ELLSWORTH — If a proposal now winding its way to the Legislature comes to fruition, traditional report cards may become a thing of the past beginning with the high school graduating class of 2016.

Instead of a simple numerical or letter grade, teachers would report to what extent an individual student has reached proficiency in a subject area.

The whole idea — which is part of an initiative in at least 38 states — is to use the same standards statewide for granting high school diplomas. In Maine, the standard of measure would be the Maine Learning Results.

Jaci Holmes, the federal liaison to the Maine Department of Education, said this initiative is happening nationally to ensure that students acquire certain bodies of knowledge and skills.

A passing grade, she said, doesn’t guarantee the student is proficient in a subject area.

“This is an initiative nationally to move away from ‘seat time’ and have statewide standards in place,” Holmes said.

She said recommendations compiled by a “stakeholder” group are being prepared for submission to the Legislature in March. Among the 16-member group are Education Commissioner Susan Gendron, teachers, principals, superintendents and others.

“They are moving away from Carnegie credit units as a basis for the diploma to a standards-based unit of credit,” Holmes said.

Members of the group are holding six informational sessions around the state about the recommendations. They were at Ellsworth High School Feb. 5.

The subject areas in which students would be expected to be proficient are English language arts, math, science and technology and social studies. They also would have to meet the standards in one of the following areas — world languages, visual and performing arts or physical education and health — and partially meet the standards in the remaining two areas.

There would be many avenues to the diploma, such as alternative programs, adult education and apprenticeships.

Not everyone is a fan of the recommendations.

School Union 96 Superintendent Bill Webster said it is a mistake to attempt such drastic changes in the midst of a struggling economy and in towns and cities that are in the throes of a state mandate to consolidate and form much larger school units.

He also said it will be very confusing for parents.

“Right now a student gets say, an 85 in history. Parents understand that,” he said. “If all of a sudden parents get something that says your child met standard y, partially met standard x, and didn’t meet standard z, what does that mean? In the end parents want to know how their child is stacking up against expectations and other children.”

He said Carnegie credit units have been in place for more than a century and the transition, if it occurs, should be very gradual, perhaps starting in kindergarten so that parents are familiar with the system from the very beginning.

Webster said the fact that the meeting in Ellsworth was informational only also did not bode well for the upcoming bill.

“To say this is informational only is another example of top down management which is going to reduce the likelihood of it being successful,” he said.

Holmes said that once the bill was submitted there would be a public hearing in the Legislature.