Dear Parents/Guardians:
This year Eatontown Public Schools has created new report cards for Preschool to Grade 3. Moving forward, these report cards will use a standards-based learning progression and the grades may look different than in the past. Your child will receive a 1, 2, 3, or 4 as a grade for content and special areas. Your child will receive an EE (Exceeds Expectations), ME (Meets Expectations), or NI (Needs Improvement) for Work Habits and Social and Emotional Development. These changes are based-upon years of research and planning on the part of the Eatontown school community including teachers as well as administrators.
Standards-based grading shifts the focus from earning points (Numbers or Letters) to a learning progression. Rather than worrying about how much an assignment is worth in terms of points, or if it is going to be graded, students focus on learning specific grade-level content and skills. Educational growth is the goal and purpose, not necessarily achieving letter or number grades. Parents and students also will have a clearer understanding of which concepts and skills still need to be worked on and which ones have been mastered. Freeing students from the pressure of receiving a certain letter grades allows them to take more educational risks which deepens their learning experience and better prepares them for life. The target is to have students reach the grade-level standards which are represented by the number 3. However, we will always strive to challenge our students to reach a 4.
The graphic below helps explain what the numbers represent:
If you have any questions regarding the new grading system for Preschool through Grade 3 which will take effect in November, please talk to your child’s teacher during Parent/Teacher Conferences or contact your child’s building principal.
Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Boufford
Director of Elementary and Secondary Education (K-4)