Starting this fall, Patrick County kindergarteners, and first- and second-graders will take home a different type of report card. At the March 9 school board meeting, school officials shared that all elementary schools will participate in a pilot program for standards-based grading for grades K-2.
Starting with the 2017-2018 school year, K-2 students will be graded on a point system versus the percentage-based grades As through Fs.
Progress marks will be numbered 1 through 4. In terms of what the marks would signify to students, a 1 would mean “I know some of what my teacher has taught but not the more complicated things. I need a lot of help from my teacher.”
A 2 would mean “I sometimes make small mistakes or am a little confused and need extra help from my teacher.” For a 3, “I know everything my teacher has covered in class and can show that I know it just like it was taught to me.”
A 4 signifies “I really know everything my teacher taught me so well that I can use it to solve new problems and in challenging activities.” Plus, rather than showing a single grade for each broad topic of instruction, report cards will include sub-topics so that parents can track progress on specific skills.
Cyndi Williams, assistant superintendent of instruction, explained that this change comes in response to teacher feedback that, first of all, few students in this age group comprehend percentage grades. Secondly, this type of grading system gives parents more details than alphabetical grades.
“This process is to give the parents more feedback on student progress and growth and to help students measure their growth in each standard,” Williams said. “It’s our goal to celebrate their strengths and successes and document their progress, and indentify areas where we can help and support them.”
Williams said school officials held several meetings about standards-based grading with teachers, principals and parents. At the Division Title I parent community meetings this semester, she said, parents were very supportive, saying they like the idea of getting more details about student progress.
In addition to the 1-4 scale, teachers will also rate work habits and citizenship, including areas such as “uses time wisely,” “follows directions,” and “gets along well with others.”
Williams said this fall’s rollout of the standards-based grading is a pilot test that will be re-evaluated after the first year. Surveys conducted by school officials showed that 86 percent of county teachers favor the new grading system.
The system will be explained at back-to-school nights, parent-teacher meetings, on WHEO radio, in handouts and on the Patrick County Schools website. Sample report cards will be available at registration and back-to-school nights.
