February, 2012
Dear Parents, Students, and Staff,
The past month has been very busy as students and teachers prepared to close out the first half of the school year and plan for a strong and newly energized start to the second semester. Report cards went home with students on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. I encourage parents to talk with their high school child about his/her progress during the first half of this year and to set individual learning goals for the remainder of the school year. Remember that teachers, staff, guidance counselors and administrators are here to help your child achieve success and to be actively engaged in his/her learning. Do not hesitate to call any one of us if you have any questions regarding their learning experience.
I encourage you to visit the school and district websites to keep informed of upcoming events as well as to read the reports and details of the many accomplishments of our high school students. I particularly call your attention to Triton Today on the home page of the district web site for current School Committee and district news.
Thank you to all who participated in the District Homework Survey. We appreciate the time you gave to completing this survey and sharing your views with us. The results of this survey along with results from surveys completed by students and staff will be helpful as the district moves forward in instituting a homework policy that will best meet the needs of all students.
I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a bit about some of the current research and efforts that are going on in the high school. With the increased focus on standards-based education, more and more states, districts and schools are becoming interested in standards-based grading and report cards. Some schools are now experimenting with changes in their report cards to better reflect student progress toward achieving the standards. Additionally, NEASC (New England Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges) calls on schools to identify essential learning’s for all students as well as to identify the standards for mastery in all subjects. To this end, Triton High School has entered the discussion and research faze of considering the ways student achievement and progress are communicated to both students and parents. Teachers have been actively researching and engaged in discussions about grading and standards-based reporting with the goal of ensuring consistency and fairness for all students.
“Grades serve many functions: they are a way to communicate with students and their parents about achievement and effort; they are sometimes used to select and sort students for various programs; and they can serve as an incentive for students to learn and behave in certain ways. High school grades are of particular interest to many parents and students because they are an important factor in college admission decisions. While measurement experts urge that grades be focused on current levels of achievement, teachers typically consider a variety of other factors when assigning grades, including effort, progress, participation, behavior, and attitude."(Boston, C., Educational Resource Information Center (U.S. Department of Education)
At this point, the high school continues to further their research into a “standards based report card". A standards-based report card would list the most important skills students should learn in a particular subject. Standards-based reporting will more accurately show parents and students specific areas of proficiency as well as areas needing improvement. I mention this in an effort to keep you informed and to welcome you into the discussion as we move ahead. This process will take time to develop and we are not proposing a change at this time. I encourage you to check out the article I have referenced below to learn more about standards–based reporting.
Another NEASC recommendation to Triton High School is to “study the schedule to better align with the school’s mission and student expectations". A group of teachers have recently begun to undertake this study with an eye to establishing a school structure that will support the individualization of the learning experience for each student. Research has shown that the teacher-student relationship is key to learning and that personalizing the environment for students - combined with high expectations and a rigorous, challenging, and relevant curriculum, leads to improved student performance.
Please be assured that these areas of research will be conducted with a focus on the collaborative process. “An initiative that is based on solid research, implemented within a collaborative process, and introduced with fidelity to the implementation procedures will stand a greater chance of success and effectiveness.” (NASSP, Breaking Ranks, The Comprehensive Framework for School Improvement, 2011)
I look forward to the work ahead of us and the challenges it will bring. The goal of educating all of our students in 21st Century Skills, and preparing them to graduate from high school, college and career ready will always be the essential component of our work.
Sincerely,
Kathryn E. Dawe
For Information about Standards-Based Report Cards
http://www.ericdigests.org/2005-2/cards.html
Dear Parents, Students, and Staff,
The past month has been very busy as students and teachers prepared to close out the first half of the school year and plan for a strong and newly energized start to the second semester. Report cards went home with students on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. I encourage parents to talk with their high school child about his/her progress during the first half of this year and to set individual learning goals for the remainder of the school year. Remember that teachers, staff, guidance counselors and administrators are here to help your child achieve success and to be actively engaged in his/her learning. Do not hesitate to call any one of us if you have any questions regarding their learning experience.
I encourage you to visit the school and district websites to keep informed of upcoming events as well as to read the reports and details of the many accomplishments of our high school students. I particularly call your attention to Triton Today on the home page of the district web site for current School Committee and district news.
Thank you to all who participated in the District Homework Survey. We appreciate the time you gave to completing this survey and sharing your views with us. The results of this survey along with results from surveys completed by students and staff will be helpful as the district moves forward in instituting a homework policy that will best meet the needs of all students.
I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a bit about some of the current research and efforts that are going on in the high school. With the increased focus on standards-based education, more and more states, districts and schools are becoming interested in standards-based grading and report cards. Some schools are now experimenting with changes in their report cards to better reflect student progress toward achieving the standards. Additionally, NEASC (New England Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges) calls on schools to identify essential learning’s for all students as well as to identify the standards for mastery in all subjects. To this end, Triton High School has entered the discussion and research faze of considering the ways student achievement and progress are communicated to both students and parents. Teachers have been actively researching and engaged in discussions about grading and standards-based reporting with the goal of ensuring consistency and fairness for all students.
“Grades serve many functions: they are a way to communicate with students and their parents about achievement and effort; they are sometimes used to select and sort students for various programs; and they can serve as an incentive for students to learn and behave in certain ways. High school grades are of particular interest to many parents and students because they are an important factor in college admission decisions. While measurement experts urge that grades be focused on current levels of achievement, teachers typically consider a variety of other factors when assigning grades, including effort, progress, participation, behavior, and attitude."(Boston, C., Educational Resource Information Center (U.S. Department of Education)
At this point, the high school continues to further their research into a “standards based report card". A standards-based report card would list the most important skills students should learn in a particular subject. Standards-based reporting will more accurately show parents and students specific areas of proficiency as well as areas needing improvement. I mention this in an effort to keep you informed and to welcome you into the discussion as we move ahead. This process will take time to develop and we are not proposing a change at this time. I encourage you to check out the article I have referenced below to learn more about standards–based reporting.
Another NEASC recommendation to Triton High School is to “study the schedule to better align with the school’s mission and student expectations". A group of teachers have recently begun to undertake this study with an eye to establishing a school structure that will support the individualization of the learning experience for each student. Research has shown that the teacher-student relationship is key to learning and that personalizing the environment for students - combined with high expectations and a rigorous, challenging, and relevant curriculum, leads to improved student performance.
Please be assured that these areas of research will be conducted with a focus on the collaborative process. “An initiative that is based on solid research, implemented within a collaborative process, and introduced with fidelity to the implementation procedures will stand a greater chance of success and effectiveness.” (NASSP, Breaking Ranks, The Comprehensive Framework for School Improvement, 2011)
I look forward to the work ahead of us and the challenges it will bring. The goal of educating all of our students in 21st Century Skills, and preparing them to graduate from high school, college and career ready will always be the essential component of our work.
Sincerely,
Kathryn E. Dawe
For Information about Standards-Based Report Cards
http://www.ericdigests.org/2005-2/cards.html
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