1. If the report card standards look the same from grade to grade, how will I know specifically what is assessed at each grade level?
Each grade level report card will include a curriculum guide. Curriculum guides will begin with a report card standard and clearly denote the grade-level specific skills and performances assessed.
2. What information will be included in this new report card?
For every child, learning will be measured using four labels, exceeds, meets, learning, or area of concern. Each subject will be broken down into 4-5 reporting standards and one label that measures learning will be applied to each. In addition, traditional subject grades will be given beginning in fifth grade and continuing through eighth grade. Teachers will also write individual comments as appropriate.
3. What does it mean when teachers report out on the major learning goals or standards under a subject area anyway?
Teachers are letting parents and students know very important information. In terms of measuring learning, these labels actually tell parents more than a letter grade. For example, if a third grade student receives a "MEETS" in reading comprehension under Language arts, then that student was successful on all the product criteria, or grade level assessments that were given in that marking period for reading comprehension.
In comparison, if a student receives a "B" in Language Arts, parents really do not know what portion of that pertains to effort, reading, writing, listening/speaking or researching which are all major aspects of a language arts grade. A traditional grade is something we are all familiar with but the variance within the traditional grading system is significant.
4. How does the district plan to interpret and apply the new EXCEEDS label?
MEETS and LEARNING are the two labels that almost all parents will continue to see applied to report cards in District 102. As a staff, we concur that MEETS denotes the students with A's and B's in almost all cases. Our curriculum is written above grade level and resources are selected to be rigorous. We serve a population above the norm. So EXCEEDS would be used in a few cases to denote an extreme outlier who is multiple grade levels above in that particular area being measured. AREA OF CONCERN will also be reserved to denote care and concern within a particular standard where the child is not able, even with assistance, to meet grade level benchmarks. Teachers will be using the label of LEARNING when the student can perform at grade level with assistance.
District 102 Major Programs/Resource Websites:
Third Edition Everyday Math (K - 5)New Third Edition Everyday Math Upgrade (K-5)
Glencoe Course 1 Mathematics (6)
Holt "Elements of Literature" and "Elements of Language"
4. What student resources were implemented during the 2007-2008 school year?
History Alive by Teacher's Curriculum Institute
TCI Digital Resources were adopted for the 2010-2011 School Year.
Treasures for Language Arts K-6 McGraw-Hill
Dr. Julie Brua
