The “Fourth Column” Debate: Watertown School Board Grapples with Elementary Grading Policy

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - During the June 8, 2026, meeting of the Watertown School Board, a routine first reading of the district’s grading policy (Policy IKA) evolved into a debate on educational philosophy, student motivation, and standards-based assessment.

At the center of the discussion was whether the district should add a “fourth column” to its elementary report cards to recognize and reward exceptional student achievement.

Board Member Jean Moulton spearheaded the discussion, advocating for an expansion of the district’s elementary grading scale.

Currently, students in grades K-4 are evaluated on a 3-2-1 standards-based scale. The notation is broken down as:

·         3 = Proficient

·         2 = Approaching Proficiency

·         1 = Below Proficient

Moulton reasoned that capping the scale at “Proficient” fails to incentivize high-achieving students and can lead to students giving up or settling for average because they have no higher mark to strive for. She proposed utilizing a fourth level—such as “Excels,” “Exceeds,” or “Superior”—to reward excellence.

According to Moulton, adding a fourth tier offers several educational benefits, including:

·         Boosting motivation and making hard work worthwhile.

·         Improving classroom behavior and building self-esteem.

·         Developing lifelong learning habits and a sense of ownership over schoolwork.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkz9L6wXR7A

To support her stance, Moulton presented research indicating that several peer districts across South Dakota—including Aberdeen, Rapid City, Yankton, Brandon Valley, and Huron—already utilize a four-level system for their elementary students. For example, Aberdeen uses a 4 for “Distinguished,” while Rapid City uses “Exceeds Expectations”.

She also noted that parents and veteran teachers have expressed concerns about the difficult transition students face when moving from the 3-2-1 scale in 4th grade to traditional letter grades (A-F) in 5th grade.

The proposal, however, met with resistance from another board member, Roshal Rossman, who reported receiving a “resounding no” after consulting with 15 to 20 teachers and staff members prior to the meeting.

The primary concern raised by educators is that the district’s current K-4 standards are built around specific, binary “I Can” statements. Because the curriculum is designed around mastering these specific statements, adding a fourth level would require a massive overhaul of the evaluation system.

·         The “Alphabet” Dilemma: To illustrate the difficulty, it was pointed out that a kindergarten mastery standard is simply knowing the 26 letters of the alphabet. Board members questioned how a teacher could objectively grade a student as “exceeding” their alphabet.

·         Consistency over Percentages: District staff clarified that the 3-2-1 system assesses consistency, not test percentages: a 3 means the student can consistently perform the skill, a 2 means they can do it with help, and a 1 means they need a lot of support.

·         Subjectivity and Friction: Opponents of the change voiced concerns that adding an “exceeds” column would introduce heavy subjectivity into grading and potentially create friction with parents demanding to know why their child did not receive a 4.

·         Report Card Layout: It was also clarified that the four blank columns currently printed on the physical elementary report card are actually designed to track progress across the four academic quarters of the year, not to represent a fourth tier of grading.

Instead of changing the numerical scale, the administration has actively encouraged teachers to utilize the comments section of the report card to explain exactly where a student is excelling or where they are deficient, providing parents with a clearer picture of their child’s academic journey.

Next Steps

As Policy, IKA was only up for its first reading; no action was taken to alter the grading system during the June 8 meeting. The board is expected to vote on the policy’s final approval at their July meeting, giving members another month to consult with parents and educators on whether the district should embrace the “fourth column”.