Johnston High School traditional letter grading is being replaced by an SRG grading scale. The SRG scale is a system in which students are graded based on their overall mastery of a certain subject instead of their average score of grades and tests in that class.
Ever since middle school students have seen letter grades appear on their transcripts, but as we transition into a new grading system we are starting to see the abbreviations BEG, PRG, MET, and EXT in place of the usual A’s or B’s. Students have shown an overall negative response to this change. In a poll posted to our Instagram 93 percent of voters reported that they dislike the new grading system.
The SRG grading system is meant to be a more equitable system for students and parents. It is a system in which students are graded based on their overall mastery of a certain subject instead of their average score of grades and tests in that class. When using an SRG scale, the teacher is meant to explain what exact steps a student must take to reach a MET or an EXT. This way, every student has a complete understanding of how to achieve a good grade in the class.
“They [teachers] show you a proficiency scale that clearly shows this is how you get a meeting. You know that if you do everything in that column and give them evidence for it, then you are going to get a meeting,” said Mark Augspurger, an instructional coach at Johnston High School.
Many students dislike this new way of grading because they say it doesn’t properly reflect your performance in class. The SRG system sticks you in a certain category within the BEG, PRG, MET, and EXT scale. With our traditional grading system you can see exactly how you are performing, not just which cluster you belong in.
“The new grading system implemented at JHS isn’t fully reflecting the students’ progress within classes. Using the BEG, PRG, MET, EXT doesn’t allow students to see where they really stand in their class and it groups students together who are at different levels in the classroom,” Olivia Eschliman ‘25 said.
Another concern about the SRG grading system is that it does not properly prepare students for college, as most colleges use the traditional letter system. SRG grading is slowly beginning to replace letter grading at Johnston. In the next few years, all classes will move to the new grading system.
“It is a staggered roll out system, this year it’s all world language and all social studies classes, next year it’s all english and art classes, then I think it’s math and then science is last,” said Augspurger.
The thing most commonly misunderstood about the SRG system is that your grade doesn’t stay as an abbreviation forever. At the end of the semester, your EXT, MET, PRG or BEG will translate into a letter grade.
“At the end of the semester an extending turns into a 100, and a meeting turns into a 90,” Auspurger said.
While initially it seems pointless to discard the grading system we’ve been using our entire academic lives, upon further research the SRG system seems like a better replacement for the standard letter grading.
“The new grading system is reasonable, the amount of effort you put into an assignment is what will be reflected in the BEG, PRG, MET, EXT,” Hailey Friestad 26’ said.
It’s human nature to respond negatively to change, which is probably why the student body is against the new grading system. Once we are used to the disappearance of letter grading, we will most likely see less of a dismissive attitude towards the SRG system. It is important as students that we educate ourselves on the new policy before immediately responding negatively to the change.
