Report cards are shared at the end of each trimester (December, March, and June). We use standards-based grading at the elementary level in the MURSD, which means our report cards share information about your child's progress toward meeting the grade level standards.
Progress is reported using a 1-4 scale. I recently learned about an analogy about riding a bicycle to help explain the Standards Based Grading scale, let's take a look!
4 - A common misconception is that a "4" is like an "A," but this is not the case and "4's" are not the goal. Imagine a child being able to do all kinds of unexpected tricks and jumps on their bike. This isn't the goal of learning to ride a bike, but some kids exceed the expectation with lots of independent practice. A "4" means the student consistently and independently exceeds the grade-level standard.
3 - Think of "3" as the goal. This means the child is able to demonstrate mastery of the grade level standard consistently and independently, like being able to ride a bike safely without help or falling off.
2 - A "2" means the student still needs some help to meet the standard. This might mean working in a small group, using a tool to support learning, or needing a few more exposures/ practice before getting it right. Think of a "2" like a child needing training wheels or an adult to help keep balance while still learning to ride their bike.
1 - A "1" means the student needs specialized instruction, modifications, or a different access point. It doesn't mean the student will never meet the standard-- it's just a different starting point that requires more specialized instruction. The bike is in pieces and we need to help the student put the bike together before we can start to practice riding it.
At the elementary level in the MURSD, we use a variety of common assessments to help guide our curriculum design and instruction, as well as progress monitor and help identify students who may need more academic intervention or individualized instruction. Some of these assessments are:
iReady - A computer-based math and ELA assessment.
DIBELS - A reading fluency assessment & progress monitoring.
Wonders - We utilize common grade-level assessments from our Wonders Reading program, which we have modified as a team to best assess our students in reading fluency, comprehension, and writing. These are typically given at the end of each week and unit.
Bridges - Common grade level assessments from our math program, Bridges, are given at the end of each unit.
These formal assessments are just a snapshot. They are not a complete picture of our students. We also utilize a variety of informal (or "formative") assessments throughout the day to help inform instruction and better understand the needs of our students. These informal assessments include things like exit slips, checkins, rubrics, quick baseline assessments, oral assessments, and classroom observations. We use ALL of this information together to help us create the best possible learning experience for all of the unique needs and strengths in our classroom!