Ahead of report cards being issued in mid-October, GCISD’s Academics Team has developed standards-based rubrics (SBRC) for kindergarten through second grades that describe in greater detail what each grade means and what their student is able to do at this point in the school year.
“Our parents want to partner with us, and we want to partner with them,” said Nancy Hale, Director of Elementary Instruction. “With much of students' work now completed online, parents may not always see what their child is struggling with or how to help. The rubrics are designed to be used alongside the report card to give families a clear understanding of what their child can or cannot yet do in relation to the state standards.”
GCISD’s kindergarten through second grade report cards use a 1-4 standards-based grading scale aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). While the scale provides an overview of how students are progressing in the first nine weeks of the school year, the new companion document adds an extra layer of detail.
For example, if a kindergarten student receives a “3” in their report card for “Language Arts - K.2.B - demonstrates and applies phonetic knowledge,” parents can refer to the document to see that this indicates the student is currently able to blend and read most short a and short i consonant/vowel/consonant, or CVC, words.
The SBRC Rubrics are:
“Knowing exactly what their child can do or is still working on, empowers parents to support learning at home,” Hale said. “It also helps guide more specific conversations with teachers, so families know where to focus and how to help.”
In addition to supporting families, the tool also promotes consistency in grading across classrooms and campuses.
“We have the same expectations for all of our students,” Hale added. “This resource helps ensure that those expectations are communicated and applied clearly, no matter the class or campus.”
The new report card rubric will be shared with families via campus newsletters when report cards are issued. The report cards themselves will be viewable in Skyward.
Rubrics for the second nine weeks of school, currently in development, will be distributed in the next reporting period.