Curriculum

We do our best to make learning fun!!  Your child will learn so much this year!  Please support your child's learning by practicing the skills at home that we are doing in school each day.  Most importantly READ WITH YOUR CHILD!!  Click on this link for the Family Friendly Standards.  This is what your child will be learning this year in kindergarten.

Click on this link to see the Kindergarten Parent Friendly Curriculum

5K and First Grade Report Card: Parent Guide

The 5K and First Grade Standards-Based Report Cards are designed to inform parents about each child’s  progress in mastering South Carolina Academic Standards. These standards establish high and challenging  expectations for all students in preparing them to be college and career ready.  

The standards listed represent the general expectations and “big ideas” that should be accomplished by the end of the 5K or first grade year. However, the report card does not include all standards taught.  Keep in mind that all children learn and develop at different rates and have different strengths and  needs. Many of the skills listed build on one another and thus demonstrated competency will often not  be observed until the last nine weeks of the school year. A mark of “M” is the expected end-of-year goal  and indicates that the student has met or exceeds the requirements of the standard listed. The  expectation is that most students will achieve an “M” for most standards listed by the end of the year.

Report Card Time Frame

The PreK Report Card is completed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters following the GCS Student Calendar.  The report card is NOT entered in PowerTeacher/Backpack.  Each teacher will print a copy each quarter to send home for parents and place the final report card in the student’s permanent record.

Rating Skills

Skills should be rated based on the curriculum taught and on MULTIPLE types of supporting data rather than a one-time assessment. Supporting data may include teacher observations, checklists, anecdotal records, math journals, writing samples, and other informal/formal assessment activities.

In order to mark a skill “M” the student must consistently demonstrate all parts of the skill listed.

Skills Indicators

M: The student consistently meets or exceeds end-of-year expectations for this standard

P: The student shows expected growth/progress in 

meeting this end-of-year standard

B: The student is beginning to progress toward meeting this end-of-year standard

N: The student needs intensive support at school and home to develop this end-of-year standard

If left blank, this standard was not addressed or assessed during this reporting period

Related Arts (RA) Indicators

RA teachers will keep an ongoing class assessment list noting if students have met (M) or are making progress (P) towards meeting the overall RA standards for that  particular 9 weeks. The RA teacher will provide the 5K teacher with a class list marked with (M) or (P) for each student by the end of quarter deadline as determined by each school. The classroom teacher will enter the RA indicator (M) or (P) on each student’s report card.

M: meets related arts standards

P: making progress towards related arts standards

Successful Learner Characteristics Indicators

The successful learner characteristics are aligned with the Profile of A South Carolina Graduate and are critical for students to be college and career ready.

4: student consistently demonstrates the characteristic

3: student demonstrates the characteristic most of the time

2: student demonstrates the characteristic some of the time

1: characteristic is not yet evident

Comments Section

A comment section is provided for each quarter. Written comments are encouraged, but not required.

Interim Progress Reports—Optional

• Must send or communicate with parents if the child is at risk of failing.

• Each school principal will decide if Interim Progress Reports are required or optional at his/her school. If sending Interim Progress Reports the district template is required. A copy must be placed in the permanent record.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is the purpose of Standards-Based Report Cards?

Standards-based report cards are designed to inform parents about their child’s progress towards achieving specific learning standards. The standards listed on the report card represent the general expectations and “big ideas” that should be accomplished by the end of the school year. However, the report card does not include all standards taught.  Many of the skills listed build on one another, and thus demonstrated competency will often not be observed until the last nine weeks of the school year.  

2. How does the Standards-Based Report Card compare to traditional letter grade report cards?

Traditional letter grades may seem more understandable, but provide little detail about what  students know and are able to do. Standards-based report cards measure how an individual student  is doing compared to specific grade level standards. This information can assist parents in being  better able to guide and support their child’s success at school. 

3. What type of information do teachers use to determine mastery?

Skills should be rated based on the curriculum taught and on multiple types of supporting data  rather than a one-time assessment. Supporting data may include teacher observations, checklists,  anecdotal records, math journals, writing samples, reading benchmarks, and other informal and  formal assessment activities

4. Is it possible for students to move down or drop from one quarter to the next?

The marking provided is an indication of the student’s performance compared to the standard.  Since the standards are generally end-of-year goals, the expectation of difficulty can increase  throughout the year. For example, a student who receives a “P” in quarter 1, could earn a “B“ in  quarter 2 as the expectations can sometimes increase in difficulty.

5. How can a student exceed the standards?

It is important to understand that exceeding a standard is not the same as receiving a letter grade of  A or 100. For example, if a first grade student received an A on every math test, he or she would  probably receive an A on the report card. A mark of “M” is a similar equivalent because the student  has met the standard and grade level expectation through consistent accuracy, independence, and a  high level of quality. The shift in thinking from A, B, C, D, F letter grades is that “M” is the top for the  grade level and should be celebrated as such.