Archdiocesan Standards-Based Report Card (SBRC)
Learner Expectations
(Version 2.02)
Pre-Kindergarten
Date
Name of School
Address
School’s Mission and Philosophy Statements
Name of School
Address
Grade Level Expectations
Overview
The Archdiocesan Standards-Based Report Card (SBRC) is a record of what a student knows, is able to do, and needs to achieve. The SBRC is aligned with the Archdiocesan elementary school curricula which reflect state, national, and international learning standards. The SBRC is one source of important information. Instead of providing one overall letter grade for each academic area (e.g., reading, math, science), the SBRC reports on student achievement on particular grade-level learning standards. This document has been developed to help parents better understand their child’s report card and grade-level learning standards. Parents will have a good idea of the learning being assessed in each portion of the report card when reviewed along with instructional materials sent home. Every child is an individual who grows and develops at his/her own rate. Students in the same grade level may differ widely from others in the class. The learning expectations identified here apply to all students by the end of the year.
You are encouraged to review your child’s report card along with other performance information, which may include: progress reports, standardized test results, quizzes/tests, projects, daily work, teacher notes, etc.
Performance level marks communicate a student’s achievement on a particular learning standard. Special performance criteria are used to evaluate student achievement on a variety of measures (e.g., observation, student work, checklists of skills, performance, etc.). Such criteria may be communicated via a “rubric” for different measures. Every learning standard indicator may not be assessed or evaluated for every report card period. In such cases, teachers may assign “>” to indicate that the learning expectation was not a focus of classroom instruction during a report card period.
There is an SBRC for each grade level. At first glance, it may appear that learning standards are the same for different grade levels in a particular report card form. The rigor and the evidence needed to meet learner expectations increase as students progress from grade to grade. This document has been developed for each grade level to further describe what students are expected to know, understand, and are able to do.
Learner expectations appearing in this document are by no means an exhaustive or exclusive listing. Teachers often supplement these topics with other activities throughout the year. The “pacing” of the class throughout these topics is also flexible. As teachers assess student performance on a given topic, they may find it necessary to spend more time to ensure solid understandings.
The SBRC and this Grade Level Learner Expectations document provide students and parents with feedback about what students are expected to know, understand, and are able to do. This feedback is important in establishing next steps and immediate learning goals. You are encouraged to speak with your child’s teacher if you have any questions about any code appearing on the report card.
General descriptions of the levels of achievement are provided below to help you better understand how your child is performing on specific standards.
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Archdiocese of Chicago Grade PK Learner Expectations (v 2.02)
Standards-Based ScaleLevel / Descriptor / Characteristics/Examples
4 / Advanced / Student achievement reflects in-depth understanding and application that goes beyond the grade-level expectations
Evaluates, analyzes and interprets concepts to develop new understanding
Uses concepts and critical-thinking skills to extend learning and understanding
Identifies and uses understanding of key concepts and skills in decision-making and problem-solving, consistently and independently
3 / Proficient / Student achievement reflects understanding and application of the grade-level expectations
Uses understanding of concepts to produce work or solve problems
Asks and answers a variety of complex questions that reflect understanding of key concepts
Identifies and uses understanding of key concepts and skills in decision-making and problem-solving consistently
2 / Progressing / Student achievement reflects emerging understanding of grade-level expectations
Uses understanding of concepts to produce work or solve problems with support and guidance
Asks and answers a variety of questions that reflect emerging understanding of key concepts with support and guidance
Communicates understanding of key concepts, skills, and content knowledge in decision-making and problem-solving inconsistently
1 / Beginning / Student needs development of foundational skills to achieve grade-level expectations
Applies concepts to produce work or solve problems with significant intervention
Asks and answers questions that demonstrate partial understanding with significant intervention
Communicates key concepts, skills, and content knowledge with significant intervention
Evaluate Later / Student is not assessed in the report card at this time.
Learning goal was not a focus during this trimester/quarter
* / Not Evaluated / Evaluate when developmentally appropriate.
Recognizes that students reach developmental milestones at different stages and times in their academic growth
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Archdiocese of Chicago Grade PK Learner Expectations (v 2.02)
Successful Learner Traits
Many attitudes and behaviors mark the progress of successful learners. Successful Learner Traits are based on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) social-emotional standards.
Successful Learner TraitsClassroom Routines / Understands and follows classroom conventions for such things as changing from one activity to another, getting ready for or finishing up specific classroom activities, and following the classroom schedule.
Interactions with other Children / Participates cooperatively in structured activities, in learning centers, and in play with other children in the classroom.
Independence / Participates in classroom activities and performs tasks with increasing independence
Problem Solving / Uses various problem-solving strategies such as asking for help, seeking missing materials, or negotiating a compromise / agreement with another child.
Motivation / Persists at a task even if it is a little difficult, has a variety of interests, and shows enjoyment for most classroom activities
Emotional Regulation / Manages feelings such as anger, sadness, frustration, pride, enthusiasm, envy, or joy appropriately.
Successful Learner Traits Scale
Level / Descriptor / Description
4 / Advanced / Student is able to consistently and independently manage his/her behavior to comply with grade-level expectations.
3 / Proficient / Student is able to manage his/her behavior with minimal guidance to comply with grade-level expectations.
2 / Progressing / Student manages his/her behavior through frequent guidance to comply with grade-level expectations
1 / Beginning / Student is not able to manage his/her behavior independently and requires frequent guidance. This behavior hinders student progress.
Grading
The 2012-2013 Archdiocesan Standards-Based Report Card (SBRC) provides a summative evaluation on important learning standards rather than just an overall letter grade for each content area. Feedback on specific learning standards provides you and your child with much richer information about his/her specific strengths and areas for growth. Focusing and reporting on specific learning standards makes it clearer to everyone involved what a student knows and is able to do. That focus and research-based grading practices not only improves grading consistency but more importantly supports student learning and achievement.
Learning standards are evaluated in terms of what a student should know or be able to do by the end of the school year. Many learning standards may require the entire year before a student reaches a proficient or advance performance level. Learning standards that are more limited in scope, but nonetheless are important educational markers for all students may require less time for students to reach proficiency.
The SBRC uses different scales to communicate student performance. Below is a brief description of each scale and student performance level on the SBRC learning standards is determined.
Standards-Based Scale
The SBRC Standards-Based Scale is designed to communicate student achievement on learning standards into four qualitatively different performance levels: 1) Beginning, 2) Progressing, 3) Proficient, and 4) Advanced. An additional level “>” is used when a learning goal was not an instructional focus and not measured during a trimester. Further details about the standards-based scale can be found on the front cover of any report card or in any of the Grade Level Learner Expectations documents.
Performance Levels Communicate Better Than Percent Correct. Conventional report cards generally use a single letter grade and are calculated from the percent correct of various student performance measures. A single letter grade for an entire content area (e.g., math) lacks the detail needed to more fully understand student achievement. Individual learning standards communicate more information about what a student knows or his/her academic skills than a single letter grade. Moreover, the qualitative distinctions among the four performance levels in the SBRC also can communicate a student’s depth of learning in ways that are simply not possible using a percent correct or single letter-grade approach.
Performance Levels Will Be Used to Evaluate Student Learning. You and your child will receive regular feedback on schoolwork/performance (e.g., tests, quizzes, projects, or other evidence of learning). Completed work is evaluated on specific learning standards and is reported based on the SBRC performance levels. When applicable, rubrics used to evaluate work, are shared with you and your child. Written feedback or teacher comments also may be provided to acknowledge achievement as well as to offer guidance on how to improve learning and student growth. Performance levels on the SBRC standards, whether on daily schoolwork or in the SBRC report card, will provide a more complete picture of student achievement.
Connecting Daily Schoolwork with the SBRC Report Card. Regular and clear feedback on schoolwork from your child’s teachers will help prevent any surprises on his/her report card.
Feedback on student work will include a performance level (i.e., Advanced to Beginning) on each of the learning standards for that work assignment but also may include other feedback such as written comments. Reviewing feedback is a great opportunity for your child to become more self-reflective about his/her learning and to benefit from your guided support. Seeking clarification concerning any feedback on work assignments (e.g., quizzes, tests, homework, etc.) is also an opportunity for further student learning. Providing feedback in this manner will help you and your child connect the summative assessment feedback on daily schoolwork on the SBRC.
The SBRC provides a summative evaluation of a student’s performance on specific learning standards by the end of the school year. Keeping learning standards focused on what is expected of students at the end of the school year sets universal criteria to evaluate academic performance, resulting in greater consistency in grading among teachers.
Successful Learner Traits (SLT) Scale
The Successful Learner Traits Scale shares the same performance levels used to evaluate student performance on learning standards (i.e., Beginning, Progressing, Proficient, Advanced). However, the sentence descriptions of the performance levels of the Successful Learner Traits (SLT) slightly differ due to their focus on student behavior. You and your child will receive periodic feedback on the SLT standards through teacher comments or student classroom performance (based on behavioral measures or observational records).
Catholic Faith
The entries below reflect the progression of the student’s understanding of the Catholic Faith as developed in the Religion Curriculum of the Archdiocese of Chicago. In the curriculum there are ten catechetical goals that create the framework for the curriculum. This reporting system distills the goals into five categories with basic descriptors for each category. Your child’s teacher assesses the progress he/she makes based on assessment indicators designed by the teacher and shared with students and parents.
The indicators are listed below to assist you in understanding what your child is learning about the Catholic Faith and how your child practices faith. As you read the indicators and talk to your child about his/her faith development you have ways of supporting your child’s understanding of his/her life in God. You are the first one to help your child to appreciate his/her growth in faith through your example, conversations about God, family celebration and prayer, and participation in the life of the parish and Church. The teacher is providing evidence of your child’s progress in these areas through engaging in the learning outcomes provided in the Religion Curriculum.
Archdiocese of Chicago, Office of Catholic Schools
Creed
Demonstrates knowledge of God as loving Creator
· Naming God
· Identifying God as Maker of sky and earth, animals and plants, human beings
· Stating that God created me
· Expressing how God loves creation
· Expressing how God loves me
· Naming God as Father
Identifies Jesus as God’s Son
· Naming Jesus as God’s Son
· Naming Mary as the Mother of Jesus
Sacred Scripture
Identifies the Bible as a book that tells us about God
· Recognizing the Bible in the classroom setting
· Stating that the Bible tells us about God
· Respecting the Bible as special
Recounts events and characters of the Old Testament
· Telling the story of Adam and Eve
· Telling the story of Noah, the Flood and God’s Promise
Describes stories of Jesus from the New Testament
· Stating how we learn about Jesus in the Bible
· Recounting stories about Jesus’ birth
· Recounting stories about Jesus’ death
· Recounting stories about Jesus’ rising from the dead
Prayer/Sacraments/Liturgy
Describes prayer as talking and listening to God
· Defining prayer
· Demonstrating awareness of prayer as talking and listening to God
Describes God’s presence within and around us
· Stating that God is within me
· Stating that God is around me
· Describing God as loving and good to me
Engages in prayers of thanks, praise, asking, and sorrow
· Identifying and engaging in prayer of gratitude
· Identifying and engaging in prayer of praise
· Identifying and engaging in prayer of asking
· Identifying and engaging in prayer of sorrow for hurting others
Recites prayers and participates in rituals
· Making the Sign of the Cross using ritual actions and words