MEXICO – SAD 43 report cards will look a whole lot different when they are issued early next month.

That’s one of the reasons the district’s administrators are conducting a series of workshops to let parents know of the change and to explain why it is being made.

On Thursday afternoon, about a dozen parents attended the second of a two-day forum at Mountain Valley Middle School. The same forum is scheduled for Thursday evening, then a follow-up to both days’ sessions will be held Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m.

The new report card – for all students K-9 – will list E’s for exceeding state educational standards, M’s for meeting them, P’s for partially meeting the standards and N’s for not meeting them.

They will also provide details on what those expectations are, said Curriculum Coordinator Gloria Jenkins.

“We wanted a concise, clear and honest report card,” she said. “We made a list of criteria that we wanted to use.”

She emphasized that the card, as well as how the standards are met, are works in progress.

She and other administrators researched similar efforts by state and out-of-state schools currently developing the so-called standards-based report cards. In Maine, most of the standards are based on Maine Learning Results and Maine Educational Assessment tests.

While homework won’t be graded as in the past, such assignments are like “getting ready for the big game,” she said.

In other words, completing homework assignments shows the teacher how well the student is doing toward meeting any particular standard that will be tested.

Many parents and students want to know how the honor roll will be used with the new grading system. Mountain Valley Middle School Principal Charles Lever said at least for the first trimester, anyone who receives M’s or E’s will make the roll. More work is planned, however.

Future honor rolls may take into account such things as effort, attendance and attitude.

“Everyone recognizes the need to recognize students who do a great job. We’re not sure how yet. Perhaps those who are able to get a concept immediately,” suggested Superintendent James Hodgkin.

The “work in progress” also includes finding ways to provide additional educational challenges for students who learn a concept very quickly and want to work toward an “E” assessment. And for those who need more time than others to understand a standard, Hodgkin said additional staff may be needed to provide remediation.

Soon, parents will be able to keep track of their child’s progress on meeting standards in each of the subject areas by logging onto a Web site.

A later public forum will be offered on that procedure when a computer program known as PowerSchool goes online.

SAD 43, like all other public school districts in the state, is mandated to devise an assessment system that will meet state educational standards prior to awarding a high school diploma.

The Class of 2007 will be required to have met all standards in language arts and mathematics. The Class of 2008 must meet standards for those subjects as well as for health, science and technology, and social studies.

And the Class of 2010 must meet standards for all subjects including visual and performing arts, foreign language and career preparation.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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