After the implantation of standards base grading, homework was not taken as an official grade causing some students to not fully complete the assignment. With the launch of the nonacademic indicator, this pilot program plans to assess students not academically, but on their character.

For the teachers participating in this pilot program, they will rate their students on a four point scale in the categories of actively engages in learning, task completion of work and responsibility for the learning environment. The students’ scores will not be on their official transcripts, but it will be on quarter grades.

“The district’s goal is to hopefully have this implemented for the next school year, but it depends on feedback from parents, students and teachers,” Principal Dr. Greg Mathison said. “Long term, we want to hold students accountable, and we will accurately report to families for the academic and character side.”

Since the district is just testing the nonacademic indicator, Mathison said the short term goal will be to get feedback to see if changes should be made to fully implement the grading scale for next year.

District wide, 75 teachers are participating across the middle school and high school level. Mathison, who is part of the program’s steering committee, said on Wednesday, Jan. 2, he led a training session for the teachers participating. At the end of the year, Mathison said surveys will be sent out to determine the future of the program.

“Right now, want we want to see is if this creates good behavior,” Mathison said. “Doing homework on time and working hard are as important as learning.”

Ed Bolton, chemistry teacher, is implementing the nonacademic indicator for his advanced chemistry class. Bolton said the new scale is a way to report on students’ performance beyond the knowledge of the course.

“I believe they want to give parents and students more information beyond just a grade,”Bolton said. “Hopefully it provides an effective way to communicate and can be a way to share information to improve student performance.”

Bolton said he volunteered for the pilot program because communicating about how students are doing is important to success.

“I’m interested to see how it goes,”Bolton said. “Since it is a pilot program, students aren’t taking it super serious because it doesn’t affect GPA or colleges.”