As a reminder, the standards-based report card is a shift from a traditional report card in several ways:

• There will be no traditional letter grades on your child’s report card.

• Report cards will reflect progress that your child is making on specific skills selected from the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in each content area.

• ONLY Grades 5 & 6 will still receive letter grades. Please review this letter from Mr. Werner regarding Mastery-Based Report Cards for Grade 5 students.

With the previous report cards, letter grades were calculated by combining how well the student met his/her teacher's expectations, how the student performed on assignments and tests, and how much effort the teacher believed the student put in, but it did not inform parents which skills their children had mastered or whether they were working at grade level. Simply stating that a student earned a "C" in mathematics does not help a student or their families know what the student can or cannot do.

The new standards-based report card goes beyond just a letter grade. It informs parents if their child has met the standards by the end of the grade and tells what areas may still be in need of support. It lists the most important skills students should learn in each subject at a particular grade level. It will provide parents with a more detailed outline of the expectations in each of the major academic areas. We believe that your understanding of what is expected of your child and how well he or she is progressing towards the goals at their grade level is very important. We look forward to working together to provide your child with the knowledge and tools to be successful and to reach his or her fullest potential.