End of honour roll? Regina schools pilot 'outcome-based' model

If a new pilot project in Regina takes off, the next generation of students could experience a different form of education.

Three Catholic schools are testing out a model known as "outcomes-based reporting," which moves away from independent achievement awards such as the honour roll.

Matt Brown, principal of the St. Joan of Arc Elementary School, explained the system rewards specific strengths rather than traditional percentage grades.

"Generally what we know and understand is what we're comfortablewith. We're trying to make a bit of a shift and there's good reason for it," Brown said on CBC Radio'sThe Morning Edition.

He said that with a traditional grade point, students often don't understand exactly where they are achieving. Under the newmodel, a student who demonstrates particular aptitude for understanding ecosystems would have that made clearon a report card.

Generally what we know and understand is what we're comfortablewith. We're trying to make a bit of a shift and there's good reason for it- Matt Brown, principal of St. Joan of Arc Elementary School

"These new report cards saythe specific outcome and there are several of them and whether students are meeting expectations in that particularoutcome," Brown said.

He said this gives students a more well-rounded grasp of where they excel and where they need to improve.

At the Grade 8 graduation, Brown said that every student is given the opportunity to show off their work.

"They do a nice collage and frame their work and say, 'Iam an achiever," he said.

Starting conversations

The new system has incurred some backlash among parents and other community members.

On CBC Saskatchewan's Facebook page, numerous people contributed to the discussion.

"Excellence deserves to be noted. Mediocrity does not," Cheryl Didur said.

Barbara Field said there is room for more than one approach.

"Why not have both? I mean, the kids on the honour roll work hard to get there, so they deserve to be recognized for it. By not doing that, we're teaching that it's OK to not put effort into anything because everyone gets the same reward," Field said.

Others thought this mentality would not have application in the working world.

However, Brown said the program is not about celebrating mediocrity and that it should benefit students into the future, because they will know where to apply their skills.

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