After a student-organized petition and many emails, interviews and conversations with administrators, Summit has allowed teachers to unlock the grades for their classes in Canvas. 

“We were feeling that as an administration and we do want kids to know where they are,” said Quinn McAndrews, one of Summit’s vice principals and the school’s athletic director. “We want transparency in what we are trying to do.”

Having grades available in Canvas helps students gauge how individual assignments impact their grades, as well as calculate their overall grades in Canvas Web. 

“Student voice makes a difference,” said Donna Servignat, Summit’s principal. “I’m really glad that students were talking about what they need to be successful at school, and so we want to make sure that we’re listening to our students and if we can respond.”

Most classes will show their grades for the remainder of the school year. However, there are a small number of classes that follow standards-based grading and will therefore remain locked in Canvas due to compatibility issues. 

“Canvas can’t take the assignments and attribute them to the proper standards,” said Servignat, explaining the connection between standards-based grading and Canvas.

Because next year Bend-La Pine Schools will require all classes to follow standards-based grading, grades will likely be locked in Canvas again. 

“We want grades to be shown, but we want to do it in the right way,” said McAndrews. “It’s tough, and I know it’s tough for the students as well.”

The details of how students will view their grades next school year are still being finalized and administrators are focusing on how they can set students up for success.