Information on Standards-Based Reporting

Standards based report cards measure students against a standard rather than each other.

They communicate student progress by measuring student learning on a well defined standard.

Our standards based report card identifies the major learning goals that students will be expected to achieve within each subject area at each grade level. Levels of competency have been establish for each goal, and your student’s report card will reflect how they measure against each standard’s criteria.

A students performance will be determined by a body of evidence including grade level work and grade level assessments. The following levels of competency have been modeled after the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) descriptors assigned by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE):

Performance Indicators

E = Exceeds

The student exhibits knowledge and understanding of the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires and can readily apply this knowledge in a variety of settings.

M = Meets

The student has a thorough knowledge, understanding, and application of the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires.

PM = Partially Meets

The student is gaining understanding of the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires, but has not been able to consistently demonstrate the learning.

DM = Does Not Meet

The student is just starting to understand the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires and needs consistent support.

NA = Not Assessed

This standard was not assessed in the given trimester.

*Students on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) may receive a modified grade on the report card.

The four components of Standards Based Report Cards

1. The Minnesota Academic Standards outline what our students should know and be able to do at each grade level.

2. The curriculum which is based on the Minnesota Academic Standards that supports and drives student learning.

3. The assessments teachers use to determine the extent to which each student has met the standards.

4. The communication tool that allows a teacher to report accurately a student’s progress toward meeting the standards.

What is the difference between a Traditional and Standards-Based Report Card?

TRADITIONAL REPORT CARD

Reporting is based on teacher defined criteria

Work habits may be calculated in the letter grade (missing assignments, late work, homework, effort, etc.).

Measures how well students do in comparison to their classmates

STANDARDS BASED REPORT CARD

Reporting is based on grade level expectations from the Minnesota Academic Standards

Work habits are reported separately and are not calculated in students’ proficiency towards a standard.

Measures how well students are doing as measured by a specific criteria based on a body of evidence

Body of Evidence

A body of evidence is a collection of student data that includes multiple pieces of evidence that help teachers make instructional decisions about how best to teach each student. At the end of a term, teachers review this evidence and measure it against a criteria to determine each student’s level of performance. This body of evidence can include skills checklists, chapter tests, benchmark assessments, writing samples performance tasks, and other items that give teachers information about a student’s understanding, application and progress toward specific learning goals. This difference between grading based on a body of evidence and the way traditional grades are given is that there is no averaging of the evidence.

Subject Area Successors: Characteristics of Successful Learners

Although students behaviors such as missing assignments, late work, homework, effort, etc., affect student learning, they are not calculated into the marks given in each subject on a standards based report card. Instead, teachers will assess student behaviors in a separate section on the report card. Moose Lake Elementary School's standards based report card identifies four student behaviors which affect learning:

• Completes work

• Is prepared to learn

• Participates in learning

• Follows classroom expectations