Academics
Archdiocesan Report Card
A new Archdiocesan report card is being used at several schools as part of a pilot during the 2011-2012 school year. The report card will be adopted throughout the Archdiocese after the pilot. Read below for further information.
The legacy of strong Catholic faith, focus and achievement continues in the Archdiocese of Chicago with its latest initiative to update its elementary student report card. For more than two years, an Archdiocesan committee comprised of principals, teachers, Catholic and state university faculty, and professional staff in the Office of Catholic Schools has been developing an Archdiocesan Report Card (ARC).
The ARC is a standards-based report card that is aligned with the Archdiocese of Chicago elementary school curricula. The ARC standards identify important knowledge and skills students are expected to achieve at each grade level. A standards-based report card communicates what students know, understand, and can do with far more detail than traditional letter grade report cards (e.g., A-B-C grading). With a standards-based report card, students, parents/guardians, and teachers have a much clearer understanding of what has been learned and what learning goals to reach for next.
Standards-based report cards have been used in Catholic, public, and private schools for more than 20 years. The growing use of standards-based report cards is a significant trend, particularly with the development of the Common Core State Standards (“Standards”). Over forty states, including Illinois, have agreed to adopt the Standards. The Standards are designed to be rigorous and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. The primary objective of the common core initiative is to ensure that students in the United States are better able to compete globally. For more information, visit www.corestandards.org.
The Archdiocese of Chicago elementary school curricula and the report card will be updated periodically to reflect the Standards as they are established nationally. As such, the ARC communicates a student’s achievements and challenges following national, professional, and international standards.
© 2012 Archdiocese of Chicago