Standards Based Grading and Report Cards

  • District 65's vision is that report card grades are meaningful, accurate, and actionable for students, their families, and educators. This report card, a snapshot of current learning, conveys two separate concepts:

    • academic learning reflecting current proficiency of grade level standards
    • and separate information on learning habits

     

    Follow along with our curriculum

    Our Curriculum & Instruction team has developed an At-A-Glance document that provides a broad overview of concepts and approximate time frames recommended for classroom instruction in core content areas by grade level.

    View the 2023-2024 Curriculum At-A-Glance

Additional Information

      Timeline

      • District 65 is in the process of shifting our practices and tools to make progress on our vision for grading and report cards.  We believe that this increase clarity of student learning and progress may contribute to stronger school and family partnerships and better support for learners. Our timetable for shifts is:

         


        School year 2022-23
        Kindergarten - Fifth Grade Shifts

        • (K-5) Implement a revised the K-5 student facing report card to increase alignment with State Standards and update learning habits.
        • (K-5) Publish to the community reporting descriptors, student learning targets and curriculum at a glance tools for K-5.
        • (6-8) Add learning habits to the student facing report card


        School year 2023-24

        • (K-8) Publish to the community reporting descriptors, student learning targets and curriculum at a glance tools for middle school.
        • (6-8) Implement course letters and opportunities for retakes.
        • (6-8) Educate families and students on learning habits and a new standards based report card for 2024-25 school year.


        School year 2024-25

        • (6-8) Shift to a new student facing standards based report card.

      Learning Habits

      • Learning Habits Descriptors K-5

      • Learning Habits Descriptors 6-8

      Learning Measures

      • Elementary (K-5) Learning Measures for Learning Habits

      • Elementary (K-5) Learning Measures for Academic Learning

      • Middle School (6-8) Learning Measures for Learning Habits

      • Middle School (6-8) Learning Measures for Academic Learning

      Resources

      FAQs

      • Why change to Standards Based Grading?

      • Will my child be prepared for high school when they do not use a standards based grading report card?

      • What are the advantages of standards based grading?

      • What is the main difference from traditional grading?

      • Why do formative assessments, homework assignments, or participation count so little in a student’s grade, why should students take them seriously?

      • What does my child need to do to achieve an Exceeds (EX)?

      • If my child does everything that is asked of her/him/them, why doesn’t she/he/them get an EX (Exceeding) or ME (Meeting)?

      • What is the difference between a BE, IE and a blank grade?

      • How are middle school grades being calculated during the 2022-23 schools year as the District begins to transition to Standards Based Grading?

      • Why did my students grade shift from ME (Meeting) to PR (Progressing) in trimester 2?

      • My child used to get A’s, why are they not getting the top score any more?

      • How do I know if my kid is passing/failing? How do I know if my kid is doing well?

      • How will my child be prepared for ETHS?

      • How does my child get an Extend? Why is my child just getting a Meeting?

      • Can my student have work to do to get to EXTENDS?

      • What do these letters mean? Why do I see BR, ME, etc.?

      • Why is there no overall grade?

      • How do I know what my student was supposed to be able to do?

      • What does research say about Standards Based Grading?

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