April 18, 2018

Dear Parent/Guardian,

In my classroom we are proficiency based or standards based. This is based on the

decision and knowledge that proficiency based education not only allows students to be more
aware of what is expected of them, but it also provides you, the parent/guardian, with a more
detailed outline of what the expectations are in each major academic area. It also helps my
classroom be more student centered and less teacher centered. As well as helping my instruction
to my students and their assignments to be more personalized.
Though because my classroom is proficiency based, you might notice a difference in my
grading from traditional classrooms. My grading has a grading scale that is 1- 4, and there are
really only two types of assignments called formative and summative assessment. First, are the
formative assessments. These are the everyday assignments that my students do which allows me
to check their progress within our current unit, their knowledge and understanding of the
material, and provide them with feedback and additional assistance (if the assistance is needed).
Summative assessments are our end of unit assignments and can be a range of different things
(tests, presentations, etc.). These allow me to check their overall understanding and knowledge
of the unit, as well as their progress and proficiency for each unit.
Here is an example of my grading scale and what each grade means:

1- Developing: The student is beginning to understand the material but needs support
2- Partially Meets: The student has an developing understanding of the material but might still
require support
3- Meets: The student has the understanding of the material that is required to progress further
4- Exceeds: The student has gained a deeper understanding of the material than what is required
and expected

Please understand that for your students to show proficiency within a unit all that is
required of them is a 3, which in a traditional grading system is comparable to an “A”. Should
your child/ren receive a 4 it means that they have gained a deeper understanding of the material
than what is expected of them. I believe that your understanding of what is expected of your
child/ren and how well they are progressing towards the goals set for them is very important. I
look forward to working together to provide your child/ren with the knowledge and tools to be
successful and to reach their fullest potential.
Sincerely,

Destiny Wetherell