Berkeley Unified School District
GUIDE FOR FAMILIES
KINDERGARTEN REPORT CARD
The Berkeley Unified School District has made some changes to student Report Cards this school year. The purpose of this Guide is to give families a detailed explanation of the Report Card and of the District expectations. We hope that this Guide helps strengthen home-school communication.
Language Arts
Language Arts is assessed in three areas:
• Reading
• Writing
• Listening and Speaking
The Language Arts benchmarks are listed below the trimester when mastery is expected (Fall, Winter, Spring). Only the Fall benchmarks will be assessed at the end of the first trimester, and those that have been met will be marked with an F (Fall). Mastery of those benchmarks not attained at this time may later be noted with a mark of W (Winter) or S (Spring) to indicate when the benchmark was mastered.
English Proficiency
This section of the Report Card is only used for students who speak a language other than English at home. The teacher is providing information on your child’s progress toward English Proficiency to become fully fluent.
District Assessments
All Kindergartners are tested on their progress in Language Arts. Only the writing assessment is given to Kindergartners in the Fall trimester.
The district uses reading, writing and spelling assessments to assess student growth in literacy. In assessing reading, teachers identify the level at which students are reading as well as their particular strengths and weaknesses as a reader. In assessing student writing, teachers look at mechanics (grammar, punctuation, sentences, etc.) and content (what the student is trying to communicate in writing). In assessing spelling, teachers look at the accuracy of student spelling to assess progress. For each test, your student’s score is reported along with the target for the grade level. Refer to the Grade Level Expectations chart on the report card for all district expectations at the elementary level.
Two Way Immersion and Bilingual Programs
For students enrolled in either of these programs, the marks in the Language Arts section as well as district assessments reflect the student’s performance in Spanish Language Arts.
Mathematics
Mathematics is assessed in five areas:
• Number Sense
• Algebra and Functions
• Measurement and Geometry
• Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability
• Mathematical Reasoning
These are the marks given to kindergarten students in math:
Mark What it
Stands For
Description of Student’s Skills and Abilities
4 Advanced Exceeds the grade level standard
To receive a grade of 4, a student must be consistently achieving above the expectation for that standard in that trimester.
3 Proficient Regularly meets the standards
To receive a grade of 3, a student must be consistently performing at grade level standards. The expectations outlined in the report card describe what a proficient student would be able to do in order to meet each standard over the course of the school year. This is the minimum target level for all students.
2 Approaching Inconsistently meets the standards
To receive a grade of 2, a student is inconsistently meeting grade level standards.
1 Below Does not meet the grade level standards
To receive a grade of 1, a student is not meeting grade level standards.
Teachers assess student progress in math according to the district’s expectations for each trimester, which are outlined in the report card. If a box is shaded ( ) on the report card, then mastery of that particular standard is not expected during that trimester.