Standards-based grading, is a method for teachers to measure how students are doing in meeting the learning goals for their grade as determined by Missouri State 's Standards. Learning goals, sometimes called learning standards, are the academic skills your child should know or be able to do for his grade level by the end of the school year.

Standards-based report cards give a grade for each learning goal, so students receive multiple grades in each subject area. Schools vary in their report card scales and terminology, but often they use a four-part scale to denote levels of achievement with descriptors such as: Richland Elementary uses a 4 point scale in standard based grading:

  • Excels (4)

  • Proficient (3) (meeting the state standard)

  • Approaching Proficiency (2)

  • Well Below Proficiency or Not Yet (1)

Standard based grading has been implemented in kindergarten through 6th grade.