November 22, 2024
Dear Woodland Middle School Families,
The first report cards of the 2024-2025 school year are now available in Skyward Family Access. This is the first trimester, and first report card, since the implementation of Standards-Based Learning at Middle School, and like anything new we have had some initial problems that we are working to rectify.
The transition to a Standards-Based system is not just an adjustment for students and their families; this concept is new for Middle School teachers as well. One of the main concerns we are hearing from parents is the confusion surrounding the conversion of numeric standards evaluation into letter grades.
True standards-based learning and assessment does not involve traditional letter grades; our Woodland students in grades K-5 are only using the 4,3,2,1 scale on report cards. When we were planning to implement standards-based learning at the middle school, we heard strong feedback from parents that there was a need to translate the numbers into traditional letter grades. Our attempt to do so has been one of the main implementation problems we have encountered, and we realize that our initial communication around the 4-point scale is not in line with translating to a final letter grade. We will be requesting feedback from families, teachers, and students on the translation to letter grades as part of our analysis as we develop plans for moving forward.
Another stumbling block has been in communicating opportunities for the many student supports we have built into the school day and beyond. For students who may be struggling, the Middle School offers a Student Success Center, an intervention period, the ability to retake assessments, and Saturday Study Hall & Homework Help, in addition to support within the classroom. These programs are available to all students with after school transportation provided by Woodland, but we must continue to work to encourage students to take advantage of these supports even while we do a better job of communicating these opportunities to our families.
We also plan to take a serious look at our Learning Management System and how we report ongoing practice, homework, and other preparation. We want to make clear when students are completing work, but ultimately their proficiency is demonstrated on assessments. We also need to work with students and families to understand that when we encounter new and complex skills, it follows that it will take time to reach proficiency. Standards-Based Learning is about guiding students from approaching proficiency in their early work on a new concept to demonstrating proficiency on future assessments.
Ultimately, we know that a standards-based approach is the right thing for our students’ long term, as it provides a more detailed picture of their progress toward important grade level content standards. Under this model, students are taught to focus more on their own learning and understanding so that over time they will develop a clearer understanding of what they know and what they need to work on. Teachers will deliver feedback more consistently and have more accurate data on students’ abilities and challenges.
We have heard from both teachers and parents that more work needs to be done to help with the implementation of Standards-Based Learning. Here are some things currently underway, or coming soon:
Students: We will gather feedback from students on what practices are currently working and which practices need work.
Staff: We will continue working with staff on identifying the support they need to implement standards-based learning and assessment with fidelity.
Professional Development: We have met with grade level content teams at the Middle School to identify pain points and ongoing job embedded professional development needed to support them during the second and third trimester.
Support: The middle school administrative team is actively working to provide ongoing support during planning periods and early release Fridays.
In addition, the Middle School administrative team will be reaching out to families before Winter Break, and students will have the opportunity to share their thoughts during intervention periods. We will also tap into various student advisory groups to provide feedback.
For those of you who have already reached out with your questions and concerns, thank you for providing meaningful feedback and engaging in these conversations. We look forward to working with you as we continue to improve our practices.
Sincerely,
Dr. Trisha Shrode, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning
Dr. Victoria Reizman, Director of Teaching and Learning