In August, Corunna Public Schools will begin to look at creating a standards based report card for grades K-5. Much professional dialogue needs to take place prior to decisions being made. This is my reason for beginning to research this topic.

 Marked on a continuum of beginning, developing and secure in skills in mathematics, science and social studies. In reading and writing, the students are marked on a scale from pre-emergent, emergent, transitional, and progressing.  Life skills are marked on a scale of 1 to 3 (below, meets, above expectations).  (P.E., Fine Arts and Spanish) based upon created rubrics for each subject area.  Teacher Comment Section

 Give traditional letter grades (A-E) in Reading, Writing, Listening/Speaking, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.  Life skills are marked on a scale of 1 to 3 (below, meets, above expectations).  (P.E., Fine Arts and Spanish) based upon created rubrics for each subject area.  Teacher Comment Section

 Several districts in Michigan and some from other states who have already implemented standards based report cards  The Michigan Department of Education’s steps to implementing standards based units.  Benefits of standards based reporting (school and home)  Homework issue discussed (still collecting resources)

 Dearborn : Dearborn :   Southgate: Southgate:  therTools/StandardsbasedReports.pdf therTools/StandardsbasedReports.pdf  General:  \

 1_107277_7.pdf 1_107277_7.pdf  Why do this route?  The Process  You’ll know you have arrived when..  Specialists to use  Tying it to:  Ed Yes!  NCLB  MI- Plan

 As a group read and discuss  Use “Terms of Endearment” (how high standards connect to grade level expectations)  Ask staff to locate school’s current status along the standards journey  Agree on timeline of “Next steps”  Agree to practice standards based lesson planning  Work to involve everyone in community  Agree to include cross-disciplinary units  Build a tracking system (Michigan Department of Education, 2009)

 FROM:  Sorting students  Emphasis on what’s taught  School success doesn’t predict life-long earnings  TO:  Educating all students  Emphasis on what’s learned  School success does predict life-long earnings

 Parents can see exactly what their child can and cannot do. Letter grades do not tell parents what skills they have mastered or what skills they are working on  Concrete skills and knowledge are listed  All students are evaluated on the same grade - appropriate skills  Keep teachers and parents focused on student learning goals

 Keeps teachers focused on what to teach  Matches with state standards  Helps in communicating to parents the skills their child has or has not yet mastered  Data collected shows specifically what class has mastered  Provides continuity across grade levels  Encourages cross-disciplinary teaching

 1.) Grades Should Have Meaning  What is the true difference between A,B,C,D and E?  2.) We Need to Challenge the Status Quo  How does homework figure into the overall grade of a course?  3.) We Can Control Grading Practices  System should not be masked by attendance, effort, or other issues.  4.) Standards-Based Grading Reduces Meaningless Paperwork  Writing feedback on selective homework or practice problems  5.) It Helps Teachers Adjust Instruction  Grade book reflects standards practiced and assessed. Letter grades are not skewing results  6.) It Teaches What Quality Looks Like  Teachers require quality work not substandard scores.  7.) It's a Launch pad to Other Reforms  improving curriculum as well as addressing modifications and accommodations (Scriffiny, 2008)