Today's blog is a follow up to our elementary collaboration on September 8th around the revised report cards.  We appreciate your input and feedback, and future collaboration sessions will address questions and supports requested. Below are some frequently asked questions from the exit slips as well as responses. 

Q: Social Studies standards written on the report card do not align with the units that we have used in the past.  Are assessments going to be created to match these standards? 

Yes, the Social Studies units have been revised to align with the new Social Studies standards. These revised units may be found on the Southeast Polk Teaching and Learning site.  The priority standards listed on these units created by collaborative teams are the ones listed on the report card.

Building grade level PLCs will work together to create Social Studies pieces of evidence this year aligned to the priority standards listed on the report card. This summer, grade level teams will work collaboratively to create district Social Studies assessments.

To find standards in TCI Social Studies Programs:

• Step 1: Select "Correlations" from the "Reference" section on the purple sidebar.

• Step 2: This opens up the "Correlations" page.

• Step 3: Select the lesson and grade from the drop-down menus, and click "Show Correlations". Standard correlations for all available lesson resources will be displayed on this page.

Q: Can we have training/ support on how to input a score for a standard on Infinite Campus?

One possible solution is to keep pieces of evidence in a separate document (grade book or Google sheet). When Infinite Campus is opened for grades, go to “Instruction” from the waffle at top. Then in the left column select “Post Grades.”  At top, choose the subject area and the content standard you are reporting on. Select the level of learning each student demonstrated. Then click “Save.”  For further instructions, reach out to a K-2 teacher in your building.

Q: Can constrained standards be noted for parents (K-2)?

This would be communicated to parents during conferences.

 

Q: Are there multiple opportunities for level four tasks/assessments?

Students should have at least one level four opportunity for each unit.

Q: Is there a comment section on the report card?

Not at this time.

Q: Are the science and social studies units aligned on the cross-curricular pacing guide? 

All science units match the cross curricular, overview and report card sequence for 2021-22. Social studies will continue work this summer to make any needed adjustments.

Q: Can the headings or sequence be  changed or adjusted on the report card?

For this school year, there will be no structural changes to the report card. A review of feedback will be conducted by teachers on the letter grades committee to propose changes for next year.

Q: ELA standards, such as RL 4.1-4.5 are lumped together, but they are different skills. Do we just average their scores? (similar question from other grades) 

• RL standards AND RI standards are not all taught at the same time. Each unit has 2 or 3 priority standards depending on if it is a fiction or nonfiction unit.  You will look at all bodies of evidence within each unit for that trimester with your assessment being the final and most rigorous task. Only reporting out on the standards covered during those units. 
• When reporting out at the end of each trimester, there are two separate categories: one being literature and the other being informational text. Bodies of evidence for these two categories will be collected and evaluated to determine current level of proficiency. 
• The unit assessment is covering all  priority standards given higher priority than separate bodies of evidence for the standards.

Q: How do we grade the writing standards? Do we include language standards from writing into their language standards on their report card?

• Grading of the writing standards is done using the grade level proficiency scale descriptor of level of attainment.
• Evidence can be gathered for the language standards from the writing standards and also any other content areas (science and social studies) where a written response is given. The ELA unit assessments that contain a writing performance task should be used with the grading period they are taught/assessed. 

Q: Math fluency - If students are not at a "3" for the fluency period, what is the scale to determine when students are at a level 2 or 1?

Fluency is based on the year end fluency goal.  See your grade level’s math proficiency scale for strategies students should be able to apply. Levels of learning are noted on the math fluency assessments.

Q: Will there be any parent training or communication about this shift in report cards? Will the district reshare/ distribute the brochures that were used three years ago?

The communication work group of the Grading and Reporting Leadership team is working on a Standards-Based Learning Handbook.  We will look at revising and distributing the brochures that were sent a few years ago.