Procedures

The report card is a formal summary of the student’s current academic achievement, work habits, and citizenship. It is one form of communication about student achievement among teachers, parents, and students. The information on a report card should adequately reflect the student’s development of demonstrated understanding, skills, and knowledge relative to outcomes contained in the Program of Studies.  In addition to academic achievement, the development of attributes critical to success as a contributing, caring citizen is important to share. Through the process of reporting, teachers, parents, and students are encouraged to discuss a student’s performance and identify strategies for future progress and achievement.

The criteria established for our report card identified the following parameters:

• Concise, clear, easy to understand by parents/students
• Manageable for teachers
• Consistent symbol usage
• Reflects Program of Studies
• Meets the stated purpose
• Consistent format
• Flexible in determined areas
• Transitions well from division grading practices

Definitions:

1. Accommodation means adjustments to the instructional process in such a way as to ensure the optimal learning opportunity for the student with regard to such things as instructional strategies, assessment procedures, materials, facilities, or equipment.
2. Achievement means a student’s demonstration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes relative to grade-level learner outcomes.
3. Adapted programming means programming that retains the learner outcomes of the Program of Studies and where adjustments to the instructional process (accommodations) are provided to address the individual learning needs of the student.  A student may be working on learner outcomes at grade levels above or below his/her enrolled grade.
4. Curriculum standards mean the expected student learning outcomes sequenced by grade level against which student performance is judged.
5. Grade means the enrolment designation.
6. Grade level means the level the child has achieved in relation to the grade levels of the provincial programs of study.
7. Learner outcome means what students are expected to learn – the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are provincially mandated.
8. Modified programming means programming in which the learner outcomes are significantly different from the programs of studies and are specifically selected to meet the student’s special education needs.
9. Performance means how well a student is able to demonstrate the learner outcomes at a particular grade level.

Procedure:

1. Report cards will be provided to parents a minimum of three times during the year.
2. School communities have flexibility in reflecting the Alberta Program of Studies; however, Appendix A provides a recommended format.
3. School communities have flexibility regarding the use of achievement indicators for students from Grades 1-9 to communicate achievement in relation to the Alberta Program of Studies at their grade level (see definition).  Either percentages or the descriptive indicators below will be used unless an exception has been approved through the Superintendent’s Office.
   
   Achievement Indicators  

   Level	Descriptor
   4	Work is excellent at grade level and provides evidence of an in-depth understanding and application of the learner outcomes.
   3	Work is proficient at grade level and provides evidence of a solid understanding and application of the learner outcomes.
   2	Work is at grade level and provides evidence of a basic understanding and application of the learner outcomes.
   1	Work is not yet at grade level. Additional instructional opportunities are required to meet learner outcomes.
   NMA	No mark assigned due to insufficient evidence of achievement.

    
4.  Achievement of Grade 10 to 12 students will be reported in percentages.
5. Teachers are expected to comment on the development of student attributes critical to success as a contributing, caring citizen in the following areas:
   a)     Work Habits:
   - Demonstrates an interest in learning
   - Demonstrates independence
   - Demonstrates cooperation
   - Works effectively to complete tasks
   b)     Citizenship Skills:
   - Demonstrates respect
   - Accepts and practices responsibility
   - Expresses feelings and needs appropriately (Elementary grades)
   - Demonstrates appropriate Social Skills (Middle school grades)
   - Follows established routines
   School communities have flexibility to add one additional student attribute in each of  work habits and citizenship skills.
   At grades 1 to 8 or 9, based on school grade configuration, student attribute indicators are: Consistently Demonstrates (C), Sometimes Demonstrates (S), Infrequently Demonstrates (I).  At the high school level, student attributes are addressed through teacher comments.
6. For students on modified programming (see definition), Appendix B provides a recommended format.”
7. For reporting growth and development at the Kindergarten level, please use Appendix C.
8. The report card is only one method of communicating information.  Conferences are a critical component of the reporting process and provide an opportunity to share information about the student’s learning.
9. Grade Level of Achievement will be communicated to parents by mid-June using our division template, located in the Forms Manual, and not provided with the year-end report card.

Guide to Education
Cross Reference:

Administrative Procedure 361 - Communicating Student Achievement
Administrative Procedure 364 - Grading for Learning