New K-4 Report Card
K-4 Report Card
We are very excited about our new CSSU kindergarten through grade 4 standards based report card. This new reporting system will show the current status of student proficiency on specific Common Core standards at this immediate reporting time of year rather than cumulatively (which averages student performance). This report card also ensures consistency across our CSSU schools as grading is more articulated and defined. With the development of this new reporting system, you, as parents, will have more information about the progress your child is making towards specific learning targets and lifelong learning habits. Below is the first of three articles, which will give you more information on our student reporting system. Please let us know what questions you may have.
Article #1 of 3
What are the benefits of the new k-4 report card for parents? Read this article and those that follow, about changes that will provide you with more detailed information about your child’s progress.
Background: A team of CSSU K-4 teacher representatives from each K-8 school, content coordinators and the Director of Curriculum met over the summer and fall to develop a new and common K-4 report card that is aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This work coincides with implementation of the CCSS required by the AOE (Vermont Agency of Education) and compliance with Act 77; legislation requiring proficiency or standards, based graduation for all students by 2020. The new K-4 report card is one of many efforts that will build continuity in our K-12 progress reporting practices. This is the first of several articles that will familiarize you with changes in the new K-4 report card prior to January 23rd, when the first report card will be sent home.
The process of developing common K-4 report cards:
The Report Card Committee studied examples from other school systems, input from CSSU teachers, and worked with the Common Core standards to develop a report card prototype. The group then worked with the CSSU Data Manager and Director of VCAT (Vermont Common Assessment Tool, the electronic platform CSSU uses to house data, student information and assessments) to create a VCAT compatible format. Next, the committee developed Learning Targets (LT’s) for each grade level and standard. Learning Targets are scoring guides for teachers that provide detailed criteria for grading student performance. They describe what students should know and be able to do based on the common core, classroom evidence and assessment results. LT’s will be explained in more detail in the next article. The new report card (and use of Learning Targets) is a step toward providing consistent and reliable grading across K-4 teacher teams and schools.
Professionals at each school are currently engaged in professional development to learn about the new reporting system.
Shifts in report card practice: Each article will describe some of the changes in the new reporting system. The first change, described below, explains when you will receive report cards. Reporting periods will now be common across all CSSU K-4th grades.
The new K-4 report card will go out to parents in January and June. Each school has historically had their own report card schedule. Some schools used a ‘bimester’ (two semesters) schedule, some a trimester, while others reported quarterly. This incongruence led to wide variation across grades and schools regarding what skills and concepts were reported on and when. For example, a 2nd grade report card from one school reported on different topics and skills than a 2nd grade in another school that was reporting at a different time of year. A common K-4 reporting schedule will provide several advantages. It will align with the CSSU Common Assessment Schedule (CCAS) that informs report cards. It will also mean teachers across CSSU K-4th grades will report on the same standards, using the same criteria to do s. The emphasis and value of face-to-face parent–teacher conferences across CSSU schools will also be reinforced through this common report card schedule. Robust fall and spring parent conferences will occur between the two written report card periods and will inform parents about student progress, but in a personal and collaborative manner. The ‘bimester’ (January and June formal reporting) is already a ‘tried and true’ reporting system in one of our schools and throughout CSSU Kindergartens.
Starting 2014-2015 school year: K-4 Reporting Period Dates:
Fall Parent Conferences
Based on teacher schedule-around October 17 and after
January Report Cards
Sent home on January 23rd
Spring Parent Conferences
Based on teacher schedule-around March 23 and after
June Report Cards
Sent home on the last day of school, June 12, or later depending on snow days.
|*Please look for additional articles in this newsletter that will provide you with more information about the new K-4 report card.