by Cindy Plantecoste, MS Vice Principal
As of this afternoon, we encourage you to log into PowerSchool to view your child’s learning progress thus far in the semester.
The definitions below will help you understand our reporting terminology:
Achievement of Learning Goals:
The ISB Middle School reports on student progress towards subject-specific standards based on expected performance at the time of assessment. The middle school uses the following descriptors to report on achievement: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Advanced. Achievement may also be described as falling between levels, such as: Beginning-Approaching (BA), Approaching-Meeting (AM), Meeting-Advanced (MA)
Habits and Attitudes for Learning (HAL):
Our ISB Middle School HAL are behaviors and dispositions that support students’ progress towards achieving our Mission. Students who approach their learning with these habits and attitudes develop a growth mindset and become independent, life‐long learners.
Since we have been in virtual school from the start of the school year, we modified our standard HAL descriptors to suit the virtual context. You can find the updated Virtual School HAL descriptors here.
MS teachers update their grade books as work is assigned and assessed. The grades show how your child performed on the specific standards being assessed for specific assignments. The grades you see are not ‘summary grades’. We only do summary grades for broad learning categories, such as reading, writing, communication, etc., at the end of each semester (December and June).
This is an ideal time for you and your child to look at PowerSchool together, and discuss the types of routines, behaviors, and dispositions (HAL) that will contribute to a successful learning experience for your child throughout the year. We encourage you and your child to check PowerSchool every few weeks so that you can have regular conversations about your child’s learning.
It is important to note that while grades reflect attainment on a specific assignment or assessment against a specific standard, learning feedback is regularly provided to students on a day-to-day basis in class and through formative assessment strategies used by the teacher. You should always feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher and/or counselor if you have any questions or concerns related to your child’s progress.