Gouverneur
Elementary School
Interim Report Card, Grades 3-5
A Parent Guide
What is the purpose of the guide?
This guide was designed for you, the parent of an elementary student in Grades 3, 4 or 5. It is a resource to help you understand how grades will be reported. If you have questions about the new report card, please do not hesitate to ask your child’s classroom teacher, who will review it with you at parent teacher conferences.
Why are the report cards
changing?
New York State has moved to standards-based education. All schools in New York are working with the same set of expectations or standards. These standards prepare students for the real world of work and higher education. If all students are to meet the standards, the matching practices, programs and procedures must be in place.
The new report card better reflects how curriculum, instruction and assessment are aligned to the standards in all our elementary schools.
What does this change mean?
In the past many report card grades included student effort and behavior. Now your child’s grade will reflect only what he/she knows and is able to do in each subject area. Effort and the responsibilities of your child as a learner will be reported separately on the report card.
Both you and your child will have a better idea of what is expected in his or her learning, the areas in which he or she demonstrates strength and the skill areas where he or she can improve.
How was this report card created?
A committee of parents and teachers representing grade levels 3-5 created this report card. Parents and administrators also worked with the committee and provided essential feedback. All teachers working at Grades 3-5 reviewed the report card and provided feedback.
How will the report card
look?
Let’s start by looking at the left side of the report card, starting at the top. There you will find the Grading Key:
Level of Skill Benchmark Reading Levels District Grading Criteria
|
4 = Exceeds grade level expectations |
J-M
= Reading at Grade 2 |
97-100 = Academic Excellence |
|
3
= Meets grade level expectations |
M-P
= Reading at Grade 3 |
93-96 = High Honors |
|
2
= Meets minimal grade level
expectations |
P-Q
= Reading at Grade 4 |
87-92 = Honor Roll |
|
1
= Not meeting grade level expectations |
S-V
= Reading at Grade 5 |
80-86 = Achieving at Grade
Level |
|
(
- ) = Not applicable at this time |
V-X
= Reading at Grade 6 |
65-79 = Meets Minimal Grade
Level Expectations |
|
|
|
Below 64 = Not meeting grade
level expectations |
The grade reflects what you child knows in the skills that have been
targeted in each subject area and follows the district grading scale.
It is based on your child’s performance in relation to the New York
State Standards at his/her grade level.
The benchmark reading levels indicate the grade
level at which your child reads comfortably and uses a letter system. A specific
assessment is administered to each child in Grades 3-5.
The numbers from 1-4 identify your child’s
ability in each specific skill for the subject and identify areas of strength
and weakness.
Effort and participation are treated as a skill
area in each subject and are also evaluated on a scale of 1-4.
Not all areas will be marked every quarter.
Only those areas that have been taught during the quarter will receive a
grade. The sign ( - ) indicates
skills that were not addressed during that specific quarter.
The skill areas do reflect the curriculum for the
grade and each skill area should be marked at least once during the school year.
Now
let’s look at each subject area.
|
MARKING
PERIOD WEEKS |
10 |
20 |
30 |
40 |
Final |
|
GRADE |
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READING
LEVEL
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EFFORT/PARTICIPATION
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|
COMPLETES
ASSIGNMENTS ON TIME |
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Reading
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Identifies
literary elements of plot, character, theme, and point of view |
|
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|
Reads and comprehends grade appropriate fictional
and non fictional texts |
|
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Makes
connections to self, text and world to extend meaning |
|
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Makes
inferences (draws conclusions, makes justifiable predictions, interprets
text) |
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|
Reads
fluently with expression |
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|
Recognizes
grade appropriate sight words |
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Summarizes
and sequences events from text |
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Identifies
and uses main ideas and supporting details |
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Writing
|
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Develops
and connects paragraphs in related sequence |
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Effectively
uses graphic organizers to develop writing |
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Develops
a topic, theme or main idea with introduction and conclusion |
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Evaluates
and monitors own writing for clarity, focus and organization |
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Edits
for capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling and grammar |
|
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Uses
details and descriptive language to develop a personal style |
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Uses
information from reference materials to support information writing |
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Effectively
uses graphic organizers to develop writing |
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Listening and Speaking
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Conveys
ideas coherently in discussions and conversations. |
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Listens
attentively for information and responds to directions |
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|
The grade reflects your child’s performance in
three skill areas, Reading, Writing, and Listening and Speaking.
The specific skills in each area are marked on the
1-4 rubric scale. Your child’s
teacher can suggest specific strategies for you to help your child at home in
areas where he or she is having difficulty.
The reading level indicates the grade level at
which your child is reading. Teachers in Grades 3-5 use a balanced literacy
assessment format at the beginning of the year to determine the reading level.
Mathematics,
Social Studies and Science:
MATHEMATICS
MARKING
PERIOD WEEKS
|
10 |
20 |
30 |
40 |
Final |
GRADE
|
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|
EFFORT/PARTICIPATION
|
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|
COMPLETES
ASSIGNMENTS ON TIME |
|
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Able
to recognize and apply geometric concepts and problem solving |
|
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Able
to recognize and apply number sense and order |
|
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Memorizes
and utilizes facts |
|
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Computes
accurately and consistently |
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Is
able to apply mathematical skills in problem solving |
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Able
to interpret information, make conclusions and use visuals and/or
manipulatives |
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Reads,
writes, illustrates and compares fractions |
|
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Demonstrates
problem solving skills and can explain solutions clearly |
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Able
to identify, measure and use both standard and metric system |
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Solves
word problems using a multi step method |
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Collects,
organizes, displays and analyzes data |
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The overall grade in mathematics reflects your
child’s mastery at his or her grade level.
There may be marking periods where some topics are
not presented, and there will be no rubric number in that skill area.
However, there should be an evaluation of each skill area at some time
during the school year.
Let’s go on to the right hand side of the report
card. First you will find areas for Science and Social Studies:
MARKING
PERIOD
WEEKS
|
10 |
20 |
30 |