District starts work on K–5 standards-based report cards; middle school to pursue standards-based grading by 2027

Weston County School District staff told trustees they are moving ahead on standards-based reporting and grading changes. The district has contracted with Phoenix Learning to develop K–5 standards-based report cards that will integrate with PowerSchool, and the board heard that middle-school staff plan a two-year phased rollout of standards-based grading with a target of August 2027 for full implementation.

Beau (director-level staff) said the district is “in the process of building” K–5 standards-based report cards and integrating them with PowerSchool so teachers and parents can access standards-aligned performance information. Principal Tyler said his staff wants a deliberate rollout. “I'm giving my guys 2 years. So we're looking at, August of 2027 where we would have everything in place,” he said, adding the extra time is intended to build parent understanding and provide professional development and technical support from the technology department.

Staff discussed converting the familiar A–F grade paradigm to a standards profile and providing conversion charts so parents understand what a numeric or standards score means in traditional terms. Tyler said the change is intended to focus assessment on mastery of standards rather than averaging disparate scores and will require parent communication, staff training and tech support.

The board asked staff to update trustees periodically as the work proceeds and to brief the community before major rollouts such as parent–teacher conferences.

Ending: The board accepted the timeline and asked for periodic updates and community outreach to minimize confusion when the change is implemented.