Two lanes, one family record
A contest becomes an award
For the work itself: art, photography, writing, speeches. The teacher publishes the results.
- 1The teacher
Runs a contest
Picks the type, writes the criteria, decides how many medalists there are. Five minutes.
See sample contests →Physical Art
Fourth Grade Animal Paintings
“Creativity, technique, composition, and how much the animal feels alive.”
- 2The students
Submit their work
A photo of a painting, a written poem, or a recorded speech.
See the entries →
- 3Review
The computer scores. The teacher verifies.
Every entry gets a score and written feedback for the teacher. The teacher reviews the ranking, and only then publishes.
How scoring works →Verified by the teacher · Certified by MeritBoardNothing publishes until a human confirms it.
- 4The family
Keeps the award
The results page, the certificate and the work itself, in the record the family claims.
See a portfolio →1st Place — Animal PaintingsCertificate · April 2026Added to the portfolio
A test in class becomes a MeritScore
For what a student knows: math, science, history, language arts and general knowledge. It starts only when a teacher gives the test.
- 1The teacher
Gives a test in class
Shows a class code and proctors. Five questions, five minutes, no student accounts.
What we test →Class code
KX7P2Q
5 questions · 5 minutes
- 2The students
Answer in their own words
Short written answers, not multiple choice, and each student gets questions at their level.
The five categories →Mathematics
A shirt costs $20 and is 25% off. How much do you pay?
$15, because 25% of 20 is 5
- 3Scoring
The computer scores every answer
Because the teacher proctored the test, the score counts as teacher-verified. Practice at home does not create a MeritScore.
MeritScore questions →Proctored by the teacherOnly tests a teacher gives count.
- 4The family
Sees the MeritScore
200 is the average MeritBoard student. The score firms up with every test and lives in the same record as the awards.
See the MeritScore card →Maya R. · Grade 7
241Overall MeritScore
Provisional
One record, for everyone
Both lanes end in the same place. The teacher gets results in minutes instead of a weekend. The school gets a consistent record across classrooms. The family keeps all of it, free.