For Parents: Other Q & A

No.  Honor roll has been replaced with monthly Spotlight on Success programming, which highlights student academic progress.  Specifically, certificates are awarded monthly for making progress toward a standard and meeting or extending a standard.
 

Student report cards are not used for high school placement, and the high school does not request copies of student report cards to determine placement.  After placement is determined, per Illinois School Code requirements, copies of report cards are sent to the high school in which a student enrolls.
 

Not at this time.

Not all of our students attend Niles North, and each high school has a different approach to grading.  Most high schools provide orientation programming for incoming freshmen, which typically includes information about how students are graded.
 

The pilot included 6th grade English language arts, math, science, social studies, fitness, health, experiential education, and physical education.  In 8th grade, the pilot took place in English language arts.  In these areas, students received the standards-referenced report card.
 

Parents will have several opportunities to learn about how to access student grade information in PowerSchool during the fall of 2018.  Additionally, parents will be invited to learn more about the philosophy behind standards-referenced grading during conferences and informational sessions in fall of 2018. 

Additionally, in order to develop the Frequently Asked Question documents, the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment attended the Meyer Parent Advisory Committee, Meyer Parent Leadership Team, and Bilingual Parent group meetings in February of 2018.  All parents were invited to provide input in early February, and parents who participated in the McCracken pilot were invited to attend a Focus Group meeting in April. 

By gathering feedback from teachers, students, and parents.
 

At Middleton during the 2018-2019 school year, teachers will review a sample report card with students in the fall. Students have been using the proficiency scale in many units of study, and seem to understand the move to standards referenced grading, so this will be more of a review.

At McCracken, staff have created slideshows with video clips of students explaining key ideas.  This will be presented once during the spring of 2018 with students in 7th grade who did not participate in the pilot, and again during the 2018-2019 school year with all students. Students will receive support in using rubrics, proficiency scales, and how to use PowerSchool.

Research around the practice of standards-referenced grading indicates that students who learn within a standards-referenced system have increased motivation due to a clear understanding of learning expectations and their progress towards mastery.