Proficiency Based Grading Requirements

*Information taken from the BRHSMS July Newsletter and BRHSMS August Newsletter*

What is a proficiency?

A proficiency is simply a skill a student needs to master in order to be successful in college or career.  Some proficiencies are necessary to graduate from high school.  These skills are not significantly different from the skills students have needed in the past; students will still need to be able to read, write, and solve mathematics problems.  They will still need to understand how the government works and what it means to be a citizen.  They will still need to show they can persist in the face of difficulty, research to find answers, use technology wisely and responsibly, perform and present their

work, and show evidence of learning.

So what makes PBE (Proficiency Based Education) different?

In the past, a student could pass a class without understanding and demonstrating all the essential skills.  There would be a “gap” in that student’s learning which might not become a problem until it is a building block for another essential skill in a subsequent course..  For that student, learning stops until the “gap” is filled.  Imagine what this currently looks like for a class of twelve students, where maybe three or four of those students have a learning “gap”.  Everybody is affected because the class is structured to move through the same material at the same pace

How will PBE work at Black River?

A student still has a schedule and still takes courses.  However, the student can demonstrate proficiency in many ways, some of which are outside of the classroom altogether. This means that if the student wants to become a journalist, she can demonstrate multiple writing proficiencies through writing news articles and editorials which might be used in a local publication.  It also means that student can work through the required proficiencies at his or her own rate.  The informational part of the course is still required, but the there are more opportunities for students’ work to reflect their interests.  This allows for greater connection to both community and the workplace and more individualized experiences for students.

So what happens if a student doesn’t meet all of the required proficiencies in a course?  

Under a traditional system, the student would have to retake the whole course. There may be cases where this might be in the best of interest of the student, particularly if there are extended absences. However, in most cases the student is only missing a small number of required skills.  Rather than retake the entire course, that student would use IMPACT time (which is built into the school day) to work with the advising teacher to master the skills and prove his or her  proficiency.  The student would move onto the next learning sequence without being held back and without repeating an entire class.  

How does this change grade reporting?  

In PBE, there are no letter grades.  Instead, there is a list of proficiencies and a portfolio of student work to prove the level of proficiency.  As a student or a parent, you can look at the list and see exactly which proficiencies have been met and which remain to be met.  Students have multiple opportunities throughout the course to  meet proficiency and can work with teachers during IMPACT for further support as needed.

How will this affect college acceptance and scholarships?  

PBE is widely used throughout the country and it is unlikely that any college has not encountered a PBE transcript.  Since the Vermont Agency of Education is propelling the state towards PBE, all public schools in Vermont are in the process of changing over to this system.  Also, there are a number of conversion systems developed for the purpose of comparing PBE work to traditional work. Black River faculty will choose the conversion system that best supports our students and will be used to determine class rank and therefore certain scholarships and awards.  This is part of the faculty’s summer work that continues as we restructure our programs.  Again, this is a process all public schools are either going through or will be going through in the near future. As a result, there are many models to select or adapt.