Madison Public Schools Improves Elementary Report Cards

Updated report cards also have “behaviors that support learning” for parents to gain a better understanding of the whole child.

-Written by an Educator in the District

This school year, Madison Public Schools (New Jersey) has revamped their elementary report cards. Madison has three elementary schools, all of which hold students in Kindergarten through 5th Grade. The goal of these revisions were:

• Based on new state standards for English Language Arts (ELA) and math;
• Improve communication and transparency, including parent-friendly language.
• Prepare 5th graders for middle school while recognizing students are still in elementary school;
• Simplify social studies, science, and special area subjects.

At the October 14th, 2025 Madison Board of Education meeting, Director of Elementary Education Dr. Christy O’Connor presented the process of new elementary report cards, which are released three times per year (December, March, June).

Dr. O’Connor explained that the report cards were presented to the Principals and all faculty at the conclusion of last school year (June 2025), with the Parent-Teacher-Organization (PTO) able to provide feedback prior to full implementation in the 2025-26 school year.

Students are scored on a 1-4 performance scale:

• 4: Exceeds standard (above grade level)
• 3: Meets standard
• 2: Progressing toward standard (the lowest expectation)
• 1: Not Demonstrating standard
• NA: Not applicable (yet)

“Not applicable” may apply to a subdomain not introduced yet (to be introduced later in the school year). This may be especially applicable in the first marking period.

These revised report cards in Madison also take into account the whole child by adding social skills indicators (more in the early childhood grades starting in Kindergarten) and study skills indicators (more approaching and in Grade 5). These indicators, also known as “behaviors that support learning,” range on the below scale:

• C = Consistently
• U = Usually
• S = Sometimes
• I = Infrequently

Other areas on report card:

• Science
• Social Studies
• Health
• Art
• Physical Education
• STEAM
• Library/Media
• Music
• Spanish
• Instrumental Music (could be N/A if students do not play an instrument)

These revised report cards will provide parents/caregivers with a better understanding of their elementary-aged child rather than receiving a grade or other indicator, as is currently done at most middle schools and high schools. The work that Madison is undertaking will strengthen their elementary educational experience for students and teachers, the data reporting that goes all with it, and hopefully, other districts follow if they do not have a practice similar to this already.

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