Colo. District to Ditch Grade Levels

Students in Adams 50 will progress based on knowledge, not age

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 10, 2009 2:05 PM CST

(Newser) – Faced with a 58% graduation rate and falling test scores, officials in Colorado’s Adams 50 school district are doing away with traditional grade levels as part of a massive educational transformation, the Christian Science Monitor reports. When the program is fully phased in, students will no longer be separated by age, but rather proceed individually through 10 multi-age levels, advancing only when they have achieved competency in a subject.

The idea, known as “standards-based education,” has been tried once before, in a 250-student district in Alaska, where it achieved staggering success in only 5 years. But critics question what will happen when a large group of students fail to advance and create a bottleneck.

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Seventh-graders from Hutchins at McMichael School, Michael Womack, left, Malik Perry, and Albert Jones, create a time line of President Obama's life. (AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza)

An Israeli first-grader crouches under a table, as soldiers instruct them on how to protect themselves in the event of a rocket attack, in Ashkelon, Israel, Monday, March 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

ESL teacher Xavier Chavez teaches a summer history class at Benson High School in Portland, Ore.,Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

ESL teacher Xavier Chavez teaches a summer history class at Benson High School in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

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There was a sense of urgency to attend to what wasn't happening for kids here. When you see the stats for the whole school district over time, we realized we are disconnecting from our kids. - Roberta Selleck, superintendent for Adams County District 50

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 3 comments

Guest

Feb 11, 2009 9:20 PM CST

Hopefully this will work out well. And any group of students that fails at a level deserves to be held back. It's ridiculous passing a student just because he might feel bad. If the kid is too dumb he doesn't deserve to go on

justme

Feb 10, 2009 11:17 PM CST

Wow!!! Truly love the idea that learning rather than age leads to advancement in school. This will draw protests from everyone who believes that some group (pick one) might be disadvantaged by having to compete.

Mr.C

Feb 10, 2009 4:54 AM CST

I truly love the kind of stories this source picks up.

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Colo. District to Ditch Grade Levels

Students in Adams 50 will progress based on knowledge, not age

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Atlanta-area district becomes first in nearly 40 years stripped of recognition

California Parents Prepare to Fire School

Group plans to use state's Parent Trigger law

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Colo. District to Ditch Grade Levels

Students in Adams 50 will progress based on knowledge, not age

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

education • high school • Colorado • elementary school • school districts • grades • educational programs

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

DC Schools Give Kids Money to Improve Grades

Schools pay students for good behavior, grades

With Harvard's Help, Good Grades Pay Off in Chicago

System rewards as much as $50 for A's—and half depends on graduation

Georgia School System Loses US Accreditation

Atlanta-area district becomes first in nearly 40 years stripped of recognition

California Parents Prepare to Fire School

Group plans to use state's Parent Trigger law

More High Schools Hand Out iPads, Cut Textbooks

More districts trim textbooks to save money, appeal to students

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Newser By Users

Community

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What is Newser?