Developing Standards-Based Report Cards

Although schools have moved toward standards-based curriculum and instruction, grading practices and reporting systems have remained largely unchanged. Helping headteachers gain support for transitioning from traditional to standards-based report cards, this book guides educators in aligning assessment and reporting practices with standards-based education and providing more detailed reports of children’s learning and achievement. A standards-based report card breaks down each subject area into specific elements of learning to offer parents and teachers a more thorough description of each child’s progress toward proficiency. This accessible volume: – Provides a clear framework for developing standards-based report cards – Shows how to communicate with parents, students, and other stakeholders about changes – Illustrates how to achieve grading consistency without increasing teachers’ workloads or violating their professional autonomy Filled with examples of standards-based report cards that can be adapted to a school’s needs, this practical resource shows district and school administrators how to establish reporting practices that facilitate learning. Thomas R. Guskey is Professor of Educational Psychology in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. He has taught at all levels, served as an administrator in Chicago Public Schools, and was the first Director of the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, a national educational research center. He is the author of numerous award-winning books and over 200 articles and papers. Dr. Guskey served on the Policy Research Team of the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future, on the Task Force to develop the National Standards for Staff Development, and recently was named a Fellow in the American Educational Research Association, one of the Association’s highest honors. He co-edits the Experts in Assessment Series for Corwin Press and has been featured on the National Public Radio programs, “Talk of the Nation” and “Morning Edition.”