Maryland District Revamping K-3 Report Card Grading System

The Washington Post (10/1, Bui) reports that the school district in Montgomery County, Maryland, is "joining other districts across the country in abandoning traditional letter grades and instead matching student evaluations with specific curriculum standards. Instead of seeing A's, B's, C's or D's on report cards this November, for the first time parents of Montgomery students in first through third grades will see ES, P, I or N. .. Although the first report cards under the 'standards-based' grading system aren't due for about a month, the dramatic shift is already worrying parents in the high-achieving school district who are concerned that their children can't earn straight As or land on the traditional honor roll."