High Expectations, Bright Futures
High Expectations, Bright Futures
Amy Monarca Kathryn Folkes Cynthia Govoni Stephen Hurley Jennifer King Kathy Anderson Penny Lewis
Paula Graef Tricia Schiavi Katie Uriano Eric Brody Patricia Buell Tim Van Tasel
• “Why” we adopted standards-based reporting
• “How” grades will be reported • “What” our report cards will illustrate and look like
•
Links instruction and grading to Connecticut Core Standards
•
Provides an accurate reflection of what students know and are able to do based on the end-of-theyear standards
•
Assists teachers, students and families focus on the standards throughout the school year
•
Gives specific feedback on progress toward standards
•
Clarifies and reinforces consistent, high expectations for all students
•
Establishes meaningful goals for student improvement
They… • Provide more consistency in grading between teachers than traditional report cards • Better reflect the Connecticut Core Standards for language arts and mathematics • Create greater alignment with the district adopted ELA and Math curriculum
They… • Clearly communicate expectations to students • More accurately and effectively communicate student performance toward grade level standards and expectations
Common Data will be collected on… • • • • •
Performance assessments Performance tasks Student work Unit assessments Universal screens
Common Data will be collected on… • • • •
Anecdotal notes Classroom activities Observations Student work
The report card communicates a child’s progress toward specific end-of-the-year standards as well as learner behaviors.
In addition, classroom teachers will provide written comments.
Students with an IEP will receive a SBRC and a progress report for their IEP goals. • SBRC reflects the end-of-year grade level expectations • IEP reflects individual student goals
Traditional Grading
Standards-Based Grading
A, B, C, D, F represent percentage of points accumulated
E, M, A, L represent student performance in relation to specific standards
Non-academic factors affect grades, such as participation, effort, late work, etc.
Reflect academic performance only as learner behaviors are reported separately
Everything is graded and averaged together
A report of what students know and are able to do
Early assignments can skew the final grade
Based on end-of-year standards
L- Limited Progress Toward Meeting The Standard student performance does not demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge/skills expected in the grade level curriculum
A- Approaching Learning Standards student performance demonstrates a partial understanding of the knowledge/skills expected in the grade level
M- Meets Learning Standards student performance demonstrates a thorough understanding of the knowledge/skills expected at the grade level
E- Exceeds Learning Standards student performance demonstrates an understanding of the knowledge/ skills beyond expectations and consistently shows evidence of higher level thinking and application to other areas
3.OA.1: Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 5 × 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each. For example, describe a context in expressed as 5 × 7. 4.OA.1: Interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison, e.g., interpret 35 = 5× 7 as a statement that 35 is 5 times as many as 7 and 7 times as many as 5. Represent verbal statements of multiplicative comparisons as multiplication equations. 5.OA.1: Use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols.
1 =Apparent and demonstrated consistently 2 =Apparent but not demonstrated consistently 3 =Minimal or not yet apparent Reported after each subject area
Questions and Answers
Q: What are the Connecticut Core Standards? A: The Connecticut Core Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn and be able to do. The standards are designed to be rigorous and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that students need for success in college and careers. There are CCS in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics. For more information about the standards, please visit http://www.corestandards.org.
Q: What will a standards-based report card tell you about your child? A: Standards-based report cards are designed to inform students and families about specific skill achievement as measured against the end-of-the-year standards. In a standards-based learning environment, teachers are better able to identify specific student strengths and weaknesses, thereby permitting a more informed approach to individual student instruction. The standards-based reporting scale is not a linear scale that correlates to a numerical percentage. Rather, it is progressive and allows students to think of their learning on a growing continuum.
Q: Will student behaviors that promote learning still be addressed? A: Yes. Our new standards-based report cards will continue to address students in areas of Learner Behaviors. These are critical behaviors that facilitate student learning and growth while fostering a safe, supportive learning environment. On a standards-based report card, these are not included in the assessment of a student’s academic skills. Instead there is a separate area of the report card to communicate these learning behaviors.
Q: How often will report cards be shared? A: Report cards are published three times per year (December, March and June).
Q: What if my child is not meeting a grade level standard? A: It is important to note that the standards represent ‘end-of-year’ expectations. Students will have additional time to master the standard before the end of the year. Thus, at the beginning of the year, it is appropriate that a child is progressing towards standards.
Q: If my child received all A’s on the last report card, should I expect all exceeding's? A:One of the biggest adjustments for students and parents is that the StandardsBased Report Card focuses on end-of-the-year goals. This means that in the first or second trimester, a high-achieving student might have several marks indicating that she is not yet meeting expectations in some standards. Although this is normal since most students will not meet all of the end-of -the-year’s goals in the first trimester, it can be disconcerting to parents and students use to seeing all A’s or B’s. Another big change for students is understanding the concept of “exceeding standards.” Exceeding is not the equivalent of an A on a traditional report card. For example, if a third-grader received A’s on every math test during the trimester, she would probably receive an A on a traditional report card. If those math tests measured only the concepts third graders are expected to master, those A’s would be the equivalent of “meeting” on the Standards-Based Report Card. With high and challenging expectations, a “Meeting” is exactly where a child should be.
Q: How should a parent communicate this new method of reporting to their child? A:The best recommendation we can offer would be to sit down and talk with your child about what the report card is showing about their progress in school. An “Approaching” is not “bad,” it shows that the child is making progress towards their goal. Explain to the child that the goal is to achieve a “Meeting” before the end of the year. This new report card shows what a child has learned, not what the child has earned.
Q: How do you expect parents to explain to their children why they did not get a “M” or “E”? A: It is important that parents and teachers have honest conversations with students. It should not be unreasonable to explain to a child that some concepts and skills are more difficult to grasp than others. A score of “Approaching” while learning a new skill or concept is appropriate. A score of “M” (demonstrating mastery) is to be celebrated. A score of “E” indicates a strength being recognized that is above and beyond the grade level expectations.
Additional Resources
• Connecticut Core Standards http://ctcorestandards.org/
Amy Monarca Kathryn Folkes Cynthia Govoni Stephen Hurley Jennifer King Kathy Anderson Penny Lewis
Paula Graef Tricia Schiavi Katie Uriano Eric Brody Patricia Buell Tim Van Tasel
• “Why” we adopted standards-based reporting
• “How” grades will be reported • “What” our report cards will illustrate and look like
•
Links instruction and grading to Connecticut Core Standards
•
Provides an accurate reflection of what students know and are able to do based on the end-of-theyear standards
•
Assists teachers, students and families focus on the standards throughout the school year
•
Gives specific feedback on progress toward standards
•
Clarifies and reinforces consistent, high expectations for all students
•
Establishes meaningful goals for student improvement
They… • Provide more consistency in grading between teachers than traditional report cards • Better reflect the Connecticut Core Standards for language arts and mathematics • Create greater alignment with the district adopted ELA and Math curriculum
They… • Clearly communicate expectations to students • More accurately and effectively communicate student performance toward grade level standards and expectations
Common Data will be collected on… • • • • •
Performance assessments Performance tasks Student work Unit assessments Universal screens
Common Data will be collected on… • • • •
Anecdotal notes Classroom activities Observations Student work
The report card communicates a child’s progress toward specific end-of-the-year standards as well as learner behaviors.
In addition, classroom teachers will provide written comments.
Students with an IEP will receive a SBRC and a progress report for their IEP goals. • SBRC reflects the end-of-year grade level expectations • IEP reflects individual student goals
Traditional Grading
Standards-Based Grading
A, B, C, D, F represent percentage of points accumulated
E, M, A, L represent student performance in relation to specific standards
Non-academic factors affect grades, such as participation, effort, late work, etc.
Reflect academic performance only as learner behaviors are reported separately
Everything is graded and averaged together
A report of what students know and are able to do
Early assignments can skew the final grade
Based on end-of-year standards
L- Limited Progress Toward Meeting The Standard student performance does not demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge/skills expected in the grade level curriculum
A- Approaching Learning Standards student performance demonstrates a partial understanding of the knowledge/skills expected in the grade level
M- Meets Learning Standards student performance demonstrates a thorough understanding of the knowledge/skills expected at the grade level
E- Exceeds Learning Standards student performance demonstrates an understanding of the knowledge/ skills beyond expectations and consistently shows evidence of higher level thinking and application to other areas
3.OA.1: Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 5 × 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each. For example, describe a context in expressed as 5 × 7. 4.OA.1: Interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison, e.g., interpret 35 = 5× 7 as a statement that 35 is 5 times as many as 7 and 7 times as many as 5. Represent verbal statements of multiplicative comparisons as multiplication equations. 5.OA.1: Use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols.
1 =Apparent and demonstrated consistently 2 =Apparent but not demonstrated consistently 3 =Minimal or not yet apparent Reported after each subject area
Questions and Answers
Q: What are the Connecticut Core Standards? A: The Connecticut Core Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn and be able to do. The standards are designed to be rigorous and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that students need for success in college and careers. There are CCS in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics. For more information about the standards, please visit http://www.corestandards.org.
Q: What will a standards-based report card tell you about your child? A: Standards-based report cards are designed to inform students and families about specific skill achievement as measured against the end-of-the-year standards. In a standards-based learning environment, teachers are better able to identify specific student strengths and weaknesses, thereby permitting a more informed approach to individual student instruction. The standards-based reporting scale is not a linear scale that correlates to a numerical percentage. Rather, it is progressive and allows students to think of their learning on a growing continuum.
Q: Will student behaviors that promote learning still be addressed? A: Yes. Our new standards-based report cards will continue to address students in areas of Learner Behaviors. These are critical behaviors that facilitate student learning and growth while fostering a safe, supportive learning environment. On a standards-based report card, these are not included in the assessment of a student’s academic skills. Instead there is a separate area of the report card to communicate these learning behaviors.
Q: How often will report cards be shared? A: Report cards are published three times per year (December, March and June).
Q: What if my child is not meeting a grade level standard? A: It is important to note that the standards represent ‘end-of-year’ expectations. Students will have additional time to master the standard before the end of the year. Thus, at the beginning of the year, it is appropriate that a child is progressing towards standards.
Q: If my child received all A’s on the last report card, should I expect all exceeding's? A:One of the biggest adjustments for students and parents is that the StandardsBased Report Card focuses on end-of-the-year goals. This means that in the first or second trimester, a high-achieving student might have several marks indicating that she is not yet meeting expectations in some standards. Although this is normal since most students will not meet all of the end-of -the-year’s goals in the first trimester, it can be disconcerting to parents and students use to seeing all A’s or B’s. Another big change for students is understanding the concept of “exceeding standards.” Exceeding is not the equivalent of an A on a traditional report card. For example, if a third-grader received A’s on every math test during the trimester, she would probably receive an A on a traditional report card. If those math tests measured only the concepts third graders are expected to master, those A’s would be the equivalent of “meeting” on the Standards-Based Report Card. With high and challenging expectations, a “Meeting” is exactly where a child should be.
Q: How should a parent communicate this new method of reporting to their child? A:The best recommendation we can offer would be to sit down and talk with your child about what the report card is showing about their progress in school. An “Approaching” is not “bad,” it shows that the child is making progress towards their goal. Explain to the child that the goal is to achieve a “Meeting” before the end of the year. This new report card shows what a child has learned, not what the child has earned.
Q: How do you expect parents to explain to their children why they did not get a “M” or “E”? A: It is important that parents and teachers have honest conversations with students. It should not be unreasonable to explain to a child that some concepts and skills are more difficult to grasp than others. A score of “Approaching” while learning a new skill or concept is appropriate. A score of “M” (demonstrating mastery) is to be celebrated. A score of “E” indicates a strength being recognized that is above and beyond the grade level expectations.
Additional Resources
• Connecticut Core Standards http://ctcorestandards.org/
