Grading and Reporting

Elementary Report Cards

Fall conferences provide an opportunity for teachers and parents to discuss student strengths and set goals for the year. Elementary report cards are distributed twice per year - in January and in June. Winter conferences provide a check-in point for goals.

Standards represent end-of-year goals. It's likely that students will take much of the year to meet a particular standard. In addition, not all standards are assessed in a particular grade period. For more on standards-based reporting see the resources page.

The following numbers and descriptors are used to report progress:

4	Mastering	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.
3	Meeting	The student has a thorough knowledge, understanding, and application of the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires.
2	Developing	The student is gaining understanding of the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires, but has not been able to consistently demonstrate the learning.
1	Beginning	The student is just starting to understand the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires and needs consistent support.
0	No Evidence	No evidence of learning has been submitted during distance learning. The student has not engaged with or applied the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires in the hybrid or digital learning environments.

Detailed descriptions of standards for each discipline by grade level:

REPORT CARD GUIDE	SAMPLE REPORT CARD
Kindergarten Guide	Kindergarten Report Card
1st Grade Guide	1st Grade Report Card
2nd Grade Guide	2nd Grade Report Card
3rd Grade Guide	3rd Grade Report Card
4th Grade Guide	4th Grade Report Card
5th Grade Guide	5th Grade Report Card

Help Support Your Child's Learning

Activities you can do with your child to support what they're learning in school:

Consistent with School Board Policy 6015 and guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Education, the elementary report card reflects all standards adopted either by the Minnesota Legislative statute or national organizations, depending on the discipline. The report card was developed with extensive research, input from a teacher committee and review by all K-5 teachers in the fall of 2014.

Secondary Grade Reporting

Report card for grades six through twelve are issued four times per year.

While the district has not moved to a standards-based report card in the secondary grades, work is being done to move in that direction.
Students do receive instruction based on standards and assessments are written to reflect these standards.
Assessments in individual courses are based on academic standards adopted by the state of Minnesota.

Minnesota Department of Education: Standards, Curriculum, and Instruction

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.

For example, the Minnesota English Language Arts Standards ask that students in grade 1 read fluently. We measure fluency (the ability to read accurately and with expression) by listening to a student read grade level text. Our criteria for fluency is that students read with expression, 71 out of 100 words per minute on a grade level passage by the end of the year.

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 established for each goal, and your student’s report card will reflect how they measure against each standard’s criteria.

A student's 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

4	MASTERING	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.
3	MEETING	The student has a thorough knowledge, understanding, and application of the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires.
2	DEVELOPING	The student is gaining understanding of the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires, but has not been able to consistently demonstrate the learning.
1	BEGINNING	The student's is just starting to understand the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires and needs consistent support.

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

The four components of Standards Based Report Cards

The Minnesota Academic Standards outline what our students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
The curriculum which is based on the Minnesota Academic Standards that supports and drives student learning.
The assessments teachers use to determine the extent to which each student has met the standards.
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	STANDARDS BASED REPORT CARD
Reporting is based on teacher defined criteria.	Reporting is based on grade level expectations from the Minnesota Academic Standards
Work habits may be calculated in the letter grade (missing assignments, late work, homework, effort, etc.).	Work habits are reported separately and are not calculated in students’ proficiency towards a standard.
Measures how well students do in comparison to their classmates.	Measures how well students are doing as measured by a specific criteria based on a body of evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use a standards-based report card?

Just as physicians research new methods and tools to more accurately measure a patient’s health, educators use research to develop accurate measurements of student learning. Averaging a student’s scores and reporting them in one subject’s grade does not provide an accurate picture of achievement, help us diagnose potential problems, or communicate clearly with families. For example, a mark of a “C” or “satisfactory” in Mathematics does not tell us where the child’s strengths and weaknesses lie among the various concepts in mathematics.

In a standards-based system, students are working toward meeting established goals (standards). If a student is not on track to meet a standard, supports can be put in place, and students can be given additional opportunities to show their understanding.

What does standards-based mean?

Standards are academic learning goals expected in each subject. Standards are further divided into grade level criteria, called benchmarks. Standards and benchmarks are determined by the State of Minnesota, a local district committee, national organizations, or a combination of these. A standards-based report card represents an individual student’s progress in relation to year-end goals.

How is a standards-based report card different than previous report cards?

What marks will I see on my child’s report card?

In all academic subjects, teachers report on a four-point scale which designates a student’s progress on the standards: Beginning, Developing, Meeting, or Mastering. A definition of these marks is found below.

4 = Mastering - The student’s knowledge, understanding, and application of the concepts, skills, and processes extends beyond the requirements of the standard.

3 = Meeting - The student has thorough knowledge, understanding, and application of the concepts, skills, and processes the standard requires.

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

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

Student’s work habits, behavior, and social skills are reported separately. The descriptions of student performance in these areas are reported in a section of the report card titled Characteristics of Successful Learners. These marks refer to frequency: Mostly, Sometimes, or Rarely.

Does a 1 mean my student is failing? Does a 4 equal an A?

Typically, letter grades represent an average of all of a student’s work in a given subject area without regard to the specific learning taking place. A 4 on a standards-based report card does not represent an A grade, nor does a 1 constitute a failing grade. The numbers indicate the level at which a student has demonstrated their knowledge and skills in relation to the standard. Students have achieved the learning outcome or goal when they receive a 3 on the report card.

It is important to note that a 4 is quite rare, even by the end of the year. Fours indicate that a student has gone beyond the skills required by the standard in order to apply that knowledge in new and different ways.

How are marks determined?

Why are we only given a report card twice per year?

The accuracy of reporting on standards depends on a collection of evidence. A January report card allows teachers enough time to collect sufficient evidence for a more accurate and informed grade. In between report cards, teachers will meet with parents to report progress during conference time. As parents or guardians, you are always welcome to contact your child’s teacher.

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