At some point in school, you were probably told by a teacher that they wanted you to be a master in the knowledge of a subject they were teaching you. Teachers encourage a thorough understanding of the material and say that it is better to come over prepared on test day rather than underprepared. 

It’s a big idea you hear a lot about in education: being confident enough in the material to understand basic concepts of the idea compared to mastery, being fluent in the material at hand rather than having just enough to get a satisfactory mark. 

It’s a topic that forces teachers to think, answer difficult questions, and ponder the goal of K-12 schools. Are we supposed to be proficient? Or exceed further beyond and become masters in the material? 

Teachers at Wilsonville have helped gain insight into the goals of public education. One commonly discussed topic is the 4-point grading scale the West Linn-Wilsonville school district is slowly transitioning toward. 

Mr. Van Duren stated that on the 4-point scale what is considered proficiency is easy to identify. “In the proposed 4-point scale, there are key learning targets that students will have several opportunities throughout the semester to meet,” Stated Van Duren. 

In their interviews, Mr. Van Duren and Mr. Guenther shared a common viewpoint. They agreed that while the 4-point scale is effective in identifying proficiency, it falls short in demonstrating mastery. A score of 90-100% does not necessarily indicate mastery as clearly as a 4. 

There are all kinds of push back on new grading systems, but there is always merit to each one. AP Classes appear to be sticking to the percentage grading system but that is expected to change as all classes will be expected to use the 4 point scale, but perhaps within the next year they will begin to exhibit changes.