Standards-Based Report Cards
A Resource for WCASD K-2 Parents
How is My Child Doing at School?
In the WCASD, we believe a cornerstone of a strong parent-school relationship is open communication. One important piece of communication is the clarity with which we share information related to your child's progress. While there are a variety of ways the classroom teacher communicates how your child is doing at school, the trimester report card is significant because it is an official document that captures your child's progress. For K-2 students, the WCASD utilizes a standards-based report card. Although this is not a new system for us, we know it might be new to you.
In an effort to demystify the standards-based approach, we developed this resource to answer common questions, provide helpful links, and to strengthen your understanding of how we measure progress. Over the course of the 2019-20 school year, we also plan to do the following:
- Fall 2019: Host an informational session related to K-2 standards-based report cards at each elementary school.
- November 2019: Parent-teacher conferences are available prior to Thanksgiving.
- Fall 2019/Winter 2020: We plan to start creating short videos that highlight specific facets of our K-2 report cards for parents to access online. For example, a video that highlights one standard and explains how a teacher determines the proficiency level.
- January 2020: Parents will be asked to complete a survey related to the report card.
- Winter 2020: Individual schools along with district personnel will analyze survey results and determine next steps.
If you have questions about your child at any point this year, please reach out to your child's teacher. He or she has the most intimate knowledge of your child's progress. You can also reach out to the building principal if you have more general questions related to the report card.
Video Snapshot
What is standards-based grading?
WCASD K-2 Report Card
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are standards? The Pennsylvania State Board of Education establishes what students should know and be able to do in different subject areas by grade level or subject (middle and high school). Since there are so many individual standards in the four core areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, we "collapse" some standards into logical groupings on our K-2 report card. [Click here to view all of the state standards.]
- What is the difference between a standards-based report card and a traditional report card? A key difference is that on a traditional report card a student only receives one grade for each subject even though numerous standards were covered over the reporting period. The standards-based report card is more detailed as you see progress on multiple skills and knowledge. Another key difference is that the numerical grade on a traditional report card often includes effort, cooperation, and other factors such as work completion. The proficiency level noted on a standards-based report card is based only on the assessments used to determine the degree to which the student has made progress towards the end of year goal.
- How do teachers determine the proficiency level of each standard for the trimester? Grade level teams at each school and across the district collaborate determine which assessment(s) to use in order to render a decision. While assessments may not be identical in every building, their is a common understanding of what a student must know and be able to do at each proficiency level based upon guidance from subject area supervisors, PDE, and other curriculum materials.
- Is a 4 equivalent to an "A" on a traditional report card? Since a numerical grade often includes other information, a direct correlation between the two is not appropriate.
- What do teachers do for students who are not meeting a standard or who are not progressing at the same rate as their peers? The WCASD promotes a workshop model for core instruction. This is a differentiated approach to instruction that requires teachers to group students based on ability and need within the larger class. Although whole group instruction is important and used, the teacher creates and changes small groups in order to provide targeted instruction on a regular basis. When a teacher notices a student still struggling, he/she tries different in-class interventions, works with grade level partners, or comes to our school MTSS team for support.
- Can a student go down a level from one trimester to the next? Yes, it is possible for this to happen, especially as the rigor of the expectation increases for some standards.
- My Kindergartner has an IEP. Will I also get a report card? Yes, in addition to the IEP progress report, you will receive an IEP. If your child is working on standards below the grade level expectation, a notation will appear on the report card. Otherwise, the process of reporting progress is the same.
- Will I receive a hard-copy of the report card? Parents can access the report online via the Parent Portal.
- If there are so many advantages to a standards-based report, why doesn't WCASD use it in 3rd-5th grade? Each year we consider different ways to enhance our communication with parents and students. Since the trimester report card falls in this category, we have contemplated whether or not to expand standards-based reporting. In the 2019-20 school year, we have formed a district wide committee of 3rd grade teachers to study the benefits, challenges, and considerations. We will provide updates to parents well in advance of any change.
Helpful Resources
Articles
- Rethinking Report Cards: Why many schools are linking report cards to education standards (bye-bye letter grades) and how that helps students and parents.
- Standards-Based Grading: What to Know in 2019
- The Communication Challenge of Standards-Based Reporting