Curriculum at Charlton Street School

Standards Based Report Cards

What you Need to know.
 

Frequently Asked Questions About Standards-Based Reporting

What is a standards-based report card?

• A Standards-based report card lists the most important skills students should be learning in each subject area at a particular grade level. 
• Standards-based report cards measure student understanding and mastery of learning goals.
• Instead of letter grades, students receive marks or a code to reflect how well they have mastered the skills

What are Standards and who determines them? 

You may have heard of the Common Core State Standards. These are the learning standards. These standards define learning goals and expectations for skill development at each grade level. 

Why are elementary schools changing to standards-based report cards?

Southbridge students are more than a score. As teaching practices evolve and change, the way we measure student progress must change too. The new grading system will help us better understand what students know and are able to do.  

A standards-based report card is a logical and complementary grading system to more equitably and accurately report student progress and success. 

Is there a letter grade to standards-based grade conversion or equivalency?

No, there is no equivalency. This reporting system requires a shift in thinking for both teachers and parents. It will be challenging for the adults who are used to seeing a grade and understanding what that letter or percentage meant.  We understand that seeing “A’s” is a good feeling but it doesn’t give you the full picture about what skills your child is actually being successful with related to the grade-level standards.  If a student is getting a “C” this can be confusing or problematic because it doesn’t tell you exactly where your child needs more practice.

Standards-based report cards will provide greater understanding for parents because they will be able to see exactly which skills and knowledge their child has acquired and where they need to improve. 

What might be challenging as we shift to standards-based report cards?

The year-long journey toward that “M” for understanding and Mastery may be challenging. Over the course of the year, students will be measured against the final end-of-year goal. This means that in the first or second trimester, instead of getting “A’s” for trying hard and doing well on tests and quizzes, a high-achieving student might see marks that indicate they are “not yet” proficient or at “M” mastery in some skills.

This is normal-most students will not meet all of the year’s goals in the first or even second quarter.  It can be disconcerting to parents and students who are used to seeing all “A’s” or “B’s”. We assure you “W” (Working Toward Standards) is completely acceptable throughout the year and “M” (Meets the Standard) is the goal toward which all students and teachers are working to achieve by year’s end.