District previews new standards-based elementary report cards to parents and teachers

Holliston administrators presented drafts of new standards-based elementary report cards to the school committee on Aug. 28 and said the documents will be used this school year.
The report-card committee — which includes principals, teachers and district curriculum staff — developed the drafts to align reporting to the district strategic plan and to improve clarity about learning standards for parents and teachers. Administrators said the committee reviewed existing report cards and samples from other districts, established performance indicators, and worked with teachers to identify “power standards” and grade-appropriate performance descriptors.
Two sample report cards were shown: a grade‑1 general elementary example and a grade‑5 French-immersion example. The grade‑5 sample includes a French fluency checklist with oral language skills, cultural knowledge and linguistic comparisons drawn from the world-language curriculum review. The drafts also include social-emotional learning indicators based on CASEL frameworks written in parent-friendly language.
Administrators said informational sessions for parents and a digital landing page with videos and explanatory material will be provided once the committee finalizes the drafts. The committee heard that teachers have requested new report cards for years and welcomed the drafts as more comprehensive and connected to instruction and assessment.