by Star Staff

The big news this year is the move back to standards-based grading (SBG). Cartwright has long had a policy of using SBG, but for several reasons, it just has not taken hold.

This year, Estrella and in fact the entire district, are redoubling their effort to show proficiency in specific areas rather than the number of students who received a specific grade.

No longer will you count how many As or Bs you have. Now you will be counting HPs and Ps.

For a brief understanding of SBG, the infographic to the right explains the numbers. At Estrella, each number is the same as a letter. 4 points is Highly Proficient (HP), 3 points is Proficient (P), 2 points is Partially Proficient (PP), and 1 point is Minimally Proficient (MP).

Every class you have is supposed to be concentrating on somewhere around 4-10 standards. These standards are used to determine your overall proficiency in the subject. If you are unsure which standards are being focused, ask your teacher. I'm sure they would love to know that you are so interested in your own grade.

So, whether you just know the parts of the bike, have training wheels or can race around the track, remember, you can always make improvements. Making improvements is STANDARD!