Vision 2020 is our strategic plan to get every student future ready, prepared for college, prepared for the global workplace and prepared for personal success. Vision 2020” refers to the class of 2020, today’s third graders, and making sure that our system is changed to meet their needs. Vision 2020 focuses on three major components guiding our efforts to improve our schools and organization in general. The three components are:

• Effective teaching
• Standards-based teaching, assessing and reporting
• Continuous Improvement Process focused on results

I’d like to focus this column on the second, standards-based teaching, assessing and reporting because these efforts have resulted in some changes elementary parents will experience this fall.

As part of the Vision 2020 strategy, we revised our Student Profile two years ago. That profile expresses what every student should know and be able to do on graduation from our system. If we are to get every student to that goal, we have to work back and understand where the student needs to be in each grade throughout the system.

As a result of that work, we know what a first grade student must learn in writing, for example, to be on track to graduate, or what a sixth grader must learn in math. We can compare each individual student’s work to the standard for that grade level.

Elementary report cards have been revised so they reflect district standards. Parents will have more information on what specific grades mean. The elementary report card has been aligned to the revised Student Profile, along with state and district standards. A refined grading scale includes half points, so parents will have a more nuanced view of exactly where their student’s performance falls. Proficiency scales, which will be available to parents on the district website, describe each area on the report card and what it takes to earn any given score.

Those report cards will only come twice this year, instead of three times like in the past. That’s because elementary parents will have access online to grades beginning on October 4 through Parent Access. Parents will be able to track student work, as reflected in grades on tests and assignments, throughout the year, not just through the report cards. I encourage you to sign up for Parent Access so that you can monitor your student’s progress.

You will see some new items in Parent Access. We have developed assessments that will be used district-wide to measure student progress in key subjects. Students will take the assessments three times each in writing, math and science, and once in social studies. These assessments will give teachers reliable data to know which students are doing well in those subjects, who is struggling and in exactly what areas. Parents, too, will have a better idea of how their student is performing and where improvement is needed.

That probably sounds like a lot of assessing but it is time well spent and is part of the instructional process. It gives us important data on whether students have learned the key concepts they will need as they progress through that grade and in future grades. It gives teachers understanding of which students are on track, who can already go beyond the information taught in class and who is in need of extra help to get up to standard.

By ensuring that teachers focus their lessons on specific standards, we ensure that student learn what they need at each grade level to be successful in completing their education in Lake Washington School District. By assessing how they are doing in relation to those standards, we can help teachers and parents alike understand where student are excelling, where they are at standard and where they need help to get to standard. By aligning our report cards to those standards, we also make sure that teachers are able to report to parents exactly where students are in all areas, including life skills, in their progress through our system.

As a parent, all of this information will be helpful so that you can support your student in their learning. With both schools and parents focusing together on student performance, Lake Washington students will have the best chance possible to reach graduation future ready.

Sincerely,

Dr. Chip Kimball
Superintendent
Lake Washington School District