Academic Life: Reporting and Assessment

 

Reporting and Assessment

Trinity has adopted a trimester grading period, with formal progress reports issued at the end of each 12-week grading period and mid-trimester reports issued around the six-week mark. In the fall and spring, parent-teacher-student conferences are required. Assessment is a daily, ongoing practice in Trinity classrooms that involves student, as well as teacher, input and reflection. 

 

Our conversations about quality work will be frequent and specific. Students and teachers will regularly develop and use rubrics that clearly define the goals of a learning project, as well as the criteria that need to be met for its success (i.e., demonstration as quality work).

 

In K-5 classrooms, the trimester progress reports include narrative comments and a number delineation, using the following scale:

 

3 – Exceeding/Meeting Expectations for Grade Level

2 – Making Progress

1 – Needs Development

 

At the end of the second trimester, teachers write a narrative letter about each student’s progress. Many hours are spent by teachers choosing the right words to describe each child as a learner at Trinity. For formal assessment in the Middle School, students will receive letter grades using the following scale:

 

A = 93-100

B = 84-92

C = 75-83

D = 67-74

F = 0-66

 

In addition, communications about habits of work and contributions to the community will be made using the same rubric established in Trinity’s elementary program. We recognize academic excellence in the Middle School by awarding Honors and High Honors to seventh- and eighth-graders at the close of each trimester, and Scholarly Effort to grades six, seven and eight at the end of trimesters two and three.

 

Trinity uses the CTP-IV from Educational Records Bureau (ERB) for third- through eighth-grade students’ standardized assessment. The CTP-IV is widely-used by independent schools across the nation and in our local community. The results of standardized testing will be shared with parents and students and will be viewed as one of many layers of information and evidence of student progress. At no time will results from standardized testing be used as the sole determinant for placement and/or promotion.

 

Independent schools are able to choose dates within the fall (August – February) or spring (February – June) testing seasons. Because of Trinity’s desire to use the information diagnostically – to inform and uncover more detail about each child as a learner and about our program overall - we elect to take the CTP-IV early within the fall window. Information about student performance will be handed out at spring parent conferences.

 

 

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