All throughout the Claremont Unified School District (CUSD), Claremont elementary schools are making changes to their students’ report cards, due to the fact that there were flaws with the previous progress reports. The CUSD has changed the learning standards to meet the requirements of Common Core. The new report cards will include the new standards and will address the levels at which the student has met the standards regarding Common Core. In addition, many more check and comment boxes will be offered, which allows for better communication between the students, parents, and teachers to create an effective and beneficial learning experience.

“I like the fact that we are trying to get students to think more critically,” Kenneth Knox, sixth-grade teacher at Chaparral Elementary School, said. “Students need to be able to solve problems that come in the real world. However, it is difficult because sometimes they are not used to what is being asked of them.”

Common Core is unlike prior goals and standards, as they were developed into two categories: first, college-and career-readiness standards, which address what students should know by the time they graduate high school; and second, the K-12 standards, which focus on knowledge and skills that build upon each other from grade to grade. Common Core was also informed by the highest international standards and real-world application questions to help ensure that students truly understand the material so as to succeed not only in school, but also in a future career.

“I like the new report cards as they say a lot on about what you can improve on and how your learning affects you throughout your life. Common Core is really beneficial in this aspect,” freshman Kamran Curlin, brother of an elementary student, said.

Although new report cards are being created for the elementary schools now, CHS will not go through any progress report changes at the moment. CHS has decided teachers and staff need to discuss any major changes to reports before they are implemented. However, Common Core has affected CHS because all classes must integrate the standards. For instance, Integrated Math has been built on Common Core standards. Later this year, juniors and sophomores will take the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) which has testing more aligned to Common Core.

“It only makes sense that since the CAASPP assessment changed, down the road we take a careful look at our current report card with a variety of stakeholders composed of faculty, students, parents, and colleges, to discern if our current report card is appropriate or do we need to make some changes to be better aligned to the standards,” Brett O’Connor, Principal of CHS, said.

The changes Common Core has made are numerous and beneficial. It has helped many students achieve better understanding of material. The report cards have helped elementary school parents and teachers communicate better and these changes will help students understand in what areas they need to improve. Overall, the changes to the report cards will benefit many Claremont students and families at the elementary schools.