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Standards-Based Instruction and Reporting

The following information provides an overview of recent changes to instruction and reporting achievement in first and second grade science and social studies.

What is standards-based instruction and reporting?

As part of the efforts to improve schools and provide accountability, many states have developed and adopted curriculum frameworks. These frameworks define grade level learning standards which state what students should know and be able to do. As a result, many districts are moving to a method of reporting student achievement that references standards. A standards-based system reflects progress by specific learning standards and a clear distinction is made between academic achievement and learning skills (effort and behavior). Grading practices are revised to improve and support effective teaching and learning.

Standards-based classrooms allow teachers to plan instruction and interventions, including acceleration, based on very specific student data related to standards so they can challenge and support all students. Standards-based classrooms focus on four critical questions:

• What do students need to know and be able to do?

• How will we know that they have learned it?

• What will we do when they haven’t learned it?

• What will we do when they already know it?

Why is Clover School District implementing a standards-based report card for science and social studies in first and second grade?

The revised state curriculum and Common Core State Standards have moved the student achievement “bar” higher to better prepare students to enter post- secondary opportunities including colleges and universities, technical schools, and the work force. In order to more adequately reflect what students know, understand and are able to do, Clover School District is improving the link between curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices in first and second grade science and social studies.

Based on our current board policy, students receive letter grades (E, S, or N), with no numerical value, for first and second grade science and social studies. Students will still receive these grades following our board policy. These grades will be given for each indicator under each content standard providing parents with a better idea of what the child has mastered in these content areas.

How will the standards-based classroom be reflected on report cards?

We recognize that young students need to be assessed differently from higher grade levels. For students, the report card grade summarizes achievement on many tasks or assessments based on standards during a grading period. These tasks or assessments may take different forms including observations, journal entries, products, presentations, graphic displays, performances, discussions, portfolios, and simulations.

The standards-based reporting information for science and social studies will be an additional page for the first and second grade report card. Under each content curriculum area, the standard will be listed with the assessed indicators for the standard. A rubric explaining the E, S, N letter grades will be provided.

Revision of Primary Years Report Cards

The primary report card has been revised to provide more specific information to students and parents. During the summer first and second grade teachers worked with Instructional Supervisors to design a standards-based report and identified strategies for assessing standard indicators. The standards-based reporting information for science and social studies will be an additional page for the first and second grade report card. Standards replace general topics like “Science” or “Social Studies” and now cite several critical learning expectations (standards) for each subject area and grade level. The performance descriptors (standard indicators) are listed under each standard. A rubric explaining the E, S, and N letter grades will be provided.

Although there has been discussion of changing to a standards-based reporting system for other elementary content areas and grade levels, there are no plans at this time to move in that direction. This would entail specific strategies to insure teacher and parent communication, involvement, and support before pursuing this change.

How does standards-based reporting compare to the letter grade system?

Letter grades traditionally have measured how well students do in comparison to their classmates. Letter grades typically reflect grading “on the curve” and rank students according to the performance of others most often using a 100 point scale. Standards-based reporting measures how well an individual student is doing in relation to the grade level standards, not the work of other students. This gives the parent a better understanding of their child’s strengths and weaknesses and encourages all students to do their best in relation to the specified learning target or goal.

What is the benefit for parents and students in the primary years?

Parents and students will receive more complete information; rather than receiving one grade in science and social studies, parents now receive several points of reference on the progress of their young child which can be useful information for supporting instructional goals at home. If a parent knows that their child has difficulty “recalling weather terminology” (Grade 2 Science), they can support learning at home by using a calendar and tracking precipitation over time.

How does the primary reporting system affect students in special populations?

Students receiving services for limited English proficiency, special education, or 504 disabilities will be afforded all accommodations and modifications, as documented by the English Language Learner Individual Modification Plans (IMPs), Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), or Section 504 plans. Additional reports will be provided to communicate progress on goals specified in each plan. With information from both sources, individual plans and grade level report cards, parents and students have a better understanding of performance in relation to individual goals and to grade level standards.

Academic Achievement

Teachers plan and deliver instruction based upon all grade level standards and report critical standards needed for success at the next level on the report card. Standard statements such as “use pictorials weather symbols to record observable sky conditions” or “recognizes characteristics of the local region” help to more clearly define expectations. When reporting academic achievement, teachers will use the following rubrics for assessment and grading to determine E, S, or N.

Science

|Exemplary (E) |Satisfactory (S) |Needs Improvement (N) |

|Consistently demonstrates science content |Usually demonstrates science content mastery |Inconsistently demonstrates or does not |

|mastery in oral, written, and performance |in oral, written, or performance assessments. |demonstrate science content mastery in oral, |

|assessments. |Usually recalls meaning of science vocabulary |written, or performance assessments. |

|Consistently makes meaning of science |and uses it appropriately with prompting in |Inconsistently uses or does not use science |

|vocabulary and uses it fluently in oral |oral expression and written assignments. |vocabulary appropriately with prompting in oral|

|expression and written assignments. |Uses inquiry skills with adult guidance or |expression and written assignments. |

|Uses inquiry skills fluently and independently|peer assistance when participating in class |Uses inquiry skills with significant adult |

|when participating in class activities and |activities and completing assignments. |guidance or peer assistance when participating |

|completing assignments. Provides peer |Recalls concepts and skills and applies them |in class activities and completing assignments.|

|assistance to others. |in familiar situations. |Sometimes recalls concepts and skills but |

|Applies concepts and skills to new situations | |usually is not able to apply them, even in |

|in order to solve problems and create | |familiar, repetitive situations. |

|products. | | |

Social Studies

|Exemplary (E) |Satisfactory (S) |Needs Improvement (N) |

|Consistently demonstrates social studies |Usually demonstrates social studies content |Inconsistently demonstrates or does not |

|content mastery in oral, written, and |mastery in oral, written, or performance |demonstrate social studies content mastery in |

|performance assessments. |assessments. |oral, written, or performance assessments. |

|Consistently makes meaning of social studies |Usually recalls meaning of social studies |Inconsistently uses or does not use social |

|vocabulary and uses it fluently in oral |vocabulary and uses it appropriately with |studies vocabulary appropriately with prompting|

|expression and written assignments. |prompting in oral expression and written |in oral expression and written assignments. |

|Applies concepts and skills to new situations |assignments. |Sometimes recalls concepts and skills but |

|in order to solve problems and create |Recalls concepts and skills and applies them |usually is not able to apply them, even in |

|products. |in familiar situations. |familiar, repetitive situations. |

Growth through the Report Card Change

Ongoing training provided by district support staff will sustain implementation of the new report card and help to identify revisions needed. First and second grade teachers will continue to review and make recommendations for improvement for the subsequent year. District personnel will gather feedback from teachers, administrators, and parents on the effectiveness of development, communication, and implementation of the report cards.

How will the district accomplish the revision process of the primary report cards?

Newly developed report cards will be reviewed yearly in order to reflect any revisions to the state frameworks or changes in district curricula. Input from students, parents, teachers, and administrators will be reviewed to improve the reporting process. Revisions will be made as needed to communicate information in the best manner possible.

What work was reviewed throughout development of the primary reporting system?

Information on standards-based assessment and reporting included the research and publications from the following educators.

Thomas Guskey

Bob Marzano

Ken O’Connor

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

Rick Stiggins

Anne Davies

Additional information about grading and reporting policies is available to students, parents, community member, teachers, and administrators on the CSD Instructional web site clover.k12.sc.us.

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