Assessment+Talk

MATH report card grades.

This communication is intended to provide guidance for determining on, above, and below grade level designations for report cards. There is nothing new here; rather, its intention is to provide guidance for consistency. Please use professional judgment and discuss at grade levels within your school if you have questions about interpretation. This is merely a guide.

o	When determining status of ON, ABOVE or BELOW grade level in math, please always use a “profile of information” (as you do in language arts.) Any single measure should be balanced with what you regularly see in the student’s achievement in the subject area.

o	If asked, you should be able to provide a parent or administrator with a collection of evidence of ABOVE or BELOW grade level documentation.

o	ABOVE GRADE LEVEL indicates that the student receives instruction at the next grade level AND is successful on those next-grade-level assessments. Descriptors of “typical” above-grade-level learners follows:

•	SUPERIOR ‘LEARNING’ SKILLS (seemingly effortless grasping of concepts; articulation of deep understanding; grasp of connections between concepts formerly taught/learned; ability to see big picture AND details)

•	SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE (in all written class work, performance tasks, group work and individual, including above-grade-level enrichment)—clearly “ahead of the pack”

•	CLASSIC, ABOVE-AND-BEYOND DESIRE TO DO MORE WORK, learn the next part, question and explore the “why” and “how,” and try it on new situations ON THEIR OWN

o	BELOW GRADE LEVEL indicates that the student consistently receives grades indicating LACK of mastery of grade level concepts. Red flags should be waving for this student: considerably below the rest of the class; solidly down in the “danger zone”; documentation should be clear that the student has not shown mastery of grade level concepts and skills. Descriptors of “typical” below-grade-level learners follows:

•	INABILITY TO PERFORM GRADE LEVEL TASKS INDEPENDENTLY (requires interventions regularly and is still consistently unable to achieve)

•	SBIT or other meetings have been (or will SOON be) held to explore further interventions for success for student

•	An individualized learning plan or individualized intervention should be developed for the student.

Please use these as “thinking and talking points” for discussion as appropriate at your school and at your grade level, to provide consistency. Letter from Alex and sent to staff via email at end of 1st quarter 2008