Standards Based Report Cards

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Standards Based Report Cards

• Van Dyke Public Schools
• Winter 2008

2
Our Goals

• To help parents better understand what standards
  are and how they work
• To show parents the advantages of standards based
  reporting
• To give parents a better understanding of how the
  standards based report card works

3
What are Standards?

• What students should know and be able to do
• Agreed upon by educators at all levels of
  education
• Michigan calls the Standards GLCEs (Grade Level
  Content Expectations)
• District outcomes linked to Michigan State
  Standards

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Why Standards Based Reporting?

• Aligns to Standards Based instruction
• Sets common, rigorous expectations for academic
  performance for ALL students across the district
  and state
• Provides a results-focus on learning, not other
  factors used previously in grading systems
• Emphasizes self-assessment and growth, not
  competition
• Makes marking and grading more consistent
• Provides a basis for accountability and real-life
  application of learning
• Addresses developmental knowledge and skills over
  time

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Advantages to Standards Based Reporting

• Parents will see their childs specific strengths
  and weaknesses within each content area
• Students are compared to set criteria based on
  academic learning, not to other students.
• The criteria is NO SECRET to the students
• Once criteria is understood, MANY people can
  assess (teacher, parents, peers)

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How Will We Grade K-2?

• Kindergarten through 2nd grade will not receive
  overall grades
• You will be able to see how your child performs
  on the individual standards for each subject area
• This easily shows you your childs strengths
• This also shows you where your child is having
  difficulty

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What Are Our Grades for K-2?

• 4 Understands and applies concept independently
• 3 Shows understanding of concept
• 2 Shows partial understanding of concept
• 1 Shows little or no understanding of concept

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How Will We Grade 3-5?

• 3rd through 5th grade will receive overall grades
  
• Students will also be assessed on the standards
  within each content area
• You will be able to see how your child performs
  on the individual standards for each subject area
• This easily shows you your childs strengths
• This also shows you where your child is having
  difficulty

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What Are Our Grades for 3-5?

• A Exceeds Grade Level Expectations
• B Meets Grade Level Expectations
• C Progressing Towards Grade Level Expectations
• D Unsatisfactory Progress Towards Grade Level
  Expectations
• NE Does Not Meet Grade Level Expectations

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How Will the Grades Look in Math and Language
Arts?

• What you should expect to see is an increase in
  understanding over time.
• A student will most likely perform at a lower
  level when a concept is first introduced, and
  improve over time.
• Math and Language Arts grades should improve as
  the year progresses and your child has more
  practice with the standard
• Reading Levels are an End of Year Expectation. We
  are not expecting mastery at this point.

11
How Will the Grades Look in Science and Social
Studies?

• You will not see every box marked every trimester
• Concepts are taught in units
• Students cover the standards and have multiple
  chances to demonstrate understanding
• Not every Standard will be taught this year. The
  State of Michigan changed standards. Van Dyke is
  in the process of adapting our curriculum this
  year.

12
How Will the Grades Look in Enrichment Classes?

• Enrichment Teachers provide at least two grades
• Progress towards standards
• Behavior in class
• The teacher can also provide comments if needed

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How can my child exceed?

• A or 4 Exceeds Grade Level Expectation
• Science Example
• Outcome The student will differentiate among
  the types of simple machines and explain how each
  makes work easier.
• A child who exceeds this outcome may be able to
  explain how each of the simple machines work and
  then apply that knowledge into designing an
  invention that incorporates one of more simple
  machine to make work easier.
• Math Example
• Outcome Students will tell time using a
  calendar, a digital clock and an analog clock to
  the hour and half hour.
• A child can tell time to the quarter hour or
  minute

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The Role of Homework in Standards Based Reporting

• Homework is an important part of a childs
  academic and personal development
• Homework is formative and may not be part of the
  childs grade
• Risk-free chance to experiment with new skills
• Apply what students have learned in school
• Demonstrate level of understanding to teacher
• Remember that parents are frequently involved in
  homework completion, therefore homework may not
  reflect a childs true understanding
• Concerns regarding homework completion should be
  addressed in Life Skills as well as the
  comments section of the report card
• - Carr, J. and B. Farr. 2000. Taking steps
  toward standards-based report cards. Found in
  Grading and Reporting Student Progress in an Age
  of Standards, pp. 185-208, edited by E. Trumball
  and B. Farr.
• - C.U.S.D. Administrative Procedure 6290 on
  Homework

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Consideration for the Special Education Student

• We realize that many students are not taught the
  same grade level standards and/or are taught at a
  different pace as their peers.
• Your child will continue to receive the classroom
  room report card and progress reports from all
  special education teachers.
• If you are the parent of a special education
  student, we ask that you talk with your childs
  teachers about how this affects your child.

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Wrap-up

• Standards based education and reporting
• is not new
• is aligned to classroom instruction
• reflects learning instead of behavior
• gives parents a clear picture of academic
  achievement
• can be more rigorous than other ways of grading

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Follow Up

• Additional questions???
• Please feel free to ask your childs teacher or
  the principal.