Curriculum

Revised Report Card

Report cards are intended to summarize and communicate student achievement at a point in time. They provide information about how your child is progressing towards outcomes outlined in Alberta Education’s curriculum. Beginning in September, we began implementing a new curriculum in these subjects:

English Language Arts

Kindergarten to Grade 3

Mathematics

Kindergarten to Grade 3

Physical Education and Wellness

Kindergarten to Grade 6

Please note that during the transition period, the changes described here will apply only to subjects and grades experiencing implementation. Subjects not experiencing implementation will continue to be reported on as they have in previous years.

Proficiency Scale

In St. Albert Public Schools, we capture student progress and achievement twice a year in Grades 1 to 6, in January and June. For Kindergarten students, that information is captured in an Exit Document once a year, in June. The timing and physical structure of the report card will remain the same this year. The proficiency scale used to report on student progress also remains unchanged, remaining at three levels:

  1. Excellent
  2. Meets the Acceptable Standard
  3. Has Yet to Meet the Acceptable Standard

For more information on the proficiency scale, please consult Proficiency Scales for Reporting (Grade 1 to 3 and Cogito Kindergarten) page.

Proficiency Scales for Reporting

Levels Report Card Descriptors What the Level is Not
 Excellent The student consistently demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the concepts and competencies relevant to the expected learning and extends their learning to a variety of situations independently.
  • above grade
  • level
  • high
  • percentage
  • many correct answers
  • fast
  • task completion
  • exceeds
Meets the Acceptable Standard The student generally demonstrates a proficient understanding of the concepts and competencies relevant to the expected learning on their own.  
  • at grade level
  • average percentage
  • more correct than incorrect answers
  • well-paced
  • average 
Has Yet to Meet the Acceptable Standard The student demonstrates an emerging or inconsistent understanding of the concepts and competencies relevant to the expected learning with support.
  • below grade level
  • failing
  • many incorrect answers
  • slow
  • lack of task completion
  • below average

Descriptive Words Related to the Levels

As you examine students’ work, these descriptive words related to the type of work being completed and the various levels may prove useful.

Process Skills Excellent Meets the Acceptable Standard Has Yet to Meet the Acceptable Standard
Using the right information
  • pertinent
  • purposeful
  • relevant
  • appropriate
  • vague
  • irrelevant
Using enough information
  • in-depth
  • comprehensive
  • rich
  • considerable
  • substantial
  • specific
  • basic
  • superficial
  • undeveloped
Designing or constructing
  • efficient
  • practical
  • ineffective
Supporting opinions
  • compelling
  • persuasive
  • convincing
  • credible
  • unsupported
  • weak
Organizing information
  • skillful
  • logical
  • haphazard
Analyzing information/data
Making predictions
  • perceptive
  • thoughtful
  • predictable
Drawing conclusions
  •  insightful
  •  thoughtful
  • unconvincing 
Communicating information
  • innovative
  • engaging
  • effective
  • interesting
  • ineffective
  • does little to sustain interest

 

Learning Outcomes

To align the reporting of student progress to the new curriculum, we have made some changes to the implemented subjects. In the past, we used Key Learner Outcomes (KLOs) to describe student learning. These KLOs were highly specific and often represented each small part of the learning process.

With the new curriculum, we are expected to report student progress using the Learning Outcomes from the curriculum. Learning Outcomes are a much broader expression of student learning and capture the foundational concepts and skills of the curriculum. The Learning Outcomes are supported by more detailed Skills and Procedures from the curriculum.

The Learning Outcomes describe what students are required to know, understand and be able to do by the end of a grade. Teachers use skills and procedures to create learning experiences that support the Learning Outcomes. Skills and procedures are what students do to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding. They are specific skills, methods, tools, strategies and processes that students will develop as they achieve the Learning Outcome. 

As part of new curriculum implementation, St. Albert Public teachers have selected high priority skills and procedures. While all skills and procedures are important, the high priority skills and procedures are considered to be the foundational learning.

As they have all along, teachers will gather a variety of pieces of evidence of student learning, including conversationsobservations and products, to summarize student progress towards a particular Learning Outcome. Rich information about students as learners will be captured in the comments, providing details about a student’s individual strengths and areas for growth.

The report card remains one of many ways that teachers communicate about student learning and you are welcome to contact your child’s teacher for more information about their progress.

If you have any questions regarding reporting with the new curriculum, please contact your child’s teacher and/or school administration.