Fairport presenters outline multi-year overhaul of grading, standards and homework policy

Lisa Benson and members of the Fairport Central School District School Improvement Team presented a three-year plan to align grading, standards and homework with classroom practice and state expectations.

The presentation summarized work that began in 2023–24 with an exploration of grading practices and moved into implementation via three subcommittees—standards, grading action research (classroom pilots) and homework—supported by teachers, instructional coaches, building administrators and parent representatives. "In Fairport, our grading process is designed to objectively, intentionally, and transparently measure students' knowledge and abilities based on the district's collective success criteria," the team read aloud as their guiding statement.

Why it matters: District leaders said the effort is intended to provide clearer measures of student learning, multiple opportunities for growth and more consistent reporting across K–12. Presenters emphasized that the work is research-informed and locally tested in pilot classrooms before wider rollout.

Classroom pilots and teacher reports: Lonnie Maliver, a French teacher and lead educator at Martha Brown Middle School, described classroom-level changes she piloted, including: conferencing with students, using proficiency rubrics and shifting to a four-point scale tied to standards. Maliver said the shift "gave students a sense of purpose" and allowed higher-achieving students to "stretch and grow" while helping struggling students stay "in the game." She reported surveying her students and said responses were “overwhelmingly” positive about the transparency and clarity of the new rubrics.

Standards and instructional alignment: The standards subcommittee reported it developed an "unpacking standards" protocol and a prioritization rubric (Readiness, Endurance, Assessment, Leverage) intended to identify the district's biggest instructional priorities. Scott Parker, English lead teacher at Martha Brown, described a 15-day protocol used to identify the most important standards—what presenters called the "boulders"—that will drive instruction and the development of common assessments.

Homework regulation: The homework subcommittee described a months-long drafting process driven by stakeholder feedback. Presenters said the team reviewed 38 district policies and 26 research articles, and gathered 1,428 parent, 350 teacher and 2,196 student responses. The resulting draft regulation (referred to in the presentation as draft #13) centers on four tests for homework: alignment to curriculum objectives, clear instructional purpose (practice/reinforcement/preparation/extension), accessibility, and timely, constructive feedback. Presenters said grade-level recommendations and a frequently asked questions document accompany the draft to support rollout.

Implementation and next steps: Speakers said next steps include piloting the regulation ("the first pancake" year), staff training, building-level coordination on homework loads and alignment of grading and standards with New York State's "portrait of a graduate" and a forthcoming district assessment strategy. Presenters emphasized this is an iterative rollout and that district staff will refine approaches based on teacher and family feedback.

What was not decided: The presentation did not adopt any formal district policy at the workshop; presenters framed the session as an update and learning opportunity with implementation to follow.

The board moved on to later agenda items and planned to reconvene for business after an executive session.