What will colleges think?
Grades are used to communicate with students, their families, and also to third parties such as colleges. As we implement proficiency based learning practices, some may worry that these practices will place students from RHS at a disadvantage. To address this concern two organizations, The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) and the New England Secondary School Consortium (NESSC) convened a meeting of admissions leaders from highly selective colleges in New England.
“Overwhelmingly, these admissions leaders indicate that students with proficiency-based transcripts will not be disadvantaged in the highly selective admissions process. Moreover, according to some admissions leaders, features of the proficiency-based transcript model shared with the group provide important information for institutions seeking not just high-performing academics, but engaged, lifelong learners.” How Selective Colleges and Universities Evaluate Proficiency-Based High School Transcripts: Insights for Students and Schools
In addition, admissions leaders shared that they saw great advantage to including Habits of Work information on transcripts.
The reality is that colleges receive transcripts from home-school students, students educated overseas, and students attending public and private high schools. Each high school engages in its own process to report grades and each college engages in its own process to interpret those grades. Legislation has now been passed in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont requiring high schools to develop proficiency based practices, so RHS is not alone in reporting on proficiencies.
To date a long list of schools have signed explicit statements of support for proficiency based practices, including:
The University of Rhode Island
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The complete list may be found at Collegiate Statements of Support.