Term Two Report Cards

Term two report cards will be coming home on March 5, so I thought this might be a good time to review the new language used for reporting student progress.  Teaching and assessment have truly been evolving, and we understand better than ever that all students can learn, but that we all learn in different ways. While it may appear on the surface that many of us are similar in our growth and learning and can be measured by standardized milestones, we all can potentially fall into that "other" category at times, and might require some different types of supports in order to master certain skills. Teachers attempt to recognize individual learning needs each and every day, and it makes sense then, that our assessment of progress and  reporting reflect that.

This brings us to the language. Our report cards now use the terminology "emerging", "developing", proficient" and "expanding" to describe where students are in their learning journey with respect to the curricular competencies. This is a change from "not yet meeting", "minimally meeting", "fully meeting" and "exceeding" expectations. The thinking is that we are all progressing towards proficiency, but are all at different points on the path, as opposed to being slotted into a final spot of having met or not met the goals. A student who is reaches the "expanding" descriptor is well ahead in the journey with respect to demonstrating mastery of that particular competency. These words however, are not a summative or final account of skill or learning. Consider the child who walks independently at 8 months of age. This child would be considered "expanding" in the competency of walking at 8 months, while a child of 15 months who is still holding furniture is "developing". In no way does this assessment indicate that one child is more likely to become an Olympic runner, or that the other is not succeeding.  In fact, by age of two or three, both children will have progressed through all the stages of learning to walk, and would likely both be assessed as "proficient".  Similarly, with reading, writing and math, some students may require supports for a little bit longer. We recognize that learning is always ongoing, complex, and driven by many factors. We know that for some students some skills may be developmental, and will come with time, while others may require support and interventions in order to flourish. But the goal is for all students to learn and become proficient, and our role is to support every child in achieving the learning goals. If your child is still "developing" or "emerging", on any of the competencies, please know that we see them where they are in their learning journey, and we are committed to doing all that we can to support them in getting there! Many of the competencies actually fall within a three year range (or more!) of what would be described as "normal" growth and development. So if your child is "developing" or "emerging" this term, celebrate that they are on the path! Conversations should not be about what the shortcomings are, but rather what needs to happen next, what we need to do to practice and become better, and what supports might best help this happen. We know they can do it!

This explains why we now report on competencies as opposed to just specific skills and knowledge acquistion. In the world our children will inherit it is so very important that they know how to think critically, explain their thinking and to learn from others, to dig for answers and compare sources. They need to know how to improve, build skills, and solve problems. They need to be creative and resilient, have a healthy sense of where they belong in their world, and how others fit in with them. Students can locate the information they need with the touch of a screen. It is knowing what they need and what to do with that information they have that really matters.

On March 10 and 11 we will be dismissing early so that teachers have time to connect with parents as needed. If you have questions or concerns about your child's report card, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher and arrange a time to speak with them.

Every child has a different learning style and pace. Each child is unique, not only capable of learning but also capable of succeeding. – Robert John Meehan