Standards-Based Grading and Report Cards

What is Standards-Based Grading?
Standards-Based Grading is a system that evaluates students’ progress toward mastering specific learning targets called standards. The goal of standards-based grading is to meet proficiency expectations by the end of the school year. For more details, you can view our District 31 Standards-Based Grading Handbook here.

You can also view the Standards-Based Grading Overview presentation from the August 29, 2024, Winkelman Elementary School Curriculum Night here.

Why Standards-Based Grading?
Standards-Based Grading ...

• Strengthens communication about student learning to better inform and empower families and to help build strong partnerships, which are critical to student success.

   

• Allows students and families to better understand which learning targets have already been mastered and which standards require further learning to reach mastery.
• Leverages a learner-centered approach, which encourages a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Academic and Behavioral Standards
Each academic standard has a description of the level of mastery related to year-end learning expectations, which includes clearly-established learning targets for each standard. The proficiency level provides a snapshot of where the student is on their learning journey to year-end expectations.
The goal for a child at the “beginning” or “developing” level in their learning is to meet proficiency
expectations by the end of the year. Academic standards are reported on separately from behavior
expectations using the following levels of proficiency:

View the Winkelman Standards-Based Grading Information Sheet, Field Standards-Based Grading

• View the Standards-Based Grading Information Sheet Korean 
• View the Standards-Based Grading Information Sheet Mongolian
• View the Standards-Based Grading Information Sheet Russian
• View the Standards-Based Grading Information Sheet Spanish 

District 31 is in the process of shifting our practices and tools to make progress on our vision for grading and report cards.  Our timetable for the rollout of standards-based grading can be found below.

Kindergarten Standards-Based Report Card

1st Grade Standards-Based Report Card

4th Grade Standards-Based Report Card

5th Grade Standards-Based Report Card

5th Grade ALP Standards-Based Report Card

*Grades 2, 3, and 6 will move to a standards-based report card in 2025 - 2026. Grades 7, 8 will move to a standards-based report card in 2026 - 2027.

Behaviors and work habits are an important part of communicating to parents and students about student progress. However, they are reported separately from academic proficiency in a standards-based grading and reporting system to ensure clarity and transparency around a student's actual achievement in academic learning.

We based our Characteristics of a Successful Learner on our Portrait of a District 31 Graduate. These are the values and characteristics we wish to see demonstrated by our students when our vision is fully achieved.

The Characteristics of a Successful Learner are reported on separately from academic learning using the following levels of proficiency:

• Meets = The student consistently demonstrates the characteristics of a successful learner without prompting.

• Developing = The student sometimes demonstrates the characteristics of a successful learner and may need some prompting.

• Beginning = The student rarely demonstrates the characteristics of a successful learner, even with prompting.

The Academic Levels of Proficiency are used to clearly communicate a student’s current level of mastery related to year-end learning expectations for each academic content area’s focus standards. 

There is no accumulation of points; rather rubrics are used to assess current proficiency. The report card serves as a snapshot of where the student is on their learning journey to proficiency by prioritizing the most recent, consistent level of performance rather than an average over time. This means that at the beginning of the year, you may see your child at a “beginning” or “developing” level, knowing that the goal is to “meet” proficiency expectations by the end of the year. 

These academic standards are reported on separately from behavior expectations using the following levels of proficiency:

• Meeting = The student independently demonstrates an understanding of grade-level concepts and consistently applies knowledge and skills learned. 
• Developing = The student demonstrates a partial understanding of the concept and/or occasionally applies knowledge and skills learned. 
• Beginning = The student does not yet independently demonstrate an understanding of the concept. 
• Not Assessed (NA) = The specific area was not assessed during a specific grading term or there was not enough evidence collected to assign a performance level.

A limited number of focus standards are assessed each trimester or quarter based on the priority learning for that specific trimester. All grade-level and content-area focus standards will be assessed for proficiency by the end of the school year.

Click here to see the grade level proficiency expectations for core academic content areas at each grade level. This clearly articulates what it looks like for a student to "meet" each grade level content standard.

Books

• A Repair Kit for Grading by Ken O’Connor 
• Standards-Based Learning in Action by Tom Schimmer, Garnet Hillman, and Mandy Stalets
• Get Set Go by Thomas Guskey 
• On Your Mark by Thomas Guskey
• Fair Isn’t Always Equal by Rick Wormeli 
• Grading Exceptional and Struggling Learners by Lee Ann Jung and Thomas Guskey How to Grade for Learning by Ken O’Connor 
• What We Know About Grading by Thomas Guskey and Susan Brookhart
• Grading from the Inside Out by Tom Schimmer
• Grading for Impact by Tom Hierck and Garth L. Larson 
• The Grade Cleanse by Danny Hill and Garnet Hillman
• The Standards-Based Classroom by Emily Rinkema and Stan Williams
• Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman

Articles

• 3 Big Shifts for Standards-Based Grading by Matt Townsley, Megan Knight
• A Repair Kit for Grading by Ken O’Connor
• Getting Started for Standards-Based Grading by Cathleen Beachboard, Erika Kersey
• Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading by Patricia L. Scriffiny
• Undoing the Traditions of Grading and Reporting by Thomas Guskey
• Fair and Equitable Grading for ALL Students in Inclusive Settings by Kearns, Reyes, Thurlow, and Wakeman
• Standards-Based Learning: Why Do Educators Make it So Complex? by Thomas Guskey
• What Does Research Say About Standards-Based Grading by Matt Townsley, Tom Buckmiller 

Video

• What is Standards-Based Grading? By TeacherEase
• Rick Wormelli on Standards-Based Grading

What is standards-based grading?

• Standards-based grading is a system of assessing students to communicate where the child is related to end-of-year proficiency in grade level Common Core State Standards and Illinois Learning Standards.
• This means of communication allows students, as well as parents, to better understand which learning targets have already been mastered and which of the given standards still need to be improved and/or assessed throughout the remainder of the school year. 

Why are we making the shift to standards-based learning & assessment?

• Standards-based assessment practices more accurately communicate how our students are progressing towards year-end expectations related to grade level standards.
• Learning behaviors, which we are calling “Characteristics of a Successful Learner”, will also be reported on separately from academic learning standards. 
• Report cards will reflect communication related to growth and learning along a continuum toward meeting end-of-year proficiency expectations on focus standards. 
• Clear communication with parents and students about learning, including strengths and areas for continued growth, provide a road map for where each student is on their learning journey.
• This system of assessing has been proven to be beneficial through research studies.

What can we expect to remain the same, compared to other report cards? 

• The purpose of report cards is still the same: to communicate information about academic achievement and learner characteristics to parents and students.   
• Report cards will still be distributed three times per year at Winkelman (trimesters).
• We have always been teaching the state and national academic standards. This is not a shift in what or how we are teaching. Rather it is a shift in how we are communicating student learning and growth over time.
• We have always been using assessment data to provide feedback to students, support student learning, and differentiate instruction.

What can we expect to be different, compared to other report cards?

• In 2024 - 2025, the kindergarten, first, fourth, and fifth grade report cards will all use standards-based report cards. This means they will look different compared to second and third grade report cards. You will see the grade level focus standards for academic content areas. For each academic standard, you will see a description of your child’s current level of mastery related to year-end learning expectations. There is no accumulation of points; rather rubrics are used to assess current proficiency. It is a snapshot of where the student is on their learning journey to proficiency by prioritizing the most recent, consistent level of performance rather than an average over time. This means that at the beginning of the year, you may see your child at a “beginning” or “developing” level, knowing that the goal is to “meet” proficiency expectations by the end of the year. These academic standards are reported on separately from behavior expectations using the following levels of proficiency:
  • Meeting = Student meets proficiency expectation for grade-level standard, given appropriate accommodations per the child’s IEP
  • Developing = The student independently demonstrates a partial understanding of the standard and/or occasionally applies knowledge and skills learned.
  • Beginning = The student does not yet independently demonstrate an understanding of the standard.
  • NA = Not applicable at this time and/or this skill is yet to be introduced. 
• Characteristics of a Successful Learner, which are behavior expectations, are reported on as well. These are separated from academic expectations using the same levels of proficiency:
  • Meeting = The student consistently demonstrates the characteristics of a successful learner without prompting.
  • Developing = The student sometimes demonstrates the characteristics of a successful learner and may require some prompting.
  • Beginning = The student rarely demonstrates the characteristics of a successful learner, even with prompting.

How does standards-based grading work for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)?

• A student’s report card communicates where a student is in their learning in relation to grade-level expectations defined by the Illinois Learning Standards. This is the goal of the report card for all students who are enrolled in grade-level courses regardless of an IEP.

• Students receiving accommodations and/or modifications per an IEP or 504 plan will receive a report card based on a student's current achievement on grade-level expectations reflecting the standards for the grade level in which students are placed. 

  • Meeting - Student meets proficiency expectation for grade-level standard, given appropriate accommodations per the child’s IEP

  • Developing - Student is making progress towards achieving proficiency expectation for grade-level standard, given appropriate accommodations per the child’s IEP 

  • Beginning - Student is exposed to grade-level standards but is not yet making progress toward grade-level standard, even with appropriate accommodations per the child’s IEP 

  • NA - Not enough evidence to assess

• Accommodations - Students can complete the tasks like their peers with some variations such as extra time, different format, and/or setting. 

• Modifications - Students’ learning expectations are changed based on their individual goals as set by their IEP or 504 Plan (i.e. alternate assignments, different assessment expectations).

• Students with an IEP will also receive a progress report during the report card window reporting on the students progress toward individualized goals. 

How does standards-based grading work for students who are multilingual learners (MLs)?

• A student’s report card communicates where a student is in their learning in relation to grade-level expectations defined by the Illinois Learning Standards. This is the goal of the report card for all students who are enrolled in grade-level courses regardless of multilingual learner status. Students who are multilingual learners are graded according to grade-level standards in line with their peers on the grade-level report card. 

• Students will also receive a progress report that shares progress on a student's language goals. They report on growth in the four domain areas of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The multilingual service provider completes these reports on ELLevation. A copy of the progress report will be sent home to families with report cards for students in the district’s multilingual and bilingual programs. Students who are enrolled in the district’s bilingual programs will have a native language copy of the progress report sent home as well. Additionally, parents who request translated report cards will be provided with a translated progress report. 

• Language development is monitored and measured using the following scale, aligned with WIDA Proficiency Levels: