Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are pleased to announce that the Rutherford School District is now using a standards-based report card for all elementary students. This report card was developed by our teachers and more closely aligns with State mandates regarding expectations for student learning. This is an exciting step for our district as we work towards making sure all students are successful at meeting grade-level standards.
Standards describe what a student should know and be able to do at each grade level in all subjects. This report card is designed to give you more and better information about how your child is progressing. The report card will tell you if your child is exceeding the standards for the grade level; meeting grade-level standards; approaching the standards; or if your child has not met the standards. The report card also provides information on your child’s work habits. The numbers on a standards-based report card are not meant to correlate to an A, B, C, or D letter grade.
The standards-based report card is helpful in many ways. First, it helps to make sure there is more consistency of expectations from teacher to teacher. It helps teachers and students focus on the standards from the very beginning of the school year, giving students the opportunity to get help earlier if they are not making adequate progress.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you will know exactly how your child is doing based on the standards. You will learn which big ideas and concepts your child has learned and also what work still needs to be done to make sure your child is ready for the next grade level.
While this represents a change from the previous report card, we believe it will more accurately indicate how your child is performing based on the New Jersey Common Core State Standards.
Sincerely,
Rosemary F. Jones, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools