We have an exciting update coming to report cards this school year!
Families of students in grades 2-4 will notice clearer language on report cards. While the way students are assessed is not changing, the language used to describe what students are learning will be much easier to understand.
In elementary school, Seaman School District uses standards-based grading. Instead of receiving one overall grade for a subject, students are evaluated on specific skills they are expected to learn based on the Kansas Academic Standards.
In the past, report cards listed the state standards exactly as they were written. While accurate, these standards are often long and written in technical language, making it difficult for families, and even students, to quickly understand what each skill meant.
Beginning this year, those standards will be written as simple "I Can…" statements that clearly describe the learning goal in student-friendly language. For example, instead of reading a lengthy state standard, families may see a statement such as, "I can compare three-digit numbers using greater than, less than, and equal to."
This change was driven by our teachers, who have spent the past year working together to align curriculum and identify the most essential learning standards for each grade level. They carefully transformed the state standards into language that is easier for students and families to understand while keeping the academic expectations exactly the same.
Why was this work important to us?
Conversations on student learning between parents and their child is important. With this report card enhancement, parents will have a clearer understanding of each skill their child is learning and can more easily discuss progress with their child and teacher.
When students take ownership, they become active participants in their education. Students will now be able to better identify what they know and what they are still working toward because the learning targets are written in language they understand.
Teachers can now spend less time translating educational jargon and more time discussing student growth, strengths, and next steps with parents at conferences.
The report card's 1-5 proficiency scale will remain the same, helping families understand how well a student is demonstrating each skill. Only the wording of the learning targets has changed.
Working together, we are continually looking for ways to strengthen our partnerships and improve communication between school and home. These new "I Can" statements create a common understanding between students, families, and teachers, leading to more productive conversations and stronger partnerships in support of student learning.