B.C. public schools ditch letter grades for younger students. What parents need to know

 All students from kindergarten to Grade 9 in British Columbia public schools will now be assessed with a proficiency scale instead of letter grades.

A statement from the Education Ministry says that starting in the 2023-2024 school year, only students in grades 10, 11 and 12 will receive letter grades and percentages so post-secondary entry requirements are met.

About half of B.C.'s students have already been getting the new progress reports in a pilot program through a curriculum modernization plan that started in 2016.

The ministry says proficiency scale report cards use terms such as emerging, developing, proficient and extending to describe student learning, assessments that are supplemented with teacher comments.

"I think this is a way of getting across a better message about how a child is moving through that educational journey," said Clint Johnston, president of the B.C. Teachers Federation.

The B.C. government released a plan to modernize the curriculum for kindergarten to Grade 12 in 2016, providing students with core learning in reading, writing and numeracy while also teaching them communication, problem-solving and how to use their knowledge in ways that matter for post-secondary education and careers.

Johnston says the proficiency scale can help assess the depth of a student's understanding of what they learn, including subjects such as math.

"Math is often viewed as something absolute," he said. "But it's not just getting the right number from memorizing a certain process, but actually understanding the underlying principles of how they're getting that answer."

Education Minister Rachna Singh says report cards will continue to update parents about their children's progress while also preparing students to succeed.

Johnston says most teachers who underwent the pilot approved the grading changes, but he says there is still a need for more training and support.

"It's been piloted, but it's going to require some time and investment from the ministry to support this change and to make sure it's a smooth transition," said Johnston. 

Johnston says training needs to be provided during work hours. "That means you need a day during the school year to learn [the changes]," he said.