Dear Parents,

This letter explains the Progress Report for the first Trimester of the 2008-09 school year.

The Progress Report uses the following 4-point marking system to report your child’s progress:

1- Not Meeting Expectation
2 - Progressing Toward Expectation
3- Progressing As Expected
4 - Progressing Beyond Expectation

These marks are assigned based on student performance as linked to a mid-trimester progress expectation. This performance is not necessarily tied to any level of mastery, rather it speaks to where the student is in regards to the checkpoint in the reporting period and is based on the focus of instruction, practice opportunities and growth within a subject. Teachers will use a combination of observation, anecdotal notes, one-on-one conferences, and in some cases, graded worked when assigning a mark. It is possible that a student will score a lower number based on behavior or attitude if it is affecting the overall performance in a particular area of study.

If a student is advancing as expected, you can expect that your child will receive a “3”. This is where most students will tend to score. Each student will receive a comment on the part of the Homeroom teacher. Specialist teachers will write comments for student receiving a mark of “1” or a “2”, which indicates some degree of concern. In the event, that a “1” is given, the teacher will ask for a parent-teacher conference. You will find this request on the back of the progress report. A mark of a “4” will be less common as it signals a student progressing beyond what is expected, which is dependent on the content of instruction as well as opportunities provided at this mid-trimester point. Once again, a “4” indicates progress beyond what is typically expected, not outstanding academic performance.

It is also important to note the relationship between the marking code on the progress report and the actual standards-based grading code we use on the Report Card that you will receive in November. Please note that although both are based on a 4-point scale, they are distinct in what they are communicating to you. The Progress Report marks progress within a trimester. The Report Card evaluates a student on a specific standard or benchmark at three distinct points in the year.

If you have a child in Nursery or Prekinder, this distinction is critical to understand. Because students are evaluated based on end of year learning targets, their report card grades will reflect a more developmental flow from Approaching (A) to Meeting (M) expectation, over the course of the year. The progress report, however, will mark what is typically expected based on development within a specific trimester. You should not expect to see a direct link between the two marking systems. Receiving a “3” on the progress report will not mean or ensure that a student will receive an “M” on the report card. In fact, the celebrated link would most typically be a student receiving a “3” for a progress report mark and then, an “A” for a report card grade. Please keep in mind that in order for a student to receive an “M” in any area on any of the three report cards this year, the end of year expectation would need to have been securely met.

As you review the progress report, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with its special reporting features. Please note that due to a limited number of classes at this point in the year, Specialist Teachers will only be writing comments for a student scoring a 1 or 2 for the first trimester. They will write a comment for all students in the 2nd trimester.

We sincerely hope that you find the Progress Report supportive of your child’s learning and a helpful update for you. If you should have any questions, please contact the Primary or Elementary Office.