Report Cards

Walled Lake Schools Elementary Report Card
Frequently Asked Questions 2022-23

Click here for additional information regarding the new district elementary report card.

1. What are the changes to my child’s report card and what is standards-based
grading? Standards-based grading communicates how students perform on a set of
clearly defined learning targets called standards. The purpose of standards-based
grading is to identify what a student knows, or is able to do, in relation to those learning
targets - as opposed to simply averaging grades/scores over the course of the grading
period, which can mask what a student has learned or not learned.

2. Why is WLCSD moving towards standards-based grading? Standards-based
grading reports what students should know and be able to do within each content area at
each grade level. The real-time monitoring of student performance reflects a more
accurate picture of student achievement.Additional reasons for standards-based grading
include: Other methods of grading do not accurately indicate what a student knows and
is able to do. Students will be able to explain what they learned or did not learn, rather
than recite a percentage. It can benefit all learners - students who struggle and students
whose learning is accelerated. Students’ progress towards standards can assist staff in
determining intervention or enrichment opportunities. Parents are provided information
on specific standards while receiving meaningful feedback.

3. How has the literacy portion of the report card changed? In the past, the reporting
on literacy was a general summary of student progress in reading and writing. The new
report card breaks down student performance on individual standards in reading and
writing. This should provide a more accurate picture of how your child is progressing in
these areas.

4. How does standards-based differ from our previous 4th and 5th grade report
card? A standards-based grading system measures a student’s mastery of grade-level
standards by prioritizing the most recent, consistent level of performance. A student who
may have struggled at the beginning of a content or course when first learning new
material may still be able to demonstrate mastery of key content/concepts by the end of
the school year. In traditional grading systems, a student’s grades for an entire trimester
are averaged together. Early scores that were low would be averaged together with more
proficient performance later in the course, resulting in a lower overall grade than current
performance indicates. Standards-based report cards also separate academic
performance from work habits/behavior in order to provide parents a more accurate view
of a student’s progress in both areas. Effort, participation, cooperation, and attendance
are reported separately, not as a part of academic performance.