Standards-Based Report Cards

This year, students in TK - 6th grade will be transitioning to a new report card known as Standards-Based Report Cards! This change is important as it supports our mission of providing every student with an equitable opportunity to learn and be successful, no matter who they are or where they go to school.

Over the past three years, the Manteca Unified Reporting Committee made up of teachers, principals, and district administrators, worked together to develop the new standards-based reporting system. As part of our process, the new report cards were tested in selected classrooms across the district during the 2023-2024 school year. Known as a pilot program, it included about 3,200 families and 110 TK-6 teachers who adopted the system early.

We are thrilled to fully implement across the district this school year!

Why Standards-Based Report Cards?

The traditional grading system, which uses letter grades from A-F, can sometimes leave out important details, such as understanding your child’s academic strengths, or how your child can improve. Traditional grading focuses on several scores from tests and assignments but does not tell parents which skills their child has mastered. For example, reporting that a student earned a "C" in math does not help a student or their parents know what they can or cannot do.

Our new report card provides clear communication about the exact learning goals students are expected to achieve in their grade level. For example, it’s much clearer to report that a student earned a “Proficient” mark in multiplying and dividing fractions.

In other words, instead of focusing on percentages or points, standards-based reporting focuses on how well your child understands the material versus their ability to earn points.

With the new report cards, we believe that your understanding of what is expected of your child and how well they are progressing is very important. This clarity will help parents and caretakers to support their child's learning more effectively.

Resources

Family Letter - July (English)

Family Letter - July (spanish)

Family Letter - March (English)

Family Letter - March (Spanish)

Common Core Standards

Parent Guides to Success

Parent Roadmaps to the Standards

Informational Flyer (English)

informational flyer (spanish)

Ask a Question

MUSD TK-6 Proficiency Scale

Teachers will use the following proficiency scale marks and descriptions on the report card to communicate student progress toward meeting essential grade level standards for all subject areas.

Exceeded (EX)	Student has demonstrated mastery of grade level standards and is able to extend and apply concepts with a greater depth of understanding to new situations.
Proficient (PR)	Student Demonstrates mastery of grade level standards.
Approaching (AP)	Student shows basic understanding and is progressing toward mastery of the grade level standard.
Beginning (BE)	Student is beginning to demonstrate understanding by is not yet meeting grade level standards.
Insufficient (IN)	Student has not demonstrated enough evidence to assess the grade level standards.

Report Card Examples & Family Guides

Transitional Kindergarten

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Standards-Based Report Card Vs. Traditional Grading

In a traditional grading system, there is room for grading bias, which means that a student’s grade might not show how well they are actually understanding the material. This is because their grade is affected by things like extra credit, zeros, and group scores.

In a standards-based grading system, grades or “marks” are more concerned with how a student is mastering certain standards. Essentially, we don’t need to know if a student has an “A” in math. We need to know if a student is successful doing long division, which will influence their success in math later.

Teachers will also have the ability to leave comments on their students’ report cards to inform parents of progress.

Standards-Based Report Card	Traditional Grading
Focuses on students’ individual learning goals and growth. Measures student achievement through evidence, unaffected by extra credit or zeros. Gives students marks based on how they are currently performing, not averaging their performance overall	Students receive letter grades based on a percentage of work done. Overall grades are an average of work complete. One single grade is given per subject or course.

This kind of transparency will give families a better understanding of their child's progress. Instead of simply receiving a good or bad letter grade or a percentage, families will now know their child’s learning goals, referred to as grade level standards, how their child is meeting said goals, and where their child might need extra help.

Standards Explained

The California Department of Education establishes what students should learn in each grade level. Learning standards are set by the state, but it is up to local school districts to teach to those standards (sometimes we call them learning goals). Essentially, standards are what students should know and be able to do at the end of each grade.

It would be impossible to list every state standard on the report card, so for the last two years, district elementary teachers and MUSD’s reporting committee worked to identify the most important standards in Math, English Language Arts, Science, History, and Physical Education that students will be assessed or evaluated on using the standards-based report cards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Standards-based report cards?

How will standards-based grading affect my family?

Isn’t it important for students to have a GPA?

TK-6th grade are crucial years that lay the foundation for a child’s learning path. We believe it to be far more beneficial for students and their families to focus on developing skills and educational growth at a young age, rather than what letter grade students will receive.

As educators, our goal is to set students up for success by building knowledge and confidence before they reach junior high when letter grades will begin, and ultimately high school, when letter grades are referenced for college admissions.

What about Honor Roll & Acorn eligibility?

Standards-Based Report Cards do not have a grade point average (GPA.). Sites have already been working to move away from celebrating students based only GPA/honor roll and have transitioned student recognitions based on MAP growth and achievement. Acorn Sports eligibility will also focus on student achievement and growth (i.e. scoring green or blue on MAP or achievement of growth targets).

How can I monitor my child's growth?

We encourage families to stay in contact with their child’s teacher for direct feedback on their child’s learning growth. Parents and caregivers also have access to Q Parent Connect throughout the trimester to view student progress marks on standards.

We also strongly encourage all families to participate in Goal Setting Conferences in September & January to discuss their child’s MAP scores and set goals for improvement.

Are there resources for me to support my child's learning at home?

MUSD students can access an interactive learning path created just for them using Exact Path. This digital platform uses a child's MAP test data to meet them where they are, customizing a learning path to help them improve reading, language arts, and math skills.

Click here to access Exact Path

Reading at home with your child is also a great exercise that supports their success in all subjects! Reach out to your child's teacher if you need support finding books that are appropriate for your child's grade and reading level.

How will teachers determine if my child has met a standard?

What if my child is proficient in a subject in trimester one and falling behind in trimester two?

It is important to note that your child's mark may change from report card to report card as concepts increase in difficulty. So, it is possible that a student who earns a mark of “Proficient” in the first trimester may earn “Approaching” in the second reporting trimester when the difficulty has been increased.

For example, early in second grade, students are expected to solve one-step word problems. Later in the year, students need to solve multi-step word problems. A student who receives “Proficient” earlier in the year for this standard and “Approaching” later in the year needs more time to acquire the necessary skills and concepts to solve these types of more challenging problems.

If your child needs more help meeting standards, supplemental supports can be put in place at any time. Their teacher may support them in a small group setting to reteach subject matter as necessary.

Can a report card assign marks for a child with a disability based on the student's grade level standards?

Yes. Assigning grades (i.e., achievement or "letter" grades) for a child with a disability based on the student's grade level (i.e., year-in-school) standards would be consistent with Section 504 or Title II.

Generally, Section 504 and Title II would require that if a Local Education Authority (LEA), or school district, assigns grades to nondisabled students participating in regular education classes using grade level standards to reflect progress in the general education curriculum, then the LEA would also assign grades to students with disabilities participating in regular education classes using grade level standards to reflect progress in the general education curriculum.

What if I have a question?

We encourage families to reach out to their child’s school site and teacher for general questions. If you would like to directly ask the district a question, you can click the “Ask a Question” button on this web page.

Manteca Unified will also be conducting parent surveys during the 2024-25 school year to collect district-wide feedback, so be sure to check all emails sent from Manteca Unified.

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