Curriculum / Teaching & Learning

Elementary

Middle School

High School

Champaign Early Childhood Center

PaCE Framework

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

SOPPA

High School Curriculum Handbook

Champaign Unit 4 offers a comprehensive middle school program for grades 6 through 8. The middle school program is centered on a standards-based curriculum in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies along with extensive opportunities in the areas of art, music, physical education and health. Extra-curricular activities in the form of clubs, organizations, and athletics round out our program offering students a full and robust school experience.

Champaign Unit 4 middle schools are implementing Standards-Based Grading, or SBG, to communicate the most accurate student achievement data to students and families based upon grade-appropriate Illinois Learning Standards. Used by schools across the country, this system provides a more complete picture of students’ understanding of concepts than traditional grading practices.

Standards-based grades are not based on completion of assignments (a behavior), but rather a student’s understanding of a grade-level skill or concept. The system gives teachers, students and families a tool to identify areas of strength and areas for growth. Students and families will be able to use Home Access Center (HAC, referenced below) to be proactive and see which standards students should focus on to improve their understanding in any course.

Formative assessments (out of 10 points) provide students with feedback on their progress as they build proficiency in content standards.  Formative assessments are used by teachers to track students’ progress towards mastery of the learning standards.  These scores can be used to identify skills a student should focus on to prepare for the summative assessment.  Our practice is that students should be given three formative assessments on a standard before they are given a summative assessment, so that they’ve had multiple opportunities for feedback and growth.

Summative assessments (out of 100 points) are usually given at the midpoint or end of the unit and are meant to assess a students’ mastery of the standard at the point when they are expected to demonstrate proficiency.  If your child doesn't demonstrate mastery of the standard, they are encouraged to connect with their teacher for reteaching and reassessment on that standard to improve their understanding.

In your child’s gradebooks, you will see both formative assessments (out of 10 points) and summative assessments (out of 100 points).

Students earn a point value in the Gradebook for every assessment they are given.  Scores indicate the student is either Exceeding (100%), Meeting (85%), Approaching (75%), or Beginning (50%). These proficiency levels are aligned with rubrics that describe what students should know and be able to do to meet the grade level standard, allowing them to understand what their next steps are to improve mastery.  Here are the various point values you may see in your child’s gradebook.

The overall grade for each course is determined by calculating the total points a student has earned compared to the total points available in the course.  Students will receive an overall letter grade for each course they are enrolled in, according to the scale below.  Students will earn a grade for first semester and a separate grade for second semester.

Home Access Center (HAC) is an online platform that gives families 24/7 access to the online gradebook for each of their child’s classes, as well as access to Interim Progress Reports, Report Cards, and attendance information. Students can login via the link on the dropdown menu in Google Chrome on their district issued chromebooks. Families can login to HAC by clicking on the Home Access button at the top of each school’s website or by clicking on the link below: Home Access Center.

If you want to see your child’s grades on HAC, once you log in, make sure you are on the “Classes” tab at the top and then choose the “Classwork” tab directly underneath that (located in the orange bar.

If you want to see your child’s percentage in each class, in addition to the letter grade, click on “Full View” in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Now, you will be able to see the score for each individual assignment in each class.  Keep in mind that a score of “MI” means that your child did not turn the assignment in and has 3 weeks from the due date to do so.

We believe students should have multiple opportunities to demonstrate understanding, because we know students learn at varying rates.  Timely feedback, checking for understanding and re-teaching are effective practices for assessing and supporting student learning. Students who have earned a Beginning (50%, F), Approaching (75%, C), or Meeting (85%, B) on a summative assessment are eligible for re-teaching and shall be allowed to reassess after re-teaching has occurred.  Students and families should reach out to their child’s teacher to initiate the re-teaching/re-assessment process.  All Summative re-assessments must be completed by the end of the semester.

Students in our middle schools have three weeks from the date an assignment is due to complete formative assignments that are missing.  In HAC, you will know an assignment is “missing” if the score is coded as “MI”.  Assignments coded as “MI” average in as a zero and should be made up as soon as possible to restore the grade. After three weeks, if the assignment still has not been turned in, the “MI” will be changed to a “0” and can no longer be made up. 

Encourage your child to use a planner to keep track of when assignments are due for each class.  Schools and teacher teams often have a calendar of assignments for students and families to know when assignments are due.

In addition to content standards, teachers will give feedback on work habits (or behaviors) through comments on Interim Progress Reports and Report Cards.  Some of these may include: completing their work, turning their work in on time, etc.  However, student grades are based on mastery of standards as opposed to behaviors, like work completion.  Thus, feedback on these work habits will not impact a student’s academic grade.  Please remember that work habits are valuable skills that help students be college and career ready and promote academic success.

One way that we communicate with families is by emailing electronic report cards at the midterm and end of each quarter.  These are referred to as Interim Progress Reports or Report Cards.  Reports will be sent to the email address listed in HAC. If you are not receiving electronic grade reports, reach out to the main office in your building. 

Gradebooks do reset at the end of each semester.

• Home Access Center

• Letter to Parents/Families (September 2022)  |  Espanol  |   Francais

• Letter to Parents/Families (October 2022)  |  Espanol  |   Francais