What do the numbers mean?

In last Friday’s post, you read that a score of 6 on the report card indicates that a student is meeting the teacher’s expectations of achievement in meeting the prescribed learning outcomes.

If you see a 6 on your child’s report card, this indicates that your child was able to show understanding of the concept or skill with minimal teacher assistance. A score of 6 is a general indicator that things are going well for the student in that area. The descriptor for a score of 6 is SECURING.

Scores below 6 are reflective of the amount of teacher assistance necessary for a student to meet the learning objectives, and the ability for a student to express his or her understanding of an area in a variety of ways (projects, presentations, self-assessment, class work, homework, quizzes, and exams).

A score of 1 (ENTERING) or 2 (BEGINNING) does not necessarily indicate that there are major problems in an area. These scores may reflect a lack or gap in prior knowledge, a lack or gap in English-language competency which is preventing the student from being able to achieve at an expected level, a lack in student achievement based on effort, or any combination of these factors.

Scores above 6 represent a student’s capacity to extend beyond the learning objectives to express an enriched understanding of a concept or skill, with very minimal teacher assistance.

This eight-point scale more accurately measures not only the “results” of learning, but the process of learning too. Students who have entered the school are not penalized for any gaps in their social or academic language based on their English-language capacity. Rather, students are assessed both on their overall achievement and on the amount by which they have engaged their own learning in trying to meet the curricular objectives.

Scores above or below 6 should not be read like a traditional percentage-based or ten-point scale. In those scales, one can generally assume that a lower number equals poorer performance. Those kinds of scales do not tend to account for a wide range of factors which contribute to accurate assessment: students’ prior knowledge of a content area in their native language; their current English language competency and ability to articulate what they know in their non-native language; and content-area improvement concurrent to language development.

As a parent, you have the responsibility to understand what and how your child is learning. At Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 30th, you will have a chance to speak to your child’s teachers directly, so that you may clearly understand, and be proud of, what your child continues to achieve at RIS.