Not to undo the entire crux of Dr. J’s rational polemic, in which he says that non-letter grades are indeed desirable for little ones, allow the Czar to quote himself:

And certainly simpler systems work for K-3 because kids are not cohesively learning performance-based material at that young age.

At these ages, many kids might not yet be exhibiting signs or symptoms of learning disorders or spectrum behaviors; but it is even more common that littler guys are not easily differentiating abilities yet. For example, first graders might read at different speeds, but they are all reading; does it make sense to give one kid an A and another a B? Not really. Hence the Czar’s comment.

But nowhere in the original explanations against which the Czar was railing is this program limited to K-3. Rather, this outrage most certainly applies to grades 4-8 as well. While letter grades are new to the Цесаревич, for example (straight As, cough cough), he is evidently adjusting to them well.

But an 8th grader who cannot read, do multiplication, measure a two-inch line when given a ruler, and so on, is allowed to graduate with a BA (basic abilities) grade? Something here is so bad it reeks all the way to Muscovy. And the real reason, it seems we all agree, is to help hide deficiencies in school districts.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.