With fall conferences just around the corner, this is a reminder about what to expect with elementary grades this year. As you’ll recall, last year elementary schools implemented a new tool to better report student progress: a grading model called Standards-Based Grading (SBG). Standards-Based Grading provides families with clear information about what a student knows and is able to do. In a standards-based system, the score represents where the student is in relation to the expectation or standard on a four point scale: 1. Beginning the Standard; 2. Progressing Toward the Standard; 3: Meeting the Standard (this is our goal for all students) and 4. Extending the Standard.
Based on family, staff and community feedback, this year, all elementary students in grades K-5 will receive marks on their grade cards that reflect the SBG four-point scale, including students in grades 3-5 who previously received a letter grade on their report cards. This does not change how families receive feedback; it is simply a change in format to the grade card. Families will continue to view ongoing feedback on assignments in Canvas.
This shift from a final letter grade to a final numeric grade at all elementary grade levels will better align with the SBG goal to provide quality feedback to students and families. Additionally, it will offer a more consistent feedback experience as students move through their K-5 journey and will help students and families track growth over the course of their elementary career by using uniform feedback reporting.
More information about standards-based grading can be found on the district website.
