Whitko To Try Report Cards Without Grades
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
PIERCETON - Report cards without letter grades?
Whitko School Corp. Director of Curriculum Diana Showalter told the school board Monday they are looking at changes in the elementary school report cards to reflect the new Indiana academic standards.
Several teachers in grades K-5 will "pilot" the new report cards during the 2002-03 school year to see how they work.
The report cards will tell if a student is meeting the standards and at what levels in the areas of English/language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and health. Levels include: not yet (hasn't been tested yet), does not meet standard, basic, proficient or advanced. The students also will be evaluated on effort because, Showalter said, what students produce and how much effort goes into them are two different things.
Showalter said there are teachers who want to try the new report cards at different grade levels. No teacher is being coerced into using them.
"It will be a work in progress," she said. Once the 2002-03 school year is completed, teachers will evaluate the new report cards and then decide if they want to use them corporation-wide.
Twice during the year, the school corporation will ask parents for input on the new report cards.
This year, the new report cards are being used by some teachers as a pilot program, Showalter said. In June 2003, a decision will be made if the new report cards will be implemented "across the board" for the 2003-04 school year.
Pierceton Elementary School third grade teacher Julie Underhill said, "The people who are piloting it are really gung-ho" about it. However, Underhill said, she is one of the skeptics.
Showalter said the report cards are going to be very different for parents because they won't have letter grades. At this time, however, the new report cards are just being tried. However, all across the United States, she said, more school corporations are moving to report cards without letter grades.
As for honor rolls, if honor rolls are continued at the elementary schools, adjustments will be made to what constitutes who gets on the honor rolls.
"We're cutting edge on this," Showalter said.
In other business, the school board:
• Adopted the bond resolution for unfunded retirement/severance liability as presented.
Chip Hampel, public finance associate with Hilliard Lyons, Fort Wayne, said the resolution is like any other for general bond obligation for school corporations. The bond money will be segregated into a special fund for retirement and severance pay only and is taxable.
The resolution sets the bond amount at $1.825 million. The bonds are expected to be issued by December and the school corporation can begin paying on them by 2003, Hampel said. The bonds will be paid out to 2013.
Superintendent Dr. William Worl said the bonds are a one-time thing and if the school board doesn't do it, "it will affect our general fund tremendously."
Though at least three of the board members said they don't quite understand the bonding, board member Dave Tranter said, "It's one of those things we have to do."
• Approved payment of $48,717.90 to C.L. Schust Co. Inc. for roofing work on the Whitko High School gymnasium.
• Approved the resignations, terminations, retirements of: Linda Chabot, sixth grade language arts teacher, Whitko Middle School; Jessica Tate, girls volleyball coach, Whitko High School; Dale Gearheart, boys junior varsity basketball coach, Whitko High School; Steve Miller, boys assistant track coach, WMS; Denise Carroll, eighth grade assistant volleyball coach and girls assistant track coach, WMS.
• Approved the employment of Catherine Rowe, sixth grade language arts teacher, WMS; Nicholas Eccles, WHS athletic director; Steve Miller, girls' track coach, WMS; Chris Enyeart, boys' junior varsity basketball coach; John Carroll, sixth grade girls' basketball coach, WMS.
• Gave permission to publish notice of hearings on additional appropriations as presented.
• Approved three field trip requests, including a field trip for Pierceton Elementary School fourth-graders to attend the circus in Fort Wayne in February. This year, due to bad weather, the third-graders were unable to go so the Shriners will take them next year as fourth-graders along with the third-graders.
• Approved the textbook rental and instructional fees for the 2002-03 school year.
• Approved the media organizations for news releases and announcements.
• Approved the submission of the Title I grant application totaling $214,888.30.
• Approved the receipt of grant monies from the Dekko Foundation totaling $2,000.
• Approved transportation for preschool students, when requested in writing by parents, contingent upon established routing and space availability on buses.
• Approved the Warsaw Area Career Center agreement for July 1 through June 30, 2004.
• Approved the resolutions for signatory authority for the deputy treasurer, Tony Huff, as presented.
• Announced a special board meeting to be held at 6 p.m. July 22 for reviewing the proposed 2003 budget.
Members of the Whitko Community School Corp. Board of School Trustees are Hal Trump, E. Marie Trump, Dave Tranter, Michael Braddock and Pete Mitchell. [[In-content Ad]]
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PIERCETON - Report cards without letter grades?
Whitko School Corp. Director of Curriculum Diana Showalter told the school board Monday they are looking at changes in the elementary school report cards to reflect the new Indiana academic standards.
Several teachers in grades K-5 will "pilot" the new report cards during the 2002-03 school year to see how they work.
The report cards will tell if a student is meeting the standards and at what levels in the areas of English/language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and health. Levels include: not yet (hasn't been tested yet), does not meet standard, basic, proficient or advanced. The students also will be evaluated on effort because, Showalter said, what students produce and how much effort goes into them are two different things.
Showalter said there are teachers who want to try the new report cards at different grade levels. No teacher is being coerced into using them.
"It will be a work in progress," she said. Once the 2002-03 school year is completed, teachers will evaluate the new report cards and then decide if they want to use them corporation-wide.
Twice during the year, the school corporation will ask parents for input on the new report cards.
This year, the new report cards are being used by some teachers as a pilot program, Showalter said. In June 2003, a decision will be made if the new report cards will be implemented "across the board" for the 2003-04 school year.
Pierceton Elementary School third grade teacher Julie Underhill said, "The people who are piloting it are really gung-ho" about it. However, Underhill said, she is one of the skeptics.
Showalter said the report cards are going to be very different for parents because they won't have letter grades. At this time, however, the new report cards are just being tried. However, all across the United States, she said, more school corporations are moving to report cards without letter grades.
As for honor rolls, if honor rolls are continued at the elementary schools, adjustments will be made to what constitutes who gets on the honor rolls.
"We're cutting edge on this," Showalter said.
In other business, the school board:
• Adopted the bond resolution for unfunded retirement/severance liability as presented.
Chip Hampel, public finance associate with Hilliard Lyons, Fort Wayne, said the resolution is like any other for general bond obligation for school corporations. The bond money will be segregated into a special fund for retirement and severance pay only and is taxable.
The resolution sets the bond amount at $1.825 million. The bonds are expected to be issued by December and the school corporation can begin paying on them by 2003, Hampel said. The bonds will be paid out to 2013.
Superintendent Dr. William Worl said the bonds are a one-time thing and if the school board doesn't do it, "it will affect our general fund tremendously."
Though at least three of the board members said they don't quite understand the bonding, board member Dave Tranter said, "It's one of those things we have to do."
• Approved payment of $48,717.90 to C.L. Schust Co. Inc. for roofing work on the Whitko High School gymnasium.
• Approved the resignations, terminations, retirements of: Linda Chabot, sixth grade language arts teacher, Whitko Middle School; Jessica Tate, girls volleyball coach, Whitko High School; Dale Gearheart, boys junior varsity basketball coach, Whitko High School; Steve Miller, boys assistant track coach, WMS; Denise Carroll, eighth grade assistant volleyball coach and girls assistant track coach, WMS.
• Approved the employment of Catherine Rowe, sixth grade language arts teacher, WMS; Nicholas Eccles, WHS athletic director; Steve Miller, girls' track coach, WMS; Chris Enyeart, boys' junior varsity basketball coach; John Carroll, sixth grade girls' basketball coach, WMS.
• Gave permission to publish notice of hearings on additional appropriations as presented.
• Approved three field trip requests, including a field trip for Pierceton Elementary School fourth-graders to attend the circus in Fort Wayne in February. This year, due to bad weather, the third-graders were unable to go so the Shriners will take them next year as fourth-graders along with the third-graders.
• Approved the textbook rental and instructional fees for the 2002-03 school year.
• Approved the media organizations for news releases and announcements.
• Approved the submission of the Title I grant application totaling $214,888.30.
• Approved the receipt of grant monies from the Dekko Foundation totaling $2,000.
• Approved transportation for preschool students, when requested in writing by parents, contingent upon established routing and space availability on buses.
• Approved the Warsaw Area Career Center agreement for July 1 through June 30, 2004.
• Approved the resolutions for signatory authority for the deputy treasurer, Tony Huff, as presented.
• Announced a special board meeting to be held at 6 p.m. July 22 for reviewing the proposed 2003 budget.
Members of the Whitko Community School Corp. Board of School Trustees are Hal Trump, E. Marie Trump, Dave Tranter, Michael Braddock and Pete Mitchell. [[In-content Ad]]