For the 2024–25 school year, Boundary County Middle School adopted standards reference grading into its curriculum. The grading evaluates the specific skills and knowledge a student has mastered rather than relying on a single overall letter grade. 

The system can allow for a more precise assessment of student progress and achievement, as each subject is broken into about 10 objectives that are graded individually. 

Andrea Fuentes, director of curriculum for Boundary County School District, said traditional grading can mask areas where students need additional support. She gave an example of a student getting a B in math. 

“I don't need to intervene, I don't need to ask questions,” Fuentes said. “They're passing. But maybe they were really struggling in fractions and I could have helped if I realized that's what they were really struggling in. But when I see a B, I think everything's great.”

Under the new system, students are graded on a 1–4 scale, with a score of 4 indicating performance above grade level for that standard. 

“We never used to have an opportunity to show above-grade-level proficiency in a standard grade,” Fuentes said. “Now, you can actually distinguish if your student is above grade level with a four.” 

Standards reference grading has not been implemented at Boundary County High School. 

“It is a little tricky with high schools,” Fuentes said. “I’ve heard rumors that Coeur d’Alene is going to do standards-based grading all the way through high school. The challenge is grade point average and transcripts for colleges.”  

Standards reference grading has not negatively affected the school’s statewide ranking. BCMS was ranked 54th in Idaho by U.S. News & World Report this year. 

“Our middle school has done well,” Fuentes said. 

Fuentes added that the system helps teachers evaluate their own instructions on various subjects to students. 

“If you're noticing that all these students are struggling in the same standard, that's a me issue,” she said. 

One potential issue is that, according to an article from the Journal of School Administration Research and Development, teachers who have used standards reference grading reported an increased workload.  

However, Fuentes said many teachers had previously worked at elementary schools in the district, where standards reference grading has been in place for several years. 

She said that communication with parents is very important. 

“We are a service industry and we want to make sure that how we're communicating to parents is in a friendly manner that they can understand and make sense of because it's their child,” Fuentes said. 

BCMS Principal Mark Fisk said he is not a fan of traditional grading systems. 

“Traditional grading has stayed the same for a very long time — over 100 years or so — and that's what most people are familiar with: A, B, C, D and F,” Fisk said. “There are some real concerns about that and some other grading practices.” 

One concern, Fisk said, is homework, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence. Under the current system, homework is not graded, though students are expected to complete it. 

“Do we really know who did the homework in today's world?” Fisk said. “Do we know what did the homework? Was it an app on a phone? Was it AI? We don't really know.” 

Students can now complete their standards after a usual due date. 

“Let's say, a week or two later, they have an epiphany and it just sort of coalesces in their head,” Fisk said. “That teacher can see that the student has now attained proficiency at that standard and they can go back and change the score.” 

“We don't have an expectation that every student is going to learn at the exact same pace,” Fisk said. “It's not human.” 

Fisk acknowledged the system is still evolving. 

“I'm not trying to grow bamboo here,” Fisk said. “I'm trying to grow an oak tree. It's going to take a little time.” 

“We want to make every decision based on what's best for kids and if we fall short, we're going to dust ourselves off,” Fisk said. “We'll retool, we'll just keep at it.”