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It all started with a shared vision. Elementary Curriculum Council Teachers and Administrators agreed that the purpose of a report card at the elementary level was "to communicate with parents/guardians (and students) the progress towards mastery of grade-level learning standards."
As elementary schools mold and set students' foundational knowledge bases, teachers must present a clear and meaningful way to help students master grade-level expectations and understand what to do when they don't initially understand.
Dunlap has utilized standards-based report cards at the kindergarten through second-grade level for almost a decade, and after being on pause for quite some time, is happy to finish the original plan and implement standards-based reporting with third through fifth grades starting with the 2021-22 school year.
For a better understanding of Standards-Based Grading and Reporting, please examine the resources below.
What is Standards-Based Grading?
Simply stated, standards-based grading focuses on clearly communicating the essential skills and knowledge that all students should understand and be able to perform as a result of their education.
Standards-Based Grading, or SBG, will let students and parents know how a student is performing in relation to the specific learning standards that each grade level focuses on each quarter. Specific, tailored feedback to students is the key to SBG classrooms and students are given real-time feedback so they know what they need to do in order to meet the learning standards.
How does SBG Differ from Traditional grading?
Traditional Grading is what most parents had when they were in school. A grade was given at the end of a quarter and semester and this was based on a combination of various assessment methods--homework, project, tests, quizzes, etc. If a student received an "A" it was assumed that he or she had mastered everything about the course, which is likely the case, but depending upon how points were assigned to the assignments that occurred more frequently--homework and projects--the end grade could be inflated and may not represent what a student truly knows and understands.
Standards-Based Grading is focused on informing students and parents/guardians how well individual students are performing in regards to each individual priority standard. After introducing a new skill (or set of skills) as they relate to a learning standard, teachers allow students different types of practice--formative assessments--that allow students the opportunity to show where they are in the learning progression as they are practicing the new material. As they are still learning, this is not used for reporting purposes.
Once students have shown they are ready to move on, then they are given summative assessments (a test, comprehensive project, etc.) that provides evidence of their current level of understanding. A combination of different summative assessments are used for reporting purposes, using the Dunlap four-point proficiency scale.
What are "proficiency levels" and how do they tell me how my student is doing in each subject?
Dunlap's four-point proficiency levels were developed to communicate to students and parents/guardians how a student is performing with each individual academic standard. This is where the most controversial component of SBG arises, as many parents are used to the "traditional" A, B, C, D, and F.
4 - Students who earn a "4" are able to go "Above and Beyond" with the learning standard and continuously exceed expectations. Students at this level are able to make in-depth inferences, make sophisticated connections to other concepts and/or skills, utilize the standard in multiple contexts, etc.
3 - Students who earn a "3" have met expectations for grade-level standards and are consistently able to show evidence of their understanding. To further illustrate that they have mastered the standard, students earning a "3" are able to perform the target skill(s) without any major errors or ommisions and without any prompting or guidance.
2 - Students who earn a "2" may be independent and show that they understand the learning standard but they are consistently only partially accurate in the evidence they provide; or, students may be in need of additional prompting or guidance in order to be successful.
1 - A student earninga score of "1" is highly dependent upon scaffolding or support. Even with this level of intervention, the student shows a minimal, inaccurate, and/or incomplete understanding of the learning standard.
Many associate a "4" with an "A" which is inaccurate. Technically speaking, a "3" would be closer to an "A," as it meets all the needs of the learning standard, however, associating scales to letter grades is not the purpose or point of the educational practice--otherwise, why change? The point is to be specific in feedback to students so they are perfectly aware as to what the learning targets are and what they need to improve in order to be ready for the next level.
Why are "SEL Standards" listed separately and only use a three levels?
While academic learning standards are on a 4-point scale as discussed above, separate Social and Emotional Learning Standards, or SEL Standards, are on a 3-point scale. Due to the specific and finite nature of SEL Standards, a student cannot apply these in a different context or show a more refined understanding, so students are rated on the three-point scale:
3 - Meets Standard Expectations
2 - Developing or Approaching Grade-Level Expectations
1 - Not Yet Meeting Grade-Level Expectations
SEL Standards remove the old practice of associating behavior with academic performance (e.g. deducting points for a late assignment, regardless of a student doing everything correctly). SEL Standards, again, are an overt means to communicate to parents exactly with which specific behaviors a student struggles so that parents can support the student accordingly.
For example, if a student received an 8/10 on a "traditional" assignment, a parent may think that there were two pieces of information that the student didn't get correct. However, the case could be that the teacher simply took two points off because the assignment was late. Our goal is to prepare students for the next level of learning and clearly communicate to students, parents, and next-level teachers how a student performs in relation to learning standards. Incorporating punitive measures into grading practices confuses students and parents and undermines the integrity of grades.
For more information on SEL Standards, please see the standards as presented by ISBE.
How are specific learning expectations communicated to students and parents?
Based on the identified priority standards being reported for the quarter, each grade level is in the process of crafting "Student Success Criteria" documents to guide how students will be successful at a given standard. As we are a unit district, the Student Success Criteria make sure we have consistent learning expectations across the district, ensuring equitable access to a rigorous curriculum.
The Success Criteria are shared with students through the learning process so that students are aware of what they need to do to be successful. As students practice the skills, teachers can give quick and pointed feedback to help students correct their understanding in order to master a standard.
Success Criteria Documents outline not only the steps associated with a learning standard, but highlight what students must do, and any specific vocabulary students should know for each priority standard in "student-friendly" language.
A sample Student Success Criteria document can be viewed here.
How do teachers determine a student's current level of Academic or SEL Standards?
To determine a student's current level of academic or SEL standards, a teacher evaluates classroom observations, student work samples, as well as common formative and summative assessments using the "Student Success Criteria" documents. Utilizing these documents to determine a student's proficiency level ensures that learning expectations are the same across the district and teachers' reporting is consistent as well. A "3" will look the same at each of our five elementary schools.
How frequently will students receive feedback in relation to grade-level expectations?
Students will receive ongoing feedback about their performance as it relates to each standard's success criteria. When students complete assignments, teachers use the success critiera to communicate to students and parents/guardians where a student is currently in relation to grade-level expectations. Success Criteria were developed so that the same consistent language is communicated at the beginning of learning, during learning, and then finally at the end with the standards-based report card.
Quarterly Report Cards will be sent home at the end of each grading period. Progress Reports (completed about halfway through a quarter) will be sent home at the end of first quarter for all students; progress reports will only be sent home during second through fourth quarters for students who are receiving intervention services, and/or who are performing below grade-level expectations for the majority of the quarter's reporting standards.
Click on the boxes below to see examples:
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