Kansas City Public Schools: Grading Policy

Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) is embarking on an innovative journey to create a more equitable grading system that truly reflects students' learning, competencies, and growth. This evolution is not about lowering standards; rather, it compels us to raise our expectations and deepen our commitment to every student.
By aligning grading with what learning genuinely looks like, we aim to build a fairer and more accurate system, one that transforms the way we assess student progress at the most detailed levels. This shift is a critical part of KCPS's ongoing equity efforts, designed to better serve our students by ensuring that our measures of success are consistent with the excellence we expect.
We recognize that past grading methods viewed as the standard, but as we learn more, we must do better. Revising our grading policy is not just a necessity but a compassionate step forward, grounded in the latest research. This effort is part of a broader national conversation, and KCPS is proud to lead the way in reimagining how we assess and support student mastery.

CLICK Here to view the 24-25 Grading Policy
Grading Policy 24-25

• Updates from the Pilot Implementation:
  • Missing assignments will receive a zero, but attempted work that did not pass will receive a minimum grade of 40%.
  • Middle Years Program, IB Program, Dual Credit and Advanced Placement Courses will follow the traditional 100 point grading scale.

CLICK Here to view the History and Research behind the KCPS Grading Policy Review
Grading Policy History
and Research