Implementation of our Standards Based Report Card:
Answers for Teachers
Last year, North Clackamas School District implemented a new Standards-Based report
card for all elementary students. We made a few changes this year based on feedback
from teachers and parents. The purpose of this document is to address questions from
teachers and highlight some of the changes to the report card.
Why are we using a standards-based report card?
The purpose of the report card is to improve communication with parents and others
about a student’s progress toward meeting important “end of grade” level standards. This
standards based report card supports best practice in our classrooms and reflects the
strong link between standards, instruction, curriculum, and assessment in the elementary
program. The report card is in compliance with the Oregon Administrative Rule that report
cards:
• Clearly show the student and parents whether the student is achieving course
requirements (standards-based) at the student’s current grade level;
• Be based on the student’s progress toward becoming proficient in a continuum of
knowledge and skills; and
• Assure that the student’s academic grade reflects his/her academic performance;
behavioral performance shall be reported separately.
How were the standards on the report card selected?
A committee comprised of North Clackamas teachers from each grade level designed the
new report card during the 2012-13 school year. Last year we sought feedback from
teachers and made a few small changes to the standards listed on the report card for
2014-15. The report card we are using this year is based on that work. The main
changes you will see will be in the science standards and a few of the math standards.
We will be collecting your comments and suggestions throughout the year to assess the
need for any changes to the report card for next year.
Does this mean that I am only teaching the standards on the report card? What
about all the other standards?
The standards on the report card are derived from Oregon’s adopted standards for all
subject areas. They do not include all of the standards for a grade, but were selected as a
representative group of standards that would be important to report to parents and others.
Teachers will continue to be responsible for teaching and assessing all of the Oregon
State Standards for their grade level. We are using “proficiency” to communicate student progress. What do we mean by
proficiency?
In our system, proficiency is always related to a standard (what the student should know)
and describes performance (what the student does) when a student is skilled in the
standard. Students in your classroom will be continually making progress toward
proficiency (or beyond) by the end of the school year. All of our reporting periods (Fall,
Winter, and Spring) will be reporting student progress toward “end of year” grade
level standards. The marks earned by the student reflect multiple measures and
evaluation of “current performance” (where the student is at the end of the reporting
period). To determine proficiency accurately, teachers should base their grading on the
highest levels of performance on the standard that the student is able to consistently
demonstrate, NOT on percentages, averages, or behavioral components (e.g., homework
completion, absences, tardies, etc.).
What do the “Descriptors of Proficiency” mean?
The report card committee spent considerable time determining and defining the
descriptors of proficiency that are used in the report card, and have made some slight
changes to the descriptors this year. These descriptors were developed for the report
card but may also be used when grading student work and/or developing rubrics for
evaluating specific assessments. Consistent use of these descriptors will improve our
communication with students, parents, and with our colleagues. The descriptors are as
follows:
E = Exceeding Grade Level Standards: The student who receives this descriptor is
demonstrating performance that is above the end of year grade level expectation.
Students who are exceeding are able to apply learning to new situations and
independently use strategies and skills. They are able to do work that is expected of a
student in a higher grade. Some foundational skills may not have an “Exceeds.” For
example, once a student knows all the letters of the alphabet, there are no ways to
demonstrate “exceeding” this standard.
M= Meeting Grade Level Standards: This descriptor indicates that the student has met
the end-of-year target for the skill or concept. The goal is for all students to receive
this grade (or above) by the end of the year. If you have taught to end of year content
standards by the time of the reporting period, many of your students will receive an “M.”
There may be some foundational standards and math standards that are completed prior
to the end of the school year.
P = Progressing toward Grade Level Standards: The student receiving this descriptor
is progressing and demonstrates basic or inconsistent application of end of year
concepts and skills. This grade would be appropriate for an “on-level” student in the Fall
and Winter for many of the standards. The student is making expected progress but is not
yet at end-of-year standards. It is important to communicate students and parents
that a P indicates that he or she is “on track” to achieving a “Meets” by the end of
the school year. This descriptor will be used frequently in the Fall and Winter for
students who are not meeting the end of year standard but for whom you do not have
concerns about their rate of progress toward grade level standards.
N = Not Making Expected Progress towards Grade Level Standards: The student
receiving this descriptor shows limited understanding of end of year concepts and
skills. Student performance is “below” grade level and may need more support at school
to catch up. The students receiving this mark on several of the standards are students
with whom you are working more intensively independently and communicating with
parents and colleagues to develop plans to support their progress.
NA = Not Addressed: This mark indicates that standards were not addressed during this
grading period. Use this grade when you have not yet taught and assessed the standard.
You may also use this if you have just begun to teach the standard in your classroom at
the time of the reporting period. It is a good idea to collaborate with your grade level team
to determine when you will use NA on the report card so that there will be less confusion
for parents and students.
How will I determine which grades to assign a student?
Throughout the school year, teachers are using multiple formative and summative
assessments of students to track their progress toward achieving standards for their
grade. These assessments will provide the evidence you need for determining a student’s
proficiency level. Generally, teachers should use the highest level of proficiency that a
student is able to consistently demonstrate as they near the end of the grading period.
For great information on this topic, check out How to Create and Use Rubrics for
Formative Assessment and Grading by Susan Brookhart, published in 2013 by ASCD.
http://www.ascd.org/Publications/ascd- authors/susan-brookhart.aspx
NCSD has developed some rubrics to assist teachers in determining grades. They are on
our instructional website. There are also a number of tools available through the Oregon
Department of Education Website and the Smarter Balanced Consortium. Several states
have also published proficiency rubrics linked to Common Core (see the end of this
document for some links you may find helpful).
What if a student is able to independently demonstrate parts, but not all of a
standard?
If a student is able to demonstrate some, but not all parts of a reported standard, they
would likely receive a “P” for progressing. It is only when students are able to
demonstrate all aspects of the end of year standard that they would receive an “M.”
As a team have tested our students on the standards listed in math for this
trimester on the report card. If we have a student who consistently gets 100% on all
the assessments, do we still mark them with a "P" and not "M"?
If the assessments you have given are reflective of end of year standards and the
students have received 100% on them, that would be a Meets. However, if your
assessments are only partially measuring the standard or are benchmarks along the way
to the end of the year assessment, than the students would only get a P, even though
they have 100%. So, it really depends on your measures! With proficiency grading, the
"percentages" on a student's assessment are not as important as how their performance
on an assessment matches with progress toward end of year proficiency.
I understand that we are assessing student’s proficiency to the “end of year
standards.” It is now the first or second reporting period and I have not taught to
end of year standards. Does that mean that it is only possible for my students to
earn a “P” or “L” for this period?
Although you have only taught some of the content for the school year in your classroom,
it is possible (and probable) that some of your students may have already achieved
proficiency on the standard. It is important that you report each individual student’s
progress toward proficiency, and not give a grade for the entire class based on what
you have taught. As you are assessing students, consider doing occasional assessments
that would allow a student to demonstrate their proficiency on the end of year standard,
even if you haven’t directly taught the content yet. This will help you to determine whether
individual students in your class have already met the standard and will need extensions.
If we have already finished instruction on a standard for the year, and the student
has already earned a “Meets” or “Exceeds,” do I need to continue reporting for that
standard?
Yes. While there may be some standards that are not addressed during the first one or
two reporting periods, students should receive a proficiency grade for every standard at
the last reporting period. Near the end of a reporting period, it will be “best practice” to reevaluate students on the standards they have learned throughout the school year to
ensure that all students continue to demonstrate proficiency, and in some cases, have
moved beyond a “Meets” to “Exceed” on the standard.
At our recent training, our trainers said that “we will be shifting from summative to
formative assessments.” Does this mean we won’t be doing summative
assessments anymore?
What we hoped to communicate is that BOTH summative and formative assessments
are important in understanding a student’s proficiency. However, waiting to complete a
summative assessment at the end of the term is the least helpful approach to give a
teacher the kind of information he or she needs to accurately grade a student. Students
need multiple opportunities, over time, to show both what they have learned and how
independently and consistently they can demonstrate and apply their knowledge. This is
why more frequent formative assessments are the way to go for best practice.
I have some students with disabilities in my class who receive services in Special
Education. How do I grade them?
Students with disabilities are graded on the same standards and in the same way that all
other students in your class are graded. Teachers assess progress on all grade level
standards. Some students with disabilities may be well below their grade level on some
standards. The student’s IEP goals should describe the skills the student still needs to
learn, and specialists will include a progress report with each report card. It may be
necessary for a teacher to provide for accommodations when conducting assessments of
student growth on grade level standards. For example, if a student has difficulty with
reading, it may be appropriate to read math problems to students when doing
assessments of math. Using accommodations will allow you to get a fair and accurate
assessment of student proficiency toward grade level standards. If it is necessary to
modify instruction and assessments so that they are no longer at “grade level” the student
will likely earn a grade of “L” on the report card. Teachers may wish to use the comments
section to inform parents of content areas that are modified.
Can I send the report card home in other languages?
Yes! In Synergy, you can have the report card printed in Spanish to send home to
families. We don't have Russian and Vietnamese report cards in Synergy, however, you
can get them on the district website at http://www.nclack.k12.or.us/Page/20257. You can
send them with your report card in English and parents can read them side by side.
How can I communicate effectively with parents?
We understand that parents will have many questions about the report card. We have a
webpage for resources for parents (http://www.nclack.k12.or.us//Domain/3995). You will
be sending home a two- page letter along with the report card that provides some detailed
explanation. Parents and teachers who have questions and comments can also send an
email to reportcards@nclack.k12.or.us and they will receive a personal response. If
parents have lots of questions about the report card, teachers are encouraged to refer
parents to the email address, website, and/or the principal.
What resources are available?
Our district Instruction website (http://www.nclack.k12.or.us/Page/16328) will be
continually updating resources for teachers to use in proficiency grading. We have also
found that there are some internet resources available that you may find helpful! A
strategy for getting ideas is to type in the number of the standard (e.g., RL.2.4) you are
working on and you will find resources and tools. A small list of the best we have found
include:
www.engageny.org (Lots of resources about Common
Core) http://www.readtennessee.org/ (Links to assessments and detailed descriptors of
standards) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ (Practical tools/curriculum resources for
teachers) http://www.marzanoresearch.com/resources/proficiency-scale-bank
http://www.hcschools.org/literacy Rubrics and CCSS information
http://readingandwritingproject.com/resources/assessments/performanceassessments.html (From Columbia Teachers College)