60 likes | 299 Views
Grade 6 Report Cards. October 2008. Why Standards Based Report Cards. Standards based report cards give a better picture of a student's specific strengths and possible areas for growth within a content area.
E N D
Grade 6 Report Cards October 2008
Why Standards Based Report Cards • Standards based report cards give a better picture of a student's specific strengths and possible areas for growth within a content area. • Keeps the focus on essential content standards as teachers monitor student progress on those standards. • Teachers have been using standards based grading, so it makes sense to report using those same standards - 2 systems down to one! • Effort and academic progress/performance are separated • 100 point scales and averaging may give the illusion of accuracy
Walk through of the Report Card • Guiding Principles • Similar to K-5 • Comments • Content Areas • Grading Scale • MLR standard numbers • http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/ • Standard descriptors • Effort
Role of PowerSchool • Tracking individual assignments • How are “grades” figured? • This year is a learning process • Use of rubrics • Making standards the categories (teachers can then do reports of assignments pertaining to a category) – developing assessments that accurately report to standards • Goal is accurately reporting what your child knows and is able to do – how does averaging fit in?
Thomas Gusky on Averaging Grades • “Simply combining all the measures and calculating an average or even a weighted average is rarely appropriate or fair. • Instead – teachers must look for consistency in evidence • If evidence is inconsistent: • Give priority to the most recent evidence • Give priority to the most comprehensive evidence • Give priority to the evidence related to the most important learning goals or standards.
Final Thoughts • Report cards are one part of a system that enables parents to understand their child's progress in school. • Performance on individual assignments is available to parents through the parent portal. • Parent conferences, student-led conferences, and student work samples provide other means for communication. • Finally, if either parents or teachers are concerned with a child's progress, it is important that that concern be communicated at any time. • This will be a learning journey for all of us! • Questions?