Hello HES Families,

Report cards will be available in Synergy this Friday, November 8th at 4pm.  . This is an important opportunity for us to collaborate to support your child's learning and growth. This year, changes have been made to the report card format for students in grades 3 to 5. To help you understand these changes, please refer to this resource, "Understanding Your Child's Report Card"  This guide contains information on how to interpret your child’s report card.

Below are a few essential ideas we would like to highlight.

1. Standards-Based Report Cards

• You may notice: All grades (K-5) now use standards-based report cards. This means your child's grades reflect their progress toward specific learning goals for their grade level.

• If you see: "M, P, or L" (primary grades) or "A, B, C, D, or E" (grades 3-5), these indicate your child's progress toward grade-level standards.
   

  • M (Meeting), A, B: Your child is meeting grade-level expectations.

  • P (Progressing), C: Your child is progressing toward grade-level expectations but may need additional support.

  • L (Limited/No Progress), D, E: Your child is not yet meeting grade-level expectations. This means we need to work together to create a plan to help them succeed.

2. What Do the Grades Mean?

• If you see: "D" or "E," it does not mean your child is failing. It simply means they still need to work towards meeting the grade-level expectations, and we need to work together to support their growth.

• It's important to remember: Grades this year focus on your child's individual progress toward specific learning goals, not how they compare to other students.
   

3. "On Grade Level"

• You may notice that the report card doesn't use terms like "above," "on," or "below" level. This is because the standards on the report card already represent what your child should be learning in their grade. Their grades (A, B, C, D, E or M, P, L) show whether they meet those expectations.

• If you see: A comment in math about your child learning "another grade level standard," this means they are working on more advanced skills.

• To learn more, reference the measurement topics crosswalk (shows the specific standards in each measurement topic within the specific grade level) or discuss your child's progress in detail at parent-teacher conferences.
   

4. IEPs and ELD Reports

• If your child has an IEP, You will receive a separate progress report showing their progress toward their IEP goals.

• If your child is a Multilingual Learner, You will also receive an ELD progress report showing how your child is progressing toward English language development.

5. Report Card Comments

• You may notice that report card comments are more focused. One comment highlights a strength, and any other comments explain an "L," "D," "E," or "3."

• To learn more: The report card provides a snapshot of your child's progress (quantitative and equitable). For a more complete picture (qualitative), attend parent-teacher conferences and stay in regular contact with your child's teacher.
   

6. Parent-Teacher Conferences
 

Parent-teacher conferences are a valuable opportunity to discuss your child's progress in detail. We encourage you to attend in person or virtually within the conference window or at another mutually convenient time. You can sign up for a conference on Friday through HCPSS Connect.