Kathy+Hurley+-+Elem.+Sch.+Standards-Based+Report+Cards

Leadership Action Plan

GB Cohort Kathy Hurley's page. Topic: Elementary School Standards-Based Report Cards

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I am an elementary principal in a K-5 building and my district is beginning the professional dialogue with our staffs about possibly moving to a standards based report card at the elementary level for the 2010-2011 school year. In my district, we currently have K-2 grade report cards that are marked on a continuum of beginning, developing and secure in skills in mathematics, science and social studies. In reading, the students are marked on a scale from pre-emergent, emergent, transisitional, and progressing. Life skills are marked on a scale of 1 to 3 (below, meets, above expectations). Our 3-5 reprot cards give traditional letter grades (A-E) in Reading, Writing, Listening/Speaking, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Again,, Life skills being measured the same as K-2. K-5 report cards are maked by Special Teachers (P.E., Fine Arts and Spanish) based upon created rubrics for each subject area.

This is some of the research I have compiled to present for topic discussions. This page also shows many sample report cards used by other districts in Michigan as well as other states.

This link is to the [|Michigan Department of Education]. It is a step by step guide to creating instructional units based around standards based expectations. Informational packets are also available from the Department of Education to help with each step in the process.

**LINKS TO PREVIEW REPORT CARDS USED CURRENTLY **:
This link is to a power point by Van Dyke Schools [|VanDyke Schools Report Cards]. This link shows the actual report cards K-5th grade that Dearborn Schools currently uses [|Dearborn report cards]. This links to Southgate Community Schools (PowerSchool) [|Southgate Schools]. This link shows [|sample report cards]. This a generic sample report card. This link shows [|Rhode Island sample] Kindergarten. This link shows [|Rhode Island sample] 4th grade.

PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES OF INTEREST:

This is an interesting article from ASCD [|Standards-Based Report Cards Replace Letter Grades]. It talks about keeping a standards based report card simple and easy for parents to understand. It does give an estimated number of standards that should be used on a report card (6-12 leaning toward lower end). It states that too many standards contradict what we are trying to report. This article also links to "C__lassroom Assessment & Grading That Work__" a Robert[| Marzano's book].

Here is an article from ASCD about letter grade attachment. It talks about many myths that teachers have about what letter grades do to motivate students to learn as well as the validity of letter grades. It is from Allen Park,, Mi a suburb of Detroit [|Can We Get Beyond Letter Grades?]. They report using a standards based card with the following marks; (M) Meeting grade-lelvel expectations, (SP) steadily progressing toward grade-level expectations, (GP) gradually progressing toward grade-level expectations, or (N) not adequately progressing toward grade-level expectations.

This article from Ed Leadership, [|Grading Exceptional Learners],talks about the three types of learning criteria related to standards. It also has a link to a flow chart that shows an organized way to address accomodations tied to grading within the classroom. It clearly explains the difference between accomodations and modifications and how each of these would be marked on a report card.

This artcle by Patricia Scriffiniy, [|Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading] in Ed leadership lists 7 main reasons for turning to standards based reporting. The **First**: Grades Should Have Meaning, **Second**: We Need to Challenge the Status Quo, **Third**: We Can Control Grading Practices, **Fourth**: Standards-based Grading resduces Meaningless Paperwork, **Fifth**: It Helps Teachers Adjust Instruction, **Sixth**: It Teaches What Quality Looks Like and the **Seventh** reason being: It Helps Launch Reforms in Education as to how we look at curriculum.

The Principal's Partnership--[|reasons]. This site takes you to ERIC where you can see many, many reseach studies completed on standards based reporting. This article discusses the benefits as well as parental concerns-[|NY Times article] Another good article on pros and cons of Standards Based Repoting -[|Rethinking Report Cards].

This video talks about the process a district went through in establishing their standards based report cards.[|Cobb CountyGeorgia].

POWER POINT SUMMARIZING FINDINGS [|Standards Based Report Cards Power Point by KAH.pptx].

__** LEADERSHIP ACTION PLAN **__ The following attachment is my leadership action plan I have implemented the past 6 weeks to begin a schedule change of "Recess Before Lunch" at our elementary building.