Standards-Based Grading – Oak Leaf Elementary

Dear Parents,

As you are aware from previous years, Oak Leaf Elementary is a standards-based grading school. For those new to our school, this means that we will be sharing your child’s progress in a different way than you may have seen in the past. A 4-point scale will be used that correlates with the Utah Core Standards. We will share the learning scales that are currently being used in the classrooms. You will see individual data notebooks going home monthly. This reporting will provide a more accurate picture of what your child knows and areas in which he/she can grow. Please note that the grade level goal is a 3. This means a student is proficient in grade-level skills. This is a change from what you may have seen in the past when the expectation was a 4.

For your understanding, here is a table to explain the ratings:

The student has an advanced understanding and exceeds grade level expectations.
HIGHLY
PROFICIENT

The student has an understanding of the concept and can perform its skills and processes.
PROFICIENT

The student has a
developing understanding of
the concept and performs its
skills and processes.
APPROACHING
PROFICIENT

The student needs
more time and support to understand the concept.
BELOW
PROFICIENT

Here are some answers to questions you may have.

WHY CHANGE THE WAY WE REPORT GRADES? The way grades have been reported in the past didn’t show a clear, accurate picture of what a child knows. It was a system of averaging scores together from the beginning to the end of the grading period. That means that student grades were affected as they were being introduced to new concepts and learning them. It didn’t show what they ultimately learned. This new practice will help you understand what your child actually knows, not how long it took him/her to learn it.

IF MY CHILD PREVIOUSLY EARNED MOSTLY 4’S, WHAT CAN I EXPECT NOW? If your child has consistently earned 4’s in the past, you can expect him/her to earn 3’s and maybe some 4’s now. However, you may see some 2's mixed in as well. This will tell you that in that particular area, your child is developing his/her understanding of a concept, but hasn’t quite mastered it yet.

CAN EXTRA CREDIT HELP MY CHILD’S GRADE? While we encourage extra practice and effort on skills that are more difficult to master, extra credit defeats the purpose of standards-based grading. Grades are not earned by obtaining extra points. Grades are based solely on proficiency of Utah Core Standards.

WHO CAN I TURN TO WITH QUESTIONS? Believe it or not, your child is becoming an expert with this!! Ask them to explain their Data Notebook data with you. Ask them to help you understand what they know and what their next learning steps are. If you still have questions, feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher. Still have questions? Reach out to administration.

HOW CAN I USE THIS INFORMATION?

See What’s Mastered: Look at which skills your child has reached a “3” in—these are skills they’ve mastered for their grade.

See What Needs Work: Skills rated as a “1” or “2” are areas where your child is still learning and can use extra practice.

Work Over the Summer: The data notebook lists each skill and what your child is working toward. Practicing the level 1, 2, and 3 skills over the summer will help your child be ready for next year.

Example: Second Grade Math Standard (2.NBT.5)

The graphic below shows a sample second-grade math scale. When you look at your child’s data notebook, you’ll notice that each skill is broken down into levels. The goal for all students, no matter their grade, is to reach level 3—this means your child is proficient in that skill for their grade level. For example, in second-grade math, level 3 means being able to add and subtract within 100 with regrouping. If your child is at level 1 or 2, it means they are still practicing the building blocks that lead up to full mastery. Practicing these level 1 and 2 skills at home helps lay a strong foundation and prepares your child to tackle more complex work as they move toward level 3. This approach is the same for all subjects and grades. Use the scales in your child's data notebook to see which specific skills your child is working on now and which ones they can practice next. Supporting your child as they build from level 1 and 2 skills will help them reach their grade-level goals.