Progress Reports

Today the first grade teachers sent home progress reports for the first quarter. As you look at your child’s grades and discuss them with him or her, please keep in mind the meaning of each letter grade.

• A means that your child’s work is consistently exceptional. Unlike in the past, A’s will not be given to very many students. We are trying to set the proper expectations now so that there is not such a big change when the students get to second or third grade. It is a common misconception that anything less than an A means a child either has not been working hard or is doing poorly in school. This is not necessarily the case. 

• B means that your child’s work is usually excellent. This is work that exceeds the standards.

• C means that your child is meeting the standards, but is making some errors.

• D means that the student is behind the average group. Please make sure to spend extra time working with him or her at home in these areas.

This understanding of letter grades will be particularly true for writing, as you can see on the writing rubrics that are also being sent home today.

Some of the assignments given in reading are completed with partners or with teacher assistance, so the reading grades are representative of your child’s in class work rather than only his or her reading level. Please note your child’s Fountas and Pinnell reading level (sent home today) for a broader view of your child’s reading performance. I also sent home a chart to show the reading level expectations for September, February, and May, when we do our testing.

I hope this helps you to better understand your child’s progress report. I also encourage you to check the online Parent Portal to see each of your child's individual grades and the average percentage they received. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.