McLean County Unit District No. 5

1809 West Hovey Avenue

Normal, Illinois 61761-4339

Office of the Superintendent

Ph.: (309) 452-4476 FAX: (309) 452-7418

Revisions of the new McLean County elementary school report cards have been

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The report card is designed to provide information about each child's

academic progress. As in the past, parents and legal guardians should review the information provided on these report cards and are asked to contact the teacher or school principal with any questions that may arise.

In Unit Five schools, academic progress is measured according to standards that have been developed by District staff members and aligned with state and national standards. The standards are approved by the Unit Five Board of Education. All children are expected to meet or exceed these standards during the school year. Some modifications may occur for students with identified special needs but should not be reflected on report cards.

In kindergarten through second grade our district uses the following letters to indicate student progress.

E = Exceeds District expectations for the grading period

M = Meets District expectations consistently for the grading period.

P = Progressing toward District expectations for the grading period.

N= Needs more practice or support to meet District expectations for the grading period.

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In the past, some questions about the use of the letter E occurred. Below are a few descriptions of when an E would be an appropriate grade.

In Language Arts a student in first grade would need to demonstrate competencies above district expectations in all areas of language arts. This would include: Decoding                     Vocabulary

Oral reading                 Comprehension

Reading strategy usage       Oral language

Writing                      Spelling

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In math, to earn an E for the first quarter, a second grade student would need to demonstrate competencies above district expectations in all areas addressed during the quarter. This would include:

In each case, assessments that were sent home throughout the year would need to indicate the student's progress based on district standards. This may mean a change in assessment practices for some teachers. The use of text-ba'sed assessments would be appropriate only if those assessments matched district curriculum. The use of percentages to determine grades would only be appropriate if the district curriculum and goals matched to the district grading process.

In grades 3 through-6, although we are still using the standard letter grades, the

descriptors attached to these letters have changed.

A = Excellent:      The students'work exceeds District expectations for achievement. B= Above Average

C= Average:         The student's work meets District expectations for achievement. D= Below Average

F= Unsatisfactory:  The student's work fails to meet District expectations for achievement.

Once again it will be necessary for teachers to align assessments to district curriculum.

The use of text-based assessments would only be appropriate if those assessments matched district curriculum. The use of percentages to determine grades would only be appropriate if assessments are closely aligned with district curriculum and matched to the district grading process.

Building administrators need to share this information with teachers to ensure that report cards are completed consistently throughout the district. Teachers will need to keep parents appraised of student progress on an ongoing basis. It may be necessary to share information about assessment, grading and reporting with parents at curriculum events.