Elementary
Elementary Curriculum
- ParentVUE/StudentVUE
- Curriculum Resources and Textbooks
- Grading Practices & Report Cards
- Middle Level Math Information
- Technology
ParentVUE/StudentVUE
Scottsdale Unified School District uses ParentVUE and StudentVUE to help parents monitor the academic progress of their students.
- Attendance - Monitor your student's Attendance, Recorded Tardies and Absences
- Class Schedule - Check Student Schedules for Course Titles, Room Numbers, Times, and Teachers
- Documents - Find past Report cards and attendance letters
- GradeBook (Only MS and HS) - Parents and students can check performance and keep on track academically with up to date grades and assignments
- Report Card - Keep track of your student's progress with instant report card viewing & downloadable pdfs
Curriculum Resources and Textbooks
Curriculum and Textbooks
All content areas in SUSD teach the Arizona State Standards specific to each grade level and course. For more information on the Arizona Department of Education Academic State Standards, please visit the Arizona Department of Education website at: www.azed.gov. Click on the brochures, below, to learn what SUSD students are expected to master at each grade level.
SUSD Textbooks and Instructional Materials
Click on the links below to learn of District adopted instructional materials in all area
English Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
World Language
Physical Education
Fine Arts
DLI: Dual Language Immersion
Grading Practices & Report Cards
Grading Practices and Report Cards
As we deliver a world-class education, the Scottsdale Unified School District has implemented grading practices designed to promote the highest level of academic achievement and personal growth for our students. These guidelines were created by a committee of teachers, administrators, parents and high school students who met monthly to study research and best practices. These practices were initially approved by the SUSD Governing Board in April, 2013 and revisions were approved in April, 2014. All documents in the Backpack reflect these revisions. Click on the links below to learn more about the guidelines at this level:
Video - SUSD Guide to Standards-Based Reporting
* Contact Cheyenne Traditional School and Pima Traditional regarding their K-3 report card(s).
Kindergarten Report Card
First Grade Report Card
Second Grade Report Card
Third Grade Report Card
Fourth Grade Report Card
Fifth Grade Report Card
World Languages
Kindergarten Report Card
First Grade Report Card
Second Grade Report Card
Third Grade Report Card
Fourth Grade Report Card
Fifth Grade Report Card
Frequently Asked Questions
What is standards-based assessment, grading and reporting?
What is the purpose of a standards-based report card?
Why is SUSD using a standards-based report card in grades K-5*?
How does a standards-based report card compare to the traditional letter grade system?
What will be communicated on the standards-based report card?
Why is there a separate section for characteristics that support learning?
What are the “Characteristics that Support Learning”?
How will information regarding a student’s “Characteristics that Support Learning” be reported?
How will end-of-year academic standards be reported each quarter?
How will teachers assess a student’s progress of end-of-year standards each quarter?
Q. What is standards-based assessment, grading and reporting?
A. Standards-based assessment, grading and reporting is a way to more accurately measure how a student is progressing toward meeting state and district academic standards. Standards inform teachers, parents and students about what each student is to learn. The assessment, grading and reporting of standards is used to help teachers and students understand where each student is in relation to achieving those standards.
When a child gets a bike for the first time the goal of “independently riding a bike” is set. There are many small steps the child needs to accomplish before actually riding the bike that are recognized and celebrated along the way. Eventually, the child will ride a bike independently with proficiency. Parents know that this process may take time, reteaching, coaching and many attempts until the child is successful. A standards-based system also sets goals, called standards, and through instruction, assessment, grading and reporting a student’s progress is recognized, measured, celebrated and reported.
Q. What is the purpose of a standards-based report card?
A. The purpose of a standards-based report card is to communicate with parents and students about each child’s progress relative to specific end-of-year grade-level learning standards and characteristics that support learning. Providing more detailed feedback regarding specific content indicators allows for improved communication between home and school so parents and teachers can collaborate to support student learning.
A standards-based report is similar to a doctor’s diagnosis after a patient completes a physical examination. If a doctor just said, “You’re OK, your health is a B-“, the patient would want more specific information to know what is going well and what changes need to be made to improve his/her health. It would be more helpful if the doctor would be more specific by saying, “Your blood pressure of 120/80 and your weight of 140 are both good for your age and height. Your iron level of 126 is excellent, but your cholesterol level of 275 is too high. We will need to develop a plan to lower that number.” Standards-based assessment, grading and reporting is a more specific and detailed way of reporting student learning.
Q. Why is SUSD using a standards-based report card in grades K-5*?
A. The 2013-2014 report card was designed to provide more information to parents about student progress of state academic standards and to provide a consistent report card throughout the school district. Standard-based grading and reporting is a national movement based on years of research. Some elementary schools in SUSD have used a standards-based report card format for many years. Although letter grades are a time-honored tradition, they do not accurately reflect a child’s knowledge of the standards. A standards-based report card also holds every student accountable to the same grade level concepts and skills regardless of which school they attend.
* Cheyenne Traditional School and Pima Traditional regarding their K-3 report card(s).
Q. How does a standards-based report card compare to the traditional letter grade system?
A. A traditional letter grading system often combines many different factors such as classwork, behavior, effort, work habits, homework and social skills into one grade.
Standards-based grading measures how well each student is doing in relation to the grade level standards, not the work of other students or non-academic tasks such as behavior, organization and work habits.
Q. What will be communicated on the standards-based report card?
A. There will be two sets of marks on the report card:
1) Characteristics that Support Learning – communicate information about important factors that contribute to successful academic learning.
2) Academic Indicators – communicate information about specific standards for each grade level that students need to meet by the end of the school year.
Q. Why is there a separate section for characteristics that support learning?
A. Work habits and social development are important facts to communicate to parents about a child’s progress in learning. By including effort and work habits as a separate reporting category, teachers may more honestly communicate about such matters as behavior, participation, homework and completing assignments without distorting a student’s actual achievement in learning.
Q. What are the “Characteristics that Support Learning”?
A. There are ten characteristics that are important factors that contribute to student success in learning for all K-5 students.
- Strives for personal best
- Is a self-directed learner
- Works cooperatively with others
- Accepts responsibility for own actions
- Is respectful of rights, opinions and property of others
- Demonstrates perseverance
- Demonstrates self-control
- Uses time wisely
- Demonstrates organizational skills
- Completes classwork/homework
Q. How will information regarding a student’s “Characteristics that Support Learning” be reported?
A. Reporting of “Characteristics that Support Learning” will use a symbol marking scale.
Q. How will end-of-year academic standards be reported each quarter?
A. Academic grades show what a student knows and is able to demonstrate based on academic content standards. A quarter grade reflects student progress in meeting end-of-year standards. The goal is for students to achieve Proficiency (3) by the end of the school year. A student does not achieve this level until all parts of the standard have been met with proficiency.
Most standards require deep and complex understanding and students will need the entire school year to learn, practice and finally master them. Student progress and performance on the quarterly report card must be viewed on a learning continuum. The marking for each quarter reflects the progress the student has made toward proficiency of each of the standards.
Q. How will teachers assess a student’s progress of end-of-year standards each quarter?
A. Report card grades are based on multiple assessment experiences for each student. Teachers design assessment tasks and collect evidence
of student learning throughout the quarter. Evidence may include teacher observation, student work samples, projects, texts, quizzes and district assessments. The quarter grade will reflect student progress in meeting the end-of-year standards. The goal is for students to achieve Proficiency (3) by the end of the school year. A student does not achieve this level (3) until all parts of the standard have been met with proficiency.
Middle Level Math Information
Technology
- Student Accounts in Scottsdale USD
- Parent Technology Guide for SUSD
- ParentVUE Access
- ParentVUE/StudentVUE (Grades) Getting Started Guide
Bring your Own Technology
There is no specific device that is required or recommended. If you choose to buy your student a device, please shop within your financial comfort level. Ideally, the device should be able to connect to Wi-Fi, have an Internet browser, digital camera, calendar and access to e-mail. A data plan is not necessary. The device is not meant to take the place of a computer for word processing or accessing District resources such as SuccessMaker or other programs that require a Flash player. Campus computers are available for those purposes. The following chart demonstrates the capabilities of 3 popular operating systems for mobile devices: Android, Windows, and Apple iOS. There are many devices that operate on these systems; SUSD does not endorse any device or operating system.
Bring Your Own Technology FAQ
BYOT Responsible Use