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Weisman USD to pilot standards-based report cards with Learner Center Collaborative
Summary
District leaders heard a presentation from Learner Center Collaborative on Sept. 9 about shifting the districtreporting system from traditional letter grades to a standards-based report card; design work and parent outreach are planned over 202526#8211;26.
Katie Martin, co-founder and co-CEO of Learner Center Collaborative, told the Weisman Unified School District Board of Education on Sept. 9 that the firm will help the district redesign its report cards and grading practices to better describe studentscurrent proficiency and progress. "This is our opportunity . . . to design the future that we want for the young people that we serve," Martin said during a roughly 30-minute presentation.
The presentation laid out the rationale and a phased timeline. District staff and a locally formed design team completed a philosophy phase in 202425 and will move in 202526#8211;26 to pilot prototypes and develop the actual new report format. The first design-team meeting to decide the shape of scoring (for example, a 126#8211;4 scale vs. other rating systems) is scheduled for Sept. 30, district staff said.
Why it matters: the districtreport card change aims to give parents and teachers more information than a single letter grade. Martin said the new approach should "accurately describe learners' current academic proficiency and progress," highlight strengths and growth areas, and "foster student ownership of learning." The districtpresentation emphasized that the move is meant to complement, not replace, existing assessments that signal college or credential readiness.
Key details from the presentation and board discussion: - Scope and role: Learner Center Collaborative said it will work with the districtdesign team to turn the assessment philosophy into prototypes, tests and a final reporting structure. Martin said the firm brings a network of about 30 deep partnerships where similar work has been implemented. (Katie Martin, Learner Center Collaborative) - Decision process: The design team will determine whether numerical bands or levels (examples included 1to4 or 1to3) appear on parent-facing reports. Board members were told the committee will clarify labels and rubrics during the September meeting. (Maggie, district design-team staff) - Parent and community outreach: Staff said they plan public forums, PTA meetings and online sessions to solicit feedback; broader meetings are planned for spring 2026 after a draft structure is developed. (District staff) - Teacher involvement and PLC alignment: The presenters and several board members emphasized that teachers will be central to defining essential standards, rubrics and common formative assessments and that the new reporting should align with existing PLC work. (District staff and board members) - Concerns raised: Board members asked how the new system will intersect with high-stakes tests and college admissions. Presenters said some summative standardized assessments will remain for their specific purposes and that the report-card design aims to make day-to-day learning progress clearer without eliminating those test measures. (Board members, district staff)
The district emphasized the work will proceed incrementally "one bite at a time," with prototypes and piloting before any broad rollout.
What happens next: The design team meets Sept. 30 to define scoring options and rubrics; staff expect continued teacher training and parent engagement in 202526#8211;26. No formal board vote on the report-card design was recorded at the Sept. 9 meeting; staff said the board will receive future updates and formal proposals when a recommended model is ready.
