Report Cards and the New Religion Standards

Reports Cards: Recommended Religion Standards for all PreK- 8 Schools for Fall 2014 Implementation

While we await the Archbishop’s approval, we are developing a roll-out plan for Religion. The following six standards directly reflect the new religion curriculum.

Religion:
1. Knowledge of the Faith
2. Liturgical Education
3. Moral Formation
4. Learning to Pray
5. The Life, the Community, and the History of the Church
6. Missionary Spirit and Service

It is understood that religion will receive an overall grade but at this time, we are not making a recommendation on the particulars of grading methodology. For the 2014-2015 school year, the grading process will be determined at the local level. While there is interest in pursuing a common standards-based grading system, we believe we need to allow for a committee process to study and recommend best practices.

For PS Consortium members, principals who select the religion standards for use in the 2014-2015 school year need to select all six. Please communicate your preference directly to Steve Deibert by Friday, August 8to allow report card updates to occur in a timely way.

For schools using different gradebook systems, we recommend the six standards above for your local report card development for grades PreK – 8.

Moving forward and in keeping with our Curriculum committee process, we offer the following:
· ELA standards will be in place by January 2015 with report card implementation by summer 2015. ELA will include some changes to social studies and science integrating the ELA standards.
· Math standards will be in place by January 2016 with report card implementation by summer 2016.

Please consider the following two documents when planning your August staff professional development as guidance for planning. The attached implementation grid offers a three year plan for school professional learning communities. (These documents were shared at the March 2014 Principals meeting.)

The 2014 Fall meeting for principals will include information for developing and sustaining professional learning communities. Additional resources have been added to the Standards-Based Grading and Reporting online forum in preparation for your August Teacher In-Service days. Please visit: http://www.ocsww.org/site/showthread...=3026#post3026

Respectfully,
Kristin Dixon, Sandy Barton Smith and Steve Deibert