The report card model that New Milford schools use for students in kindergarten through fifth grade was implemented by the superintendent’s office in the 2015-16 school year, according to the Aug. 6 meeting minutes of the school board’s Committee on Learning. However, indicators of student learning progress on the report card have become less meaningful over the years, and “commitment to the current report card is low,” the meeting minutes state.
After looking at what other school districts have implemented for their report cards, the Committee on Learning launched a joint effort in January to revise K-5 report cards to communicate what students are expected to learn and whether their performance meets learning expectations, the minutes say.
Developing a K-5 report card includes defining clear outcomes for each grade level, ensuring alignment with the district’s education standards and “creating clear criteria for the standards-based assessments,” according to a presentation to the committee. The revised report card will also include parent-friendly language and define how a student’s performance will be measured by the district.
In addition to promoting student success and parental involvement, the school district hopes the revised report cards will also support its multilingual students and their families, the meeting minutes state.
The school administration will work on revising the certificates throughout the school year, said Parlato. The work will be carried out in six phases, with the aim of issuing the new certificates in the 2025/26 school year, the minutes say.
The first phase, which began in January, was about gathering the views of teachers, while the second phase began in April and focused on what needs to be included in the report, according to the presentation. Phase three begins in September and focuses on developing “academic skills and habits of mind” of each grade level, while phase four will gather the views of parents, the committee’s presentation said.
Deputy Superintendent Holly Hollander said the committee has been communicating its work on an ongoing basis to keep teachers informed. More than 100 teachers will be involved in the process by the time the revised report cards are issued, the minutes say.
