Elementary Standards-Based Report Card A Parent's Guide ...

LAKE STEVENS
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Elementary Standards-Based Report Card
A Parent’s Guide – Kindergarten
What is a Standards-Based Report Card
Lake Stevens School District provides a Standards-Based Report Card for all elementary students. Our elementary
report card represents how well a student is performing at the time of reporting. We believe this information will be
meaningful to students and families.
Our report card uses four Academic Descriptors to reflect your child’s progress toward meeting the standard in each
academic area, as well as communicating your child’s behavior and effort.
Lake Stevens School District elementary teachers will report formally to parents three times each year. You can
expect to see your child’s report card at the end of each trimester: December, March, and June.
The purpose of this guide is to help you understand and interpret our report card. However, if you have any additional
questions regarding how your child is doing at school, always feel free to contact his or her teacher. They will be
happy to provide the additional information you need.
Academic Achievement
Our elementary report card communicates achievement in academic areas according to a four-point key.
Academic Descriptions
(Grade Level Standards) Key
4 Exemplary
3
2
1
NE
Uses Skill
Consistently
Developing
This Skill
Needs Time
To Develop
Not Evaluated
Student work/achievement at grade
level was exceptional. Students
need not be working above grade
level to receive a 4, however they
may be.
Student work/achievement meets
the expectations for the grade level
at this time.
Student work/achievement varies in
consistency with regard to accuracy
and/or quality. Skills or
performance are below standard at
this time.
Student does not demonstrate basic
understanding of grade level
concepts at this time. Skills and
performance are inconsistent even
with additional guidance and
teacher support.
There will be instances when a
component of the report card does
not represent what was taught or
assessed in a certain trimester.
ALL ACADEMIC DESCRIPTORS REFLECT END-OF-TRIMESTER EXPECTATIONS

If your child receives a “2” or below on any standard, their teacher will address this in the comment section of the
report card.
Grades in Science/Health, Social Studies, Music, PE and Art will reflect a student’s effort rather than ability.
The Reading, Writing, and Mathematics sections of the report card reflect the Washington State Reading, Writing,
and Mathematics Standards and emphasize the important components of each in instruction. Student performance in
each area is recorded separately.
Reading
Phonemic Awareness refers to how well your child can distinguish sounds within words.
Decoding refers to your child’s ability to use their knowledge of letter sounds to sound out words.
Letter knowledge gives you information about which names and sounds of letters your child has mastered.
Fluency refers to your child’s ability to recognize and orally read common sight words accurately.
Vocabulary refers to your child’s ability to understand and use grade level vocabulary appropriately.
Comprehension refers to your child’s ability to make meaning of text and retell a story.
Mathematics
There may be areas of math that are not reported each trimester because some concepts will be introduced and
evaluated at differing times of the school year.
Behavior
We recognize that parents need to know about their child’s behavior at school. Our report card provides this
information separately from the academic descriptors. It is important to understand that your student’s academic
achievement marks do not reflect their effort or behavior. This is outlined in the section on behavior and uses the
following key:
Behavior Key
Outstanding O
Satisfactory S
Needs Improvement N
Resources for Parents
Washington State’s Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction (OSPI) has produced a flyer for parents called
“Your Child’s Progress”. It provides examples of grade level expectations and basic information on state testing for
grades 3-10. You can access these and other parent resources at their website: www.k12.wa.us/resources
Additional resources are available on our district website: http://www.lkstevens.wednet.edu (from the drop down box
Parents & Students, select Elementary Curriculum)
Revised 12/10