Dear Parents,
Progress Reports will be sent home with students on Friday 2/3/2012. Please look for your child’s report in his/her backpack. The Progress Report Guide below includes tips and guidelines for understanding your child’s report. On the last page of your child’s Progress Report, you will find important information to read and save regarding the new ParentCONNECT portal which will be available to families in February.
As always, please call or email me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Diana
BowenElementary School
Progress Report Guide
Reporting Student Progress
The Newton Public Schools has published grade level benchmarks that are directly linked to the content and learning standards of each subject area developed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. These benchmarks summarize the essential understandings as well as identify the most important principles, ideas and concepts for each subject area. The expected and desired knowledge, skills, and processes based on age, grade, and developmental level are also included in these benchmarks.
The Newton Public Schools has a process for reporting student progress and performance, including fall and winter conferences as well as winter and spring progress reports. The conferences provide parents and teachers the opportunity to discuss student progress and achievement. The progress reports provide detailed information about how a child is doing in relation to the grade-level standards for each subject area based on ongoing assessments including standardized tests, informal inventories, observations and student work.
The Newton Public Schools Progress Report is aligned withNewtonbenchmarks. It reports performance and effort in the following areas:
- Personal and Social
- English Language Arts
- History and Social Studies
- Mathematics
- Science, Technology, and Engineering
- Art
- Music
- Physical Education, Health and Wellness
- English Language Learning (for students enrolled in the ELL program)
In addition, it includes:
- Attendance Report
- Narrative Comments
How to Utilize the Progress Report Information
Read the Progress Report and look for patterns and trends. In what areas and subjects does your child thrive? What is challenging for your child?
- Read the teachers’ comments to understand how your child has progressed and what steps your child can take to improve.
- Share the Progress Report with your child.
- Praise your child’s success! Use specific examples from the Progress Report to congratulate your child’s progress and effort.
- Set goals with your child. Discuss your child’s progress and areas your child would like to improve.
Progress Report Levels
Level 4: Consistently Exceeds Standard
The student:
- Demonstrates comprehensive, in-depth understanding
- Provides sophisticated solutions to complex problems
- Analyzes arguments, judges credibility of information
- Identifies assumptions, decides on an action
- Applies previously learned knowledge to novel situations
Level 3: Demonstrates targeted degree of proficiency at mid-year or end-of-year and is making satisfactory progress at this time
The student:
- Demonstrates targeted degree of knowledge, skill and processes
Level 2: Has made progress toward standard, but is not meeting expectations for this time of year
Level 1: Has made limited, inconsistent, or no progress toward standard
