Math Reporting Guidelines for Grades 1-6 SY 2016-2017

FALL 2017 NOTE FOR WCSU TEACHERS: Please note that this blog post provided guidance for last year (2016- 2017). It provided a work around with the old report card that used the reporting labels: Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, Progressing, etc. Now that the labels on the report card are changing, the work around described here will no longer be necessary. I will edit this information when I get more information about what the report card will look like.

The purpose of this blog post is to provide guidance for WCSU teachers in grades k-6 on how to communicate and report student achievement in relation to our grade level performance indicators for mathematics.  I’ll provide some background information and then explain how to proceed going forward this school year.  If you have questions or suggestions, please let me know (email me at edorsey@u32.org or comment below), and I will update this post to incorporate your feedback.

Background Information

Since this past January, our standards-based report cards for grades K-6  have included our WCSU Math Performance Indicators (formerly known as WCSU Math Non-negotiables).  These are the math skills and concepts that students are expected to have mastered at the Applications & Communications level by the end of the school year.

In Infinite Campus, teachers were asked to score students Academic Performance Level on the following 4 point scale.*

In the meantime, we have been using the proficiency scale below (formerly known as "levels of knowing") to assess student mastery of the performance indicators (formerly "non-negotiables") for math:

WCSU Levels of Math Proficiency

Level 3	Intuitive The student shows knowledge of the key prerequisite skills.
Level 2	Concrete & Pictorial All of level 1 and: The student shows knowledge of the concept using concrete models and diagrams to find solutions.
Level 3	Abstract/Symbolic All of level 2 and: The student can use symbolic models to find solutions and can use multiple representations (such as concrete, pictorial and symbolic models) flexibly to demonstrate and understanding of operations, algorithms and symbolic methods. Work is thorough, efficient and accurate.
Level 4	Application/Communication All of level 3 and: The student has a deep understanding of the concept, produces accurate and thorough work, is able to explain theoretical understandings using multiple representations (including concrete, pictorial and symbolic) as opposed to simply memorizing a process.   The student is able to apply the concept flexibly to a myriad of mathematical and non-routine real world contexts by: Generalizing or connecting ideas using supporting evidence. Making and justifying conjectures. Understanding operations, relationships, patterns and rules. Employing a variety of strategies. Justifying and proving responses. Explaining thinking when more than one response is possible. Formulating a problem or model given a complex situation. Conducting a project that specifies a problem, identifies and analyzes solution paths, solves the problem, and reports result.

Teachers were glad to see that the report cards reflected the changes in math instruction and assessment.  However, there were no guidelines available for teachers.  What were the “expectations” in January and what did it mean for a student to meet them?  Teachers had to make their own interpretations, so reporting practices were inconsistent.  We needed to define what the expectations were at the various reporting windows, and what it looked like to meet them.

Last year, the Math Steering Committee completed proficiency scales (formerly known as “levels of knowing”) for each WCSU Performance Indicator.  The proficiency scales represent a developmental progression and contain learning targets (“I can” statements) for each level that help students and teachers assess and guide instruction.

Then, we created scope and sequencing documents for each grade level from kindergarten through grade 8 that include “Benchmark Expectations” for each reporting window.  Take this second grade scope and sequence for example:

A teacher can see that in October for progress reports and parent conferences, we expect that students will be at a level 2 (concrete/pictorial) for these non-negotiables:

• Adds and Subtracts Fluently Within 20
• Identifies how many hundreds, tens, and ones, are in a number to 1000 and write numbers in various forms
• Skip counts forwards and backwards by 2, 5, 10, and 100 up to 1000.

Additionally, the proficiency scales for each performance indicator, gives teachers a definition of what we mean when we say that a student is at a level 2 (concrete & pictorial) for each performance indicator.  For example, when we say that a student “Adds and Subtracts Fluently Within 20” we mean that the student can meet all of the learning targets in both level 1 and level 2 below:

Level 1 Intuitive	Level 2 Concrete & Pictorial	Level 3 Abstract & Symbolic	Level 4 - Applications & Communication
I can demonstrate the commutative property of addition with addition sight facts within 10 (Mastery of WCSU NN 1.1). I can interpret number as a continuous length from 0 to 20. I can compose and decompose various continuous lengths to 20.	I can use Cuisenaire rods to demonstrate addition and subtraction for sight facts to 20. I can demonstrate addition and subtraction using an open number line for sight facts to 20.	I can write expressions and equations to represent addition and subtraction sight facts to 20. I can solve equations that represent addition and subtraction sight facts to 20 with fluency and flexibility, for example 12=20- ?.	I can solve and create various types of addition and subtraction word problems using additive sight facts to 20. I can solve addition and subtraction equations (up to 20) with fluency and flexibility (for example 12+ ?=20-6). I can explain my reasoning in more than one way (using multiple representations) when solving addition and subtraction equations for sight facts (up to 20). I can use multiple representations (concrete, pictorial and symbolic) to explain the additive inverse relationship between addition and subtraction.

When and how are we reporting this year?

In WCSU, we recognize that the most important purpose for reporting is to provide information or feedback to students and caregivers on a student’s development of proficiency in relation to grade level expectations throughout the year.  Currently, we report four times per year: progress reports and parent conferences in early November, report cards in mid-January, progress reports and parent conferences in April, and report cards in June.

At each of those reporting times, teachers will use the scope and sequence and proficiency scales to communicate a student’s progress in relation to WCSU Benchmark Expectations.  For example:

Academic Performance Level (on IC report card)	Student’s Level of Math Proficiency	Possible comment
N/A	The WCSU Scope and Sequence does not include benchmark expectations for this performance indicator in this reporting period.	This performance indicator will be addressed later in the year...
1 Does not meet expectations	Student is working on achieving learning targets a level or more below the benchmark level.	In October, we expect students to have mastered all concrete/pictorial learning targets for this skill.  This student is still working on intuitive skills such as...
2 Progressing to expectations.	Student is working on achieving learning targets at the benchmark level.	In October, we expect students to have mastered all concrete/pictorial learning targets for this skill.  This student is still working on concrete/pictorial skills such as...
3 Meets expectations	Student has achieved all learning targets at the benchmark level.	In October, we expect students to have mastered all concrete/pictorial learning targets for this skill.  This student has met all appropriate learning targets.
4 Exceeds expectations	Student is working on achieving learning targets a level or more above the benchmark level.	In October, we expect students to have mastered all concrete/pictorial learning targets for this skill.  This student has met all appropriate learning targets and is working on these abstract/symbolic learning targets ...

In other words, the number on the report card describes the student's achievement in relation to the WCSU Benchmark Expectations.

A few more key points

Essentially, we using a proficiency-based learning model.  We are reporting progress with regards towards proficiency towards the standard (the performance indicator at level 4 the Application Communication level) using our comments.  We are relating that level of proficiency to established expectations at the particular time in the school year.  A few other things to note:

• You will want enough data to determine a student’s level of math proficiency and can include a combination of formative and summative assessments.
• There are no “zeros” when a student does not complete an assignment.  Work completion and other work habits are transferable skills that should be captured separate from their math achievement in the Personal Development section on the report card.
• Scores at the beginning of a unit of instruction should not penalize a student, so averaging scores to approximate a level of math proficiency is not appropriate and teachers should choose another method to ascertain a student’s level as of a reporting date.

Finally, I want to acknowledge that there is still much to discuss and determine within our supervisory union as we implement the WCSU Student Learning Outcomes and proficiency-based graduation requirements.  I hope that this document will provide guidance for elementary math teachers until we have a more comprehensive K-12 approach.

*Kindergarten uses letters rather than numbers to report (i.e., m for "meets expectations"), but otherwise the idea and guidelines are the same.