For most parents, students and teachers, standards-based report cards are new and unfamiliar. The traditional system of letter and number grades has been around for more than 100 years. Change in any workplace can cause anxiety and resistance among those affected, such as the teachers. This is not unusual. In addition, the school community---both parents and students---is used to the traditional grading method, so they may also respond negatively to the changes.
Dealing with resistance to the changes, as well as any anxiety that may arise, requires school administrators to spend more time getting people involved and listening to their concerns. This may mean additional meetings up front, or having to spend more time later reacting to the concerns of parents and teachers. In addition, a standards-based report card system is sometimes too complicated for parents to understand because it requires a deep familiarity with the curriculum.
Teachers will need additional training to implement the new grading system effectively. If the school uses electronic report cards, or is switching to this type of system, teachers will need to spend time becoming familiar with that technology. Parents and students will also need to be trained to understand the standards-based report cards. Because this type of report card is linked directly to the content standards, teachers and parents need to be familiar with the curriculum in order to make sense of the grades.
Switching to a new report card system may involve many additional costs. This includes computer software or equipment, or web-based systems, for tracking and reporting the new grades. Communicating with staff and parents during the transition will also involve costs such as paying for the people delivering the training or printing marketing and informational materials.