Report Cards - Haddonfield School District

Reading Foundational Skills- Fluency: Read with sufficient accuracy, prosody, and fluency to support comprehension (RF.1.4.)

Trimester

Student independently reads (an expected) grade-level text with sufficient accuracy, prosody, and fluency to support comprehension

Student is approaching the ability to read (an expected) grade-level text. Students reads with partial accuracy, prosody, and fluency to support comprehension.

With substantial prompting and support, student needs further practice reading (an expected) grade-level text. Student reads with limited accuracy, prosody, and fluency to support comprehension of information from the text.

Student consistently and independently reads above grade-level text with ample accuracy, prosody, and fluency to support comprehension. Student can read a variety of texts using appropriate rate and expression.

Our elementary schools use an updated standards-based report card to provide more detailed insights into student progress. Here is our grading explanation:

Academic Explanation of Codes:

3: The student is currently meeting expectations of end-of-grade-level concepts, skills, and strategies.

2: With some support and scaffolding, the student is currently approaching expectations of end-of-grade level concepts, skills, and strategies.

1: The student is beginning to understand end-of-grade level concepts, skills, and strategies with consistent support and scaffolding.

E: The student currently exceeds expectations of end-of-grade level concepts, skills, and strategies. They consistently apply them independently at an advanced level.

Indicates the skill is not assessed at this time

Remember that the goal is for students to meet each standard (score of 3) by the end of the school year, so it is expected that there will be times when a child is not yet meeting the standard earlier in the school year.

A separate 21st Century Skills section measures effort, participation, communication, leadership, collaboration, decision-making, and work habits.

21st Century Skills Explanation of Codes:

3: The student consistently displays these skills in both independent and group tasks.

2: The student often displays these skills, but needs reminders and prompting to become more consistent and independent. These behaviors do not impede academic/social performance but could use more practice.

1: Even with reminders, prompting, and support, the student has difficulty demonstrating the skill regularly.

E: The student consistently displays these skills in both independent and group tasks. The student shows leadership qualities and strong decision-making.

For a detailed explanation of the Expanded Rubrics please click on the links below:
Grade K
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5

For blank copies of the Report Card format please click on the link below:
Grade K
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5

We highly recommend reviewing the Report Cards FAQs before contacting faculty with questions.

Standards-Based Report Card FAQs

What is a “Standards-Based Report Card”?

Instead of a traditional grading system, a standards-based report card measures how well a student performs in relation to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. A standards-based report card highlights the most essential skills students should learn in each subject at a particular grade level. In our elementary school learning environment, students receive marks that report their progress toward meeting content and performance standards three times a year (kindergarten is twice yearly). While our previous report cards were useful, they needed to be more consistent between grade levels. In addition, parents often needed clarification about the grading system. Progress toward standards does not include effort, participation, work habits, etc. A separate section (21st Century Skills) assesses these areas.

What indicators are on the report card?

Each report card contains a list of indicators for each of the following areas based on state standards: English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Health, Spanish, Library Media, and Physical Education. Each report card indicator represents a standard that is being taught. Remember that the goal is for students to meet each standard (score of 3) by the end of the school year, so it is expected that there will be times when a child is not yet meeting the standard earlier in the school year.

How does the standards-based report card compare to the traditional letter system?

Standards-based reporting is different from traditional letter-grade reporting. With the traditional letter grade system, the grade indicates the calculated average of a student’s performance on all assessments within a given grading period. Alternatively, the standards-based report card measures how well an individual student is progressing toward very specific end-of-year grade-level standards rather than reporting a combined average. Reporting this way provides parents with specific information about areas where their child has strengths and areas that need further practice.

How is the report card organized?

The first several pages of the report card will look like a traditional report card. Each standard also has a detailed rubric that parents can review if they want more details about a specific standard. Here is an example rubric.

Where can I find my child’s reading level?

For students in K-2, teachers administer the DIBELS 8 benchmark assessment three times per year, which helps evaluate each student’s reading skills over time and pinpoint exactly when a change in instruction is needed. It is important to understand that this level is not a fixed, precise measure. Rather, it represents a range based on your child’s decoding skills and language comprehension, influenced by factors like background knowledge and attention.

Will my child’s new report card include a narrative?

Students in grades 1-4 will receive a narrative twice per year. Students in preschool and kindergarten will receive a narrative one per year. 5th grade will continue with having optional narratives due to the departmentalized model. The narrative will be a few sentences focused on describing the child, an area of strength, and an area for growth. However, it is important to note that with a Standards-Based Report Card, the specificity lives in the report card indicators themselves. The report card was designed to include what we believe to be the most important information about learners. Therefore, teachers no longer need to include a lengthy narrative as they did previously.

How will the new standards-based report card impact students with IEPs?

Students with an IEP will receive report cards in the same manner as General Education students. Students with an IEP will continue to receive 3 detailed progress reports which provide information pertaining to the progress made by students towards achieving their IEP goals and objectives which can relate to academic, speech and language, behavior, social/emotional needs, etc. The information provided in progress reports is different from what is provided in report cards, which indicate a student’s progress toward achieving grade-level standards.

Who had input into the report card process?

Input was collected from many stakeholders, including faculty, parents, and school leaders. The following outlines the project timeline.

July 2023

Convened a committee of teachers across levels to discuss goals and implementation of the project

July-August 2023

Teachers created drafts of proposed report cards (K-5)
Teachers created drafts of 21st-century skills for grade bands (K-2 and 3-5)

August-September 2023

Administrators and supervisors reviewed drafts to ensure vertical and horizontal articulation, inclusion of major content standards at each grade level, and consistent formatting.

August-February 2023/2024

Supervisor of Special Areas met with special areas representatives to draft new report card indicators for those areas

January 2024

Held two Parent Focus Groups on report cards with 17 parents from all three schools. Overview of feedback:
- Parents feel the narrative/comments section is valuable and would like each child to have a positive, specific comment.
- Suggestions included having a summary version and a more detailed version of the report card
- Overall, parents are looking for more transparency, personalization, and alignment between the report card, conferences, and their understanding of their child’s progress.
- Parents would like to have a reading level for their child to help them choose books and know where their child is reading.
- There is a preference for the report cards to be released before the parent-teacher conferences. This allows parents to be more prepared for the discussions.

February 2024

Presented new report cards to teachers
Provided teachers PD time to review the new report card and finalize evidence that will inform students’ progress towards grade-level standards. Evidence will be specific, common, and measurable. Teachers will gain further clarity on levels.