New Grading System Implemented in Maine Schools

Maine schools won't be getting A-F grades this year.

The Department of Education said Monday that the school grading system will be put on hold because state is using a new online assessment system this spring that will make it impossible to compare this year's results to last.

The department says it plans to issue the report cards again in fall 2016 when it has two years of data under the new system and can assess overall student growth.

The grading system implemented in 2013 under Republican Gov. Paul LePage is designed to bring transparency and accountability to the state's public school system. Report cards released last year showed that about 28 percent of schools received lower grades in 2014 than the year before, and two-dozen more received failing grades.