Getting a large, urban school district to use standards-based education and standards-based grading is challenging. Doing so in one year is monumental. During the 2009-10 school year, Omaha (NE) Public Schools began to study the feasibility of making changes to its traditional grading system. The more closely district personnel investigated the focus on proficiency for every student and the grading practices soon to be displayed through the opening of the parent portal, the more committed they became to making the needed changes sooner rather than later. Standards-based education and the system of grading it entails improves student achievement; increases the accuracy and fairness of grades; and enhances communication between classroom teachers and students, parents, colleges, and employers. Although the district is still far from being there, it is moving forward on a journey to improve student performance and the accuracy and fairness of classroom assessment and grading.