Dear Parents,
As of the 2024-25 school year, Rosamond is a standards-based grading school. Another way to say this is proficiency-based learning. This means that we will be sharing your child’s progress in a different way than you have seen in the past. A 4-point scale will be used that correlates with the Utah Core Standards. This reporting will provide a more accurate picture of what your child knows and areas in which he/she can grow. Please note that the grade level goal is a 3. This means a student is proficient in grade level skills. This is a change from what you have seen in the past when the expectation was a 4.
For your understanding, here is a table to explain the ratings:
| 4
The student has an advanced understanding and exceeds grade level expectations. |
3
The student has an understanding of the concept and can perform its skills and processes. |
2
The student has a |
1
The student needs |
Here are some answers to questions you may have.
WHY CHANGE THE WAY WE REPORT GRADES? The way grades have been reported in the past didn’t show a clear, accurate picture of what a child knows. It was a system of averaging scores together from the beginning to the end of the grading period. That means that student grades were affected as they were being introduced to new concepts and learning them. It didn’t show what they ultimately learned. This new practice will help you understand what your child actually knows – not how long it took him/her to learn it.
IF MY CHILD PREVIOUSLY EARNED MOSTLY 4’S, WHAT CAN I EXPECT NOW? If your child has consistently earned 4’s in the past, you can expect him/her to earn 3’s and possibly some 4’s now. However, you may see some 2’s, or even 1's, mixed in as well – especially near the beginning of the year.
This will tell you that in that particular area, your child is developing his/her understanding of a concept, but hasn’t quite mastered it yet.
CAN EXTRA CREDIT HELP MY CHILD’S GRADE? While we encourage extra practice and effort on skills that are more difficult to master, extra credit defeats the purpose of standards-based grading. Grades are not earned by obtaining extra points. Grades are based solely on proficiency of Utah Core Standards.
WHO CAN I TURN TO WITH QUESTIONS? This is a change for all of us, and we will all be learning this year. Feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher, or to administration, if we can help you or your student as we navigate this change. We're excited to implement this new model, and appreciate your support!