New Report Cards Coming to Elementary Schools

A new report card is expected to give elementary school parents a more detailed look at how their children are doing.

Monday night, the school committee approved the new report card for kindergarten through fourth grade, reflecting the new revised standards and exceptions of elementary students.

During a presentation for the school committee, Assistant Superintendent Amy Berdos said the new report cards are aligned to new standards set by the state framework for English language arts, history/social studies, science, technical subjects, and math.

While comparing the old and the new report card, Berdos said there is now room for more detailed information. For example, instead of grading a student on their ability to read and understand the content, they are now graded on if they can ask questions and recall the details of what they read.

“The report card is going to get more detailed but I think that’s a good thing as a parent because it’s going to help me know what you’re learning in more detail,” Committee Chair Bruce Garder said, in part to help a group of boy scouts who were in attendance understand the changes.

The new report cards will also see the elementary schools switch from four 45-day quarters to three 60-day trimesters due to the time needed to put together the new report cards. The middle and high schools will remain on the four-quarter system and kindergarteners will stick to two reports a year.

Superintendent Debra Spinelli, who has experience with trimesters from her time before working in Foxborough, said she believes that the three grading periods work better for elementary students.

The new report cards will go into effect at the start of the new year.