It appears the recent flurry of concern about a new report card format for Hawai'i public schools turned out to be not much of a big deal.

And that's a good thing. The new cards are designed to align with the state's new emphasis on standards-based education in public schools. They discuss how well students are doing in meeting the standards, rather than offering a straightforward letter grade.

Some parents felt the cards left students without a clear "GPA" record as they move on to higher grades and colleges.

Some teachers complained that the new cards were more difficult and time-consuming to complete.

But as it turns out, when offered a choice of moving to the new system or staying with the old, the vast majority has chosen to shift. This makes sense.

If the state is going to set standards, then it owes parents a clear indication of how well their children are doing in meeting those standards.

That places an additional burden on the school system, however: The standards must be crystal-clear and understandable not only to students and parents, but to any outside agency (say, a college admissions office) that must deal with this new grading system.

That's the next task for the school system: making sure the standards are as logical, comprehensible and effective as possible.