The purpose of a report card is to clearly and objectively communicate how a child is doing in school. A standards-based report card (SBRC) tells specifically how a child is performing based on each standard listed, and it indicates what areas may need additional attention. All teachers at a grade level measure student learning against a set of academic criteria.

When we used “traditional” report cards, students would receive a “grade” in a subject which would include a number of items outside of their learning such as behaviors, work habits, study habits, participation, homework completion, extra credit, and a host of others. This would make it challenging for caregivers to identify which standards students are excelling versus areas where they are struggling. The SBRC provides “ratings” or “scores” on each of the content area standards or skills students are expected to learn. As such, the progress ratings provide more details for students and caregivers regarding their progress. 

The standards listed on the report card are “Year-end” standards. They are derived from the grade level curriculum frameworks published by the MA DESE. This means that our goal is to have all of our students meet these standards by the end of the school year. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that a student will receive a progress rating of “Meeting” at the end of the first trimester. Instead, students will likely receive ratings of “Progressing” or “Beginning” for most standards to indicate the progress they are making. Teachers have provided ratings for each standard in each discipline that has been addressed during the first trimester. If the standard was not taught, or there is not enough evidence to merit a progress rating, then this standard box will be grayed-out on the report card and no score will be provided. 

An explanation of the scoring process is included below. This will also appear on the Trimester 1 report card. 

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