New Standards-Based Report Cards

The new Standards-Based Report Cards for children in grades 1-5 will be sent home with your child on November 25. They have been redesigned to reflect an important shift in the focus of our work.

In recent years, Arlington’s teachers have sharpened their focus on four essential questions about teaching and learning:

• What do we want our children to know and be able to do?
• How will we know they have learned it?
• What do we do if they have not learned it?
• What do we do if they already know it?

As we worked to answer these questions, we realized that we needed a report card that more clearly communicated your child’s progress toward important learning standards. To that end, the new Standard-Based Report Cards were drafted, piloted, refined, and finalized. We are excited to share them with you.

The report cards’ new format clearly defines learning standards for each grade level and provides you with detailed information on how well your child is progressing to meet these standards.  We believe this will provide you with a more accurate assessment of your child’s progress.

In addition to receiving your child’s report card you will also receive a Parent/Guardian Guide and a “rubric” for each curriculum area.  A “rubric” is a scoring tool that identifies specific characteristics used to determine the degree to which a standard has been met.  These rubrics contain detailed information that will give you a clear picture of what your child is able to do at this point in the school year.

Many of you received copies of the rubrics at Curriculum Night.  They are also posted on the Arlington Public School’s website. There you will find the Guide, a Grades 1-2 report card, a Grades 3-5 report card, and the rubrics used for each grade level.

You may want to take some time to familiarize yourself with these documents before you receive your child’s card.  Of course your child’s teacher is prepared to answer any questions you may have when you meet for your conference.  I am available to answer your questions as well.

Deborah D’Amico