A standard is a statement that identifies what students should know and be able to do. Learning Standards for each content area subject and grade span are identified in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. These can be viewed online at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's web site.

Students' ability to meet the learning standards will be determined by both their oral and written work. For each standard, guidelines have been written to help teachers identify a child's progress toward meeting the standard.

During the first quarter, we expect students to develop and progress toward the learning standard. As the year progresses, students will begin to meet the standards. It is not uncommon for a student to receive an S in any area in the first quarter.

The revisions to the report card were made by a group of teachers in the district. They also reflect feedback given by parents/guardians in the past two years. Some of the changes are a result of the shift that is being made in Massachusetts to adopting the Common Core standards. If you look closely at the report card and compare it to last year's version for each grade level, you will notice that there have been some additions, removals, or re-wording of certain standards. The new language reflects the new expectations of the Common Core standards.

The change that you are most likely to notice, however, is the addition of a category for students who have demonstrated that they are working at a level that consistently exceeds a standard. Students can now receive the following ratings: N/A (standard not assessed this term), N (not meeting the standard), S (sometimes meets the standard), M (meets the standard), or E (exceeds the standard consistently).

It will be tempting for some to view this as a traditional letter grading system where E=A, M=B, S=C, and N=D/F. This is not the case. When a student receives an M that means that he/she is meeting the high standards that we hold for them. That is a worthy achievement, and it is our goal for all of our students to reach this level of performance. The addition of the E level is recognition that some students are working above the standards in a consistent fashion, and that their teachers are challenging them with extension work that goes beyond what is expected for their grade level at this point in the year. The addition of the E provides a way for teachers to note this on our district report card.

It depends on the standard. Some refer to a fixed skill, while others become more complex over time.

Let's take the Grade 2 report card for example. One of the math standards states, "Tells time to the quarter hour and 5 minute intervals." Once a student is able to do this, they receive an 'M' whether it's in the first quarter or the fourth quarter.

On the other hand, the criteria for meeting some standards especially around phonics, comprehension, and problem-solving become more difficult over the course of the year. For example, one of the language standards states, "Uses phonics skills to decode words." In the first quarter, the class might be working on two-syllable words and long vowels. If a student is able to do this, they would receive an 'M' rating. However, in the third quarter, the bar for reaching an 'M' is higher. The class might now be focusing on more advanced skills such as vowel teams, advanced suffixes, and three syllable words. Similarly in math, students might be focusing on one step problems involving addition and subtraction in October, but might be completing longer two step problems using tables in April.

Of course, if you have any questions about these complexities, don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher.