Last week Park City School District (PCSD) put on the full-media-blitzkrieg regarding standards-based grading. They called it, “The Facts About Standards-Based Learning.” They wrote a letter to the Park Record on the subject. They published that letter on their website. They even texted every parent in the district with a link to that same letter. Here is a point-by-point paraphrasing of what...
On Wednesday, the Park City School District School Board met and discussed Standards-based grading (SBG) with Traci Evans, Interim Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. After watching the hour-long session, I have a much clearer understanding of where we are with the new method of learning being implemented at Ecker Hill, Treasure Mountain, and soon other schools. Your view of the...
Do you remember your high school grade point average? How about your college GPA? The concept of a GPA and an F to A grading-scale is what most of us grew up with and has been around over 70 years. There is even a saying about that, “A students work for the B students at companies founded by C students.” If you’ve always felt that the traditional grading of F to A isn’t...
We’re gearing up for another school year. If the off season was any indicator, we’re headed for a doozey. The Park Record headline screams, “Under new school policy, high opt-out rates could sink Park City School District’s statewide grades.” The first paragraph goes even more dire: “The Park City School District in 2017 was given its first ‘F’ school grade from the state...
My oldest kid “graduated” Kindergarten today. Like many things in Park City, it was a little over the top. There was a scheduled performance with songs and many of the formalities you probably witnessed when you graduated high school. That said, my Kindergartener was broken up. He didn’t want to leave Mrs. Martin’s class at Jeremy Ranch. He was crying during the songs. He...
Assessments empower students, teachers, and parents on the educational road. But how much do parents really know about the assessment tools and information gleaned from them in the classroom? The Galileo assessment used at almost every grade level three times a year is considered a teacher’s tool to determine how well students are grasping core concepts throughout the year. Teachers can use the...
Today someone sent in an anonymous tip linking to the Park Record story on USA Today ranking Park City High School as the best high school in the state. First, whoever you were, thanks. We love community feedback and appreciate ideas from the public. We usually won’t post something the Park Record has posted because if you’re here at the Park Rag, you’ve probably run out of things to read...
On Thursday, The Salt Lake Tribune reported about a state audit finding where “Park City School District awarded an inappropriate contract to a general contracting firm that later violated state law while acting on the district’s behalf.” Basically our school district awarded a contract that included language that could incentivize Hughes Contractors to charge tax payers more money than...
The Park Record headline screams: We especially like the chart’s title: “Park City Schools Report Card 2017”. This must be official! Wow, did a virus invade and destroy the childrens’ brains at Treasure Mountain. It must have because the same kids who were getting B’s at Ecker Hill and C’s at Treasure Mountain last year are now getting F’s. There must have also been huge teacher turnover in order...
There is an interesting debate going on in our comments about the public’s ability to direct the school district in its needs for expansion. Some say that the public will always find fault with something in every plan. Therefore, that’s why we elect a school board to make decisions. If you don’t like the board’s decisions, then vote new people in. Other people say that...