Reading and Writing are graded using this scale:
+ Demonstrated
• In Progress
- Not Demonstrated

Overall
V- Very Good
S- Satisfactory
I – Shows Improvement
N- Needs Improvement

Among many categories under reading, comprehension is one I will use as an example. This is what our first grade report card looks like.

Comprehension V
Uses reading strategies+
Uses picture clues+
Self-Corrects+
Sequentially retells a story+
Rereads+

If a student is at the V level, he almost always uses reading strategies, looks for picture clues, self-corrects, sequentially retells a story, and rereads .

Comprehension S
Uses reading strategies+
Uses picture clues+
Self-Corrects•
Sequentially retells a story•
Rereads•

If a student is at the S level, he demonstrates or is in progress of the categories under comprehension.

If a student is at the I level, that usually means he has demonstrated more aspects of comprehension than the last 10 weeks. For example, he has gone from not demonstrating to showing some progress.

Comprehension N
Uses reading strategies-
Uses picture clues•
Self-Corrects-
Sequentially retells a story-
Rereads-

A student does not demonstrate any of the criteria under comprehension. This means he needs much improvement.


Students
I try not to make a big deal about grades at this level. Six year olds get very upset if they don’t get a 100%. The only thing they seem to understand and care about is the VSIN. My students know what each letter stands for. I don’t think my students need to know what the +, -, and • mean. At the end of the year, I will show the students their reading level progress. At the beginning and end of the year, I ask them to do a writing sample. I love showing the students their progress. I think they understand this better than if I was to give them a •. Therefore, I don’t think our grading system meets the needs of students as much as it does for parents and administrators.

Parents
I think our school’s grading system is very easy for parents to follow and understand. Our report card has a key which explains what the letters and symbols mean. I believe the criteria on the report card are very specific. Therefore, parents know what their child is demonstrating, in progress of demonstrating, and not demonstrating. Then we give an overall grade for each topic (VSIN), like comprehension above. I think our report card is geared more towards parents’ needs than students or administrators. Parents know what their child is struggling on so they are able to help out at home.

Administrators
I think our grading system would help administrators understand the child’s academics. I believe our principal would be able to make good judgments from our grading system. If a child is consistently receiving an N and not demonstrating progress, my administrator would be able to make some decisions such as placement for the following year. He would be able to pin-point the student’s problems and decide whether the child has the basic skills needed to move to second grade.