Standard Snapshot

Like other schools, we communicate with parents in typical ways through parent/teacher conferences, PTA nights, phone calls, e-mails etc... In addition, we communicate with parents via a weekly newsletter, The Connection, sent home from the Principal each Friday, a classroom newsletter sent home from each classroom teacher on Mondays, and through classroom blogs. We also use a unique tool we created about six years ago, The Standard Snapshot.

The Standard Snapshot is a Standards-based Bulletin Board in a parent package, and is sent home monthly beginning in December when grade level work begins to meet the standard. The snapshot is color-coded by grade level so it is easily identifiable to parents. The top of the snapshot reads... "This is a "snapshot" of a second grade lesson. We are sharing this with you so you may gain a better understanding of the work that your child is expected to do to meet the grade level standard. Attached to this standard piece of work is a sample of your child's work."

The front page of the Standard Snapshot includes:

What is the standard?

Why teach this lesson?

Tell me about this lesson.

Why does this student work meet the standard?

The back of the Standard Snapshot is one student's sample piece of work selected from the grade level. This piece of student work meets the standard. (We do not use work that exceeds the standard.) Then, their child's piece of work from the same assignment is stapled to the Standard Snapshot. The idea is for the parent to be able to compare their child's work to a standard piece of work.