MCPS Implements Changes to Elementary School Report Cards

MCPS has made some changes to elementary report cards for the 2017-2018 school year. In a recent video on the MCPSTV YouTube channel, MCPS’ director of elementary curriculum Ms. Niki Hazel, explained the changes.

“We found it necessary to make changes to the report cards because over the last five or six years as we implemented the standards-based report card there was a lot of confusion from parents, from teachers, administrators about the meaning of the grades. We received a number of questions from teachers, principals, and parents about the grades and their meaning,” Hazel said in the video, “We had the ‘ES,’ ‘P,’ ‘I,’ and ‘N’ grades — ‘ES’ meaning exceptional at the grade level standard. And we found that there were many teachers and parents that were confused about what that meant and how you received that grade. And over time many schools made the decision not to give the grade. And we had many students that were receiving all ‘Ps’ on their report card. Parents didn’t find that information to be helpful to them.”

The Grading & Reporting section of the Montgomery County Public Schools website outlines the changes:

• A, B, C, D in Grades 2–5.
• Kindergarten students will get a report card four times (instead of twice) per year.
• Includes overall subject grade (in addition to the end-of-year average and measurement topics per marking period).
• Includes reporting of key learning skills.

The MCPS website displays examples of what the new report cards will look like:

Image credit: MCPS

For students in grades 2-5, MCPS has standard definitions for the meaning of ‘A, B,C & D’ grades:

A – The student consistently demonstrates mastery of the grade level
standards taught this marking period.
B – The student frequently demonstrates mastery of the grade level
standards taught this marking period.
C – The student periodically demonstrates mastery of the grade level
standards taught this marking period.
D -The student rarely demonstrates mastery of the grade level
standards taught this marking period.

Watch MCPSTV’s video explaining the changes in more detail below:

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