New elementary report card focuses on key content and Graduate Profile

When Garfield Re-2 elementary parents opened their child’s report card this year, they likely noticed some changes. Included in their first-quarter report are reflections of the same traits that the community identified as most important.

District educators sought to make report cards more meaningful, easier to understand, and more closely aligned with the qualities that matter most for students’ long-term success.

“We wanted to provide more clarity for families,” explained Simone Richardson, Garfield Re-2’s Elementary Director of Curriculum and Instruction. “The new report card highlights key content areas (reading, writing, math, science, and social studies) and uses family-friendly language that connects directly to what teachers are doing in the classroom every day.”

The most significant addition to the report card is the Garfield Re-2 Graduate Profile traits, a framework co-created by our community to describe the traits we all want to see in our graduates.

When Garfield Re-2 asked parents, businesses, and community members to identify the skills most important for students’ futures as part of the strategic planning process, they highlighted qualities such as being independent problem solvers, leaders, and effective communicators. Those ideas became the foundation of the Graduate Profile, and now, they’re being woven into every elementary student’s learning journey.

“This is the first step in helping families connect the Graduate Profile to their children,” Richardson said. “We’re not grading these traits; students receive a rating.  We’re being intentional in recognizing and celebrating the areas where our students are excelling, as well as areas where there is room for growth. It’s about how we can all help foster the skills that support students' success in life, both at school and at home.”

Each report card includes a simple 4-point scale for both academics and Graduate Profile development: Not yet, Needs a little help, Proficient, and Can teach or support others.

Teachers use a rubric to guide these ratings and share feedback on how students are developing the skills our community values most, from leadership and collaboration to resilience and self-management. Families will receive these updates quarterly, and the district will continue to refine the format throughout the year.

Richardson said starting at the elementary level made sense.

“Who wouldn’t want their kindergartner to start building self-awareness or learning how to lead?” she said. “These are lifelong skills that can be taught and nurtured at any age.”

The long-term plan is to expand the Graduate Profile ratings into middle and high school report cards as the district refines the system. Garfield Re-2 is also using a platform to create dashboards that help track how students and schools are developing the Graduate Profile traits over time.

“When we built the Graduate Profile, the community asked, ‘How will you communicate how our kids are doing?’” Richardson said. “It’s a way to show that learning isn’t just about grades, it’s about developing good humans.”

Richardson emphasized that the new report card is still evolving.

“It’s a work in progress, and we’ll continue to make it better as the year goes on,” she said. “Ultimately, this is about partnership, families, teachers, and our community, working together to help every child become not just a successful student, but a well-rounded person.”

As the system grows, Garfield Re-2 hopes to eventually recognize graduates who have demonstrated these qualities with a Graduate Profile Seal, a symbol that they embody the strengths our community helped define.

Parents who have questions about the new report card can ask their classroom teacher or contact Richardson at srichardson@garfieldre2.net. The rubric that is used as part of the Graduate Profile is located on the Garfield Re-2 website linked in here, and on the curriculum and instruction page, and under family resources.