but also observed her younger brother’s journey as a Kent fifth grader. He doesn’t receive letter grades but instead is graded on a scale of standards-based grading including: needing additional support, approaching proficiency, meeting proficiency or exceeding proficiency. 

“I find this system confusing because it lacks the in-between distinctions that letter grades provide. The pluses and minuses help me gauge my progress more precisely,” Bach said. 

Hall alumnus and current junior David Katz had an entirely different experience compared to Bach. The grading system at Hall consists of four grades: emerging, approaching, proficient and surpassing. 

“Hall was more focused on the benchmark versus Redwood, [which] is more focused on percentages. It was hard [for me] to transition, and once I did I could see the big difference between the two systems,” Katz said.

After coming across letter grading, Katz feels more motivated to achieve success than with standards-based grading. 

“Letter grading is much better because it is a lot more specific and tells me more about where I am in the class,” Katz said.

On the other hand, assistant Principal Lisa Kemp is in favor of the standards-based grading that most public middle schools in the area use. 

“I agree with standards-based grading because it focuses on the learning and I think it provides better feedback for kids. I don’t think that a ‘B’ tells you very much,” Kemp said.

Although standards-based grading can give more in-depth feedback than just a letter grade, it does not prepare students for their high school and college careers. 

While the shift to a different grading system can be challenging for new high school students, the problem can easily be solved if students can experience letter grades before. If middle schools switch to a letter grading system, it not only will better prepare their students for high school but also for academics afterwards.