CVUSD StandardsBased Elementary Report Cards Kindergarten to Sixth

CVUSD Standards-Based Elementary Report Cards Kindergarten to Sixth Grade 2016 -2017

Welcome Parents! Anything worth doing, is worth doing right. Communicating to you about the progress of your children at school is one of our most important jobs. As a team, teacher – parent – student, we must communicate clearly to reach our goal… mastery of standards and strong habits of success.

• “Why would anyone want to change current grading practice? The answer is quite simple: Grades are so imprecise that they are almost meaningless. ” – Robert Marzano, esteemed educational researcher • “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education. – Martin Luther King, Jr. , civil rights activist, humanitarian, and leader

Report Card Goals • Communicate student progress toward mastery of the California State Common Core Standards for each grade level. • Communicate student effort and behavior in the pursuit of mastery of standards.

Traditional Report Card vs. Standards. Based Report Card • Traditional grading is based upon using assessment methods that provide one grade per assignment and includes an uncertain mixture of homework, classwork, tests, quizzes, and project grades. Late penalties and extra credit are also often part of the mix. Final marks are based upon a percentage system; the number of points earned versus the number of points possible. Assessments record the average, not the best, work. • Standards-based grading is based upon goals and performance standards, with one grade/entry provided per learning goal. Marks represent achievement only, separating out the behaviors associated with schoolwork and reporting in a different area. Homework, classwork, and other practice and learning activities are not assembled with the summative assessments. The most recent performance is the most significant.

Why is Standards-Based Better? • Imagine two fourth graders, in the same class, with the same teacher, class discussions, classwork, homework, and tests. Tricia Traditional Stanley Standards-Based Tricia does not understand Geometry. She is receiving low marks on her classwork and homework, but learning from her mistakes. Quiz #1 – 5/10 Quiz #2 – 7/10 Test #1 – 15/20 Test #2 – 19/20 FINAL MARK – 72. 5% - C- Stanley does not understand Geometry either. He begins the trimester learning from his mistakes in practice, and his assessments improve, like Tricia’s. Quiz #1 – 1 Quiz #2 – 2 Test #1 – 2 Test #2 – 3 FINAL MARK – 3 – Achieving Tricia’s final grade is strongly affected by her “slow” start. Stanley is not punished for a “slow” start.

Communicating More Clearly This is CVUSD’s new Standards-Based Report Card (fourth grade example). • Performance Levels are explained at the top; • The left column is all English Language Arts (13 marks allow for more specific reporting of areas of success/struggle); • The right column is Mathematics (5 marks allow for more specific reporting), History, Science, and PE; • Standards are grouped and rephrased to facilitate parent comprehension.

Communicating More Clearly (cont’d) This is the reverse side of CVUSD’s new SBRC: • Enrollment in special programs is noted at the top left; • The left column also enumerates 16 desirable behaviors for modern elementary students; • By reporting separately, these behaviors (whether successful or struggling) do not complicate the front page assessments of mastery toward standards.

The Growth Mindset Standards-Based grading is a perfect fit with the Growth Mindset philosophy. By focusing on achieving learning goals, students are focused on learning, not “earning points. ”

Understanding Rubrics are measurement tools that do three things: • Clearly communicate goals to learners, with specific descriptors; • Provide the teacher with clear filter with which to measure success; • Holds accountable all stake-holders for the details that determine Performance Level Marks. You will see rubrics and scores for summative assessments.

For More Information: • http: //www. chino. k 12. ca. us/Page/15701 • Samples of the new report card for grades Kindergarten through sixth grade; • FAQs • California Common Core Standards • Scholarly articles • Performance Levels explained