Educators in Lexington use a variety of assessments over the course of the school day and year to track student growth and design instruction to meet learning goals.  Assessments can be formative (during the lesson or unit) or summative (at the end of a lesson or unit), formal (such as the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) or informal (a quick "exit ticket" at the end of class).  Assessment of students is ongoing, and informs educator decisions about instruction, reteaching, and enrichment.  No single assessment determines a "track" for any child, and educators in Lexington are continuously working to expand and innovate our assessments to allow students to demonstrate their learning in many ways. 

The Director of Planning and Assessment participates in curriculum reviews and provides guidance on all issues related to research, data gathering, and data analysis, and also works with individual schools and teams of educators on targeted projects as requested throughout the year.  The Director assists school leaders and staff with data analysis and implementing data-based practices and processes. 

Standards Based Grading (also called mastery grading) is used at the elementary and middle schools, and in some high school courses.  The purpose of standards-based instruction, assessment and reporting is to support equity by accurately and consistently communicating to students and families about students’ progress towards key curricular learning objectives during each grading period, in each course. It is based on students showing signs of mastery or skill development and conveys more specifically how a child is doing in school. This is different from a traditional report card which gives a single letter or number grade for broad subject categories. This information is used by school staff, students, and students’ families to identify students’ strengths and learning needs.

• K-5 Standards Based Report Card Overview for Families