2. What is a standards-based report card?

A standards-based report card measures a child’s learning toward a specific standard during the course of the school year on a 4-3-2-1 continuum - 4 Exceeding, 3 Meeting, 2 Learning, and 1 Concerning. Report cards are issued three to four times per year to communicate to parents how their child is performing for a particular standard using the 4-3-2-1 continuum. This 4-3-2-1- system indicated how well a child has mastered grade level standards.

• A  4 means a student has advanced understanding and exceeds grade-level expectations. A student receiving a 4 demonstrates academically superior skills in that specific area. The student shows initiative, challenges him/herself and demonstrates this advanced knowledge at school. A 4 is difficult to obtain and indicates unusually high achievement.

• A 3 means a student has proficient understanding and meets grade-level expectations. A student receiving a 3 is right on track with our high academic expectations. Ideally, all students should reach a level 3.

• A 2 means a student has basic understanding and partially meets grade-level expectations. A student receiving a 2 understands the basic concept or skill, but has not yet reached the proficient level. A 2 should indicate to parents that their child may need some extra help or extra time to practice/understand that concept or skill.

• A 1 means a student has minimal understanding and does not meet grade-level expectations. A student receiving a 1 may need interventions to learn and stay on track with district expectations.

3. Does a 4 translate into an A? Does a 3 translate into a B?

No, student performance is measured against an identified grade-level standard. Instead of letter grades, students receive numbers that show how well they have mastered the skills. Each child is somewhere on the 4-3-2-1 continuum. If they progress during each trimester/quarter, they are 2 Learning, 3 Meeting, or 4 Exceeding.

4. Why is a student at a 3 versus a 4?

3 (Meets) means that a child independently meets and understands the grade-level standards based on what was assessed in the classroom. A score of 4 (Exceeds) means that a child demonstrated in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond grade level standards based on what was assessed in the classroom. If a child has a score of 3 (Meets), he/she is achieving grade level expectations, which is a goal for all students.

5. How can a student move from a 3 to a 4?

Teachers will ask parents what specific standards they are inquiring about? Most parents are interested in reading comprehension and math computation where assessments are numerous. Teachers will not assume a parent is asking about every standard in every subject area.