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Assessment & Grade Reporting

Steering Committee for Assessment & Grade Reporting
Dr. Constance Bompadre & Dr. Linda Bluebello, Co-Chairs

John Beltrante
Dr. Linda Bluebello
Pat Crawford
Liz Mongan
Jennie Teti 		Toni Himes
Vicki Israel
Ray McFall
Sandy Schaal
Kristin Meraglia 		Ray Betz
Jen Sinclair
Arthur Stevens
Carl Funk
Assessment & Grade Reporting Timeline
May 2005

Formation of Steering Committee with the purpose of:
1. Reviewing Research on Assessment and Grade Reporting
2. Developing Guidelines for Better Practice K-12
3. Revising the Elementary Report Card
4. Bridging the MS & HS Grade Reporting System

June 2005 First Meeting for the Steering Committee
October 2005 Committee met to develop belief statements to guide Action Teams:
1. PR -- Communication, Process & Educating Staff
2. Research -- Gather Sample of Reporting Systems
3. Homework -- Revise Homework Guidelines K-12
4. Transition to a New System
November 2005 Committee met to read and review text: How to Grade for Learning
1. Reviewed Research
2. Reviewed Policy
January 2006 Action Teams met to plan spring staff sharings during faculty meetings (led by committee members and principals):
March -- Grading to Communicate
April -- Making the Grade: What Benefits Students
May -- Elementary was Helping Standards make the grade; Secondary was Computerized Grade books and the Myth of Objectivity
June -- Staff surveyed about beliefs on Grading and Assessment
February 2006 Merle addressed entire district about the committees' task and work to date;
Presented the topic "What Does our grading system communicate about Student Performance;
Action Teams met on their own during the spring
March 2006 Steering Committee met to learn updates from Action Teams, to introduce new members to the team, and to develop a teacher survey
May & June 2006 Steering Committee met to get feedback from spring faculty meetings; to develop grading principles for assessment and grade reporting for the district; to form an elementary report card committee; and to develop secondary grade reporting guidelines.
October 2006 "Differentiated Assessment and Grading-Dynamic strategies for the differentiated classroom grades 5-12", Presenter: Linda Allen; Take team of teachers and administration K-12
Secondary sub-committee met to discuss "What goes into a grade?" and to discuss a uniform reporting system MS-HS
November 2006

Secondary sub-committee met to discuss the development of a Framework for Grading;
Round Table for Elementary Report Card:\
* Review research and best practices
* Review sample report cards
* Critique current report card
Elementary Report Card Writing Team Met

December 2006 Elementary Report Card Writing Team Met:
Proposed a standards-based report card and format
January 2007 Elementary Report Card Writing Team:
*Developed Descriptors
*Chose Standards and Sub-skills
*Made Calendar recommendations for report periods
February 2007

Round Table for Elementary Report Card Met:
*Top 10 criteria for development of the elementary report card.
Secondary sub-committee met to review feedback from the January In-service which focused on grading practices by cont, to develop a policy on homework; and to discuss whether or not to use an alpha/numeric system for both.

March 2007 Elementary Report Card Writing team met
*Finalized report card format and standards
April 2007 Secondary sub-committee met to discuss GradeQuick, grading narratives by content, and finalized the uniform reporting system
Where We are Going
June 2007
Elementary Report Card sub-committee to meet and discuss a teacher and parent handbook on the new standards-based report card; include a letter in the district newsletter about the report card
Secondary sub-committee will meet to finalize the electronic gradebook
August 2007 In-service elementary staff on the new elementary standards-based report card;
In-service secondary staff on grading procedures and the grade reporting system
Fall 2007 Hold meeting to answer questions/receive feedback about the new reporting system by school (after 1st MP)
Create a sub-committee to investigate companies to produce elementary report card online.
Spring 2008 Feedback from teachers and administrators
Revise elementary report card as necessary

District Assessments

Well-known for its students’ academic success, the District continues to build a well-rounded curriculum & instruction program, as well as a solid testing system. The District uses a variety of tools, both formal and informal, to assess student progress and achievement.  Standardized tests, such as Terra Nova and  PSAT, criterion referenced tests such as the PSSA, and District-constructed assessments measure a child’s educational growth and development and serve as indicators as to where additional support, either remedial or advanced, is necessary. 

State and federal mandates provide accountability measures to ensure that all students are receiving a quality education. As a District, our commitment is not merely to meet mandates, but to continuously improve, striving towards excellence for all those whom we serve. 

The school district standardized testing schedule is listed below:

Grade

Standardized Test

 

1

 

 

2

TN

TN = Terra Nova

3

PSSA

PSSA = Pa. System of State Assessment

4

PSSA

 

5

PSSA

 

6

PSSA

 

7

PSSA/TN

 

8

PSSA

 

9

 

 

10

PSAT/Kuder

PSAT = Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, Kuder Interest Inventory

11

PSSA

 

12

 

 

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Marple Newtown School District
610.359.4200