Title: Elementary School Report Cards - Benaim

Description:

I suggest that in addition to the performance levels of 1, 2 and 3, the District add 4 and 5 to the elementary report cards.  The parents of children below grade level get more information than the parents of students that perform at or above grade level.  I agree that the history of the use of marking codes (A, B, C, D and F), makes their use with a different definition too confusing.  This is in spite of the fact that each of our schools are given these marking codes by the state with a completely different meaning than when they are used to grade students.  An A, B, C, D or F school implies a grade that is standards based relative to the Sunshine State Standards.

If the data is readily available, I feel it is just as important for parents to have the added information of their child being above grade level.  This can be simply achieved by adding a 4 and a 5 to the performance levels.  A 4 would mean that their child is less then 1 year above grade level and a 5 would mean that their child is more than one year above grade level.  This would give the parents of higher performing children just as much information about their child as the parents of lower performing children. 

I would like for the superintendent and staff to study the feasibility of including a 4 and 5 for the elementary school report card, as depicted above, and to add this to the grading system if the report card committee concurs that it is useful, fair and not too formidable a task to add. 

Financial Impact:
N/A

For Additional Information, contact:
Wanda Morelli