Elementary Education
The Elementary Education Department supports the staff, students, and parents in Kindergarten through Grade 5.
Our department is fully engaged with aligning and implementing curriculum in various content areas to the Illinois Learning Standards. The Illinois Learning Standards are based on the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards.
In addition, the department provides student support for our Multilingual (ML), Gifted Education (GE), and Special Education.
For more information about the Illinois Learning Standards, please visit the
Art
Elementary art education encourages students to explore their creativity while learning to use a variety of tools, techniques, and media. Through hands-on projects, students develop problem-solving skills, self-expression, and an appreciation for visual arts and culture. Art builds confidence and helps children see the world in new and imaginative ways. For more information about the Illinois Fine Arts Learning Standards for Visual Arts, please visit the Illinois State Board of Education site.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- Create
- Respond
- Connect
- Present
English Language Arts (ELA)
English Language Arts (ELA) is composed of several integrated areas. The SD 308 ELA curriculum is aligned to the Illinois English-Language Arts Learning Standards. To learn more about these standards visit the Illinois State Board of Education site.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- Reading: Foundational Skills
- Reading: Literature
- Reading: Informational Text
- Writing
- Language
- Speaking and Listening
Library Media Center
The SD 308 Library Media Center Program will support the district’s mission to educate all students to reach their highest potential, in partnership with our families and communities.
The SD 308 Library Media Center program, in collaboration with classroom teachers, will ensure that students can:
- Access information efficiently and effectively to inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge
- Evaluate information critically and competently
- Use information accurately, creatively, and ethically to share knowledge and to participate collaboratively and productively as a member of the democratic society
- Cultivate a love and appreciation of a wide variety of literature and pursue knowledge related to personal interests and aesthetic growth
- Practice, promote, and model positive Digital Citizenship
Mathematics
The Illinois Math Learning Standards are "designed to help students acquire a deep, conceptual understanding of core math content through focus, coherence, and rigor. Students are taught a deeper, richer understanding of fewer concepts. Coherence ensures math connections are made between grade levels and builds logical progression. Rigor promotes the equal balance of conceptual understanding, application, and procedural skill and fluency." For more information on the Illinois Math Learning Standards visit the Illinois State Board of Education site.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- Counting and Cardinality
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Numbers and Operations
- Measurement and Data
- Geometry
Music
Elementary music education nurtures a love of music while helping students build skills in listening, rhythm, melody, and performance. Students learn to express themselves creatively, work collaboratively, and appreciate music from diverse cultures and traditions. Music supports academic growth and social-emotional development while fostering confidence and joy in learning. For more information on the National Arts Standards visit the National Core Arts Standards site.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- Creating
- Responding
- Connecting
Physical Education
Elementary physical education promotes healthy habits, movement skills, and teamwork through active play and exercise. Students build strength, coordination, and confidence while learning the value of cooperation and sportsmanship. PE supports lifelong wellness by encouraging students to stay active, make healthy choices, and enjoy physical activity. For more information on the Illinois Learning Standards for Physical Development and Health, visit theIllinois State Board of Education site.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- Acquire movement and motor skills
- Achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness
- Develop skills necessary to become a successful member of a team
- Understand principles of health promotion and prevention
- Understand human body systems and factors that influence growth and development
- Promote and enhance health and well-being
Science
Illinois Vision of K-12 Science Education
Effective science teaching and learning will mean that Illinois K-12 students will be better prepared for entrance into college and careers. The Next Generation Science Standards call for a three-dimensional approach to science instruction: Core Ideas, Crosscutting, and Practices. They are designed to help students acquire a deep understanding of core science and engineering content and ideas as well as experience applying that knowledge in any context. Students will demonstrate their scientific proficiency by engaging in practices that demonstrate the ability to apply scientific concepts. For more information from the Illinois State Board of Education visit the Illinois State Board of Education site.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- Physical Science (PS)
- Earth and Space Science (ESS)
- Life Science (LS)
Social Studies
The Illinois Social Science Standards fall into two complementary categories: inquiry skills and disciplinary concepts. Inquiry skills involve questioning, investigating, reasoning, and responsible action while disciplinary concepts make use of social science ideas, principles, and content to pursue answers to the questions generated by student inquiries. The inquiry skills are used simultaneously with the disciplinary concepts.
Disciplinary Concepts:
- Civics
- Economics/ Financial Literacy
- Geography
- History
For more information about the Illinois Social Science Standards visit the Illinois State Board of Education site.
Homework & Grading
Homework & Grading![]()
Homework & Grading
In Oswego Community Unit School District 308, our primary purpose for grading and reporting is to communicate growth towards proficiency of targeted learning standards. At the elementary level the purpose of homework, when assigned, is to reinforce or extend classroom learning for individual student success.
On a student's report card, homework will not be calculated in the grade representing a student's academic achievement. Homework completion can be communicated to parents by documenting as a learning behavior characteristic. On average, students in grades kindergarten through second will have 15 minutes per day and students in grades third through fifth will have 30 minutes per day.
Elementary grading periods run on a trimester framework. Parents/guardians can monitor student progress at any time using the MasteryConnect Parent Portal. Accessing student progress will create the opportunity for you and your student to discuss the learning that is occurring in our classrooms. MasteryConnect can be a valuable tool to engage students, parents, and teachers in conversations around learning and expectations necessary to develop college and career readiness skills.
Standards-Based Progress Reports:
Elementary students receive a Standards-Based Progress Report. Standards-based reporting is used to communicate how students perform on a set of clearly defined learning standards. The purpose for a standards-based progress report is to identify what a student knows or is able to do in relation to learning standards over the course of the grading period by identifying a student’s mastery level for each standard.
Mastery levels indicate the level of proficiency for each standard based on the most recent assessment of the standard. The expectation is for students to reach mastery on grade level standards by the end of the school year.
Elementary students receive a Standards-Based Progress Report. Standards-based reporting is used to communicate how students perform on a set of clearly defined learning standards. The purpose for a standards-based progress report is to identify what a student knows or is able to do in relation to learning standards over the course of the grading period by identifying a student’s mastery level for each standard.
Mastery levels indicate the level of proficiency for each standard based on the most recent assessment of the standard. The expectation is for students to reach mastery on grade level standards by the end of the school year.
Mastery Connect
In grades kindergarten through fifth grade, students will receive a progress report through MasteryConnect at the end of each trimester. This progress report is what was previously known as a report card. If you need attendance information for your child, that is available through the PowerSchool.
Mastery Connect![]()
What is Mastery Connect?
MasteryConnect is a system that keeps track of student understanding of the Illinois Learning Standards. When viewing your student’s information in the parent portal, you will see a description of each grade level standard and a green, yellow, or red box indicating your student’s current level of understanding for that standard.
- A green box with an ‘M’ means ‘Mastery’. Students who demonstrate mastery understand the skills in the standard and need minimal teacher assistance.
- A yellow box with an ‘NM’ means ‘Near Mastery’. Students who demonstrate near mastery have made progress towards understanding the skills in the standard and require further practice and some teacher assistance.
- A red box with an ‘E’ means ‘Emerging’. Students who are emerging have difficulty with skills in the standard and require additional instruction, practice, and teacher assistance.
Parents are able to access the Parent Portal of MasteryConnect to view their child's progress towards mastery of the learning standards. Please view the video below to learn more about the MasteryConnect Parent Portal. Contact your child's teacher if you have not received access to your MasteryConnect parent account.
Mastery Connect Login Help Video (English) (Spanish)
Using the Parent Portal
If you accessed MasteryConnect in previous years, you will go to the MasteryConnect home page and use your email address and password from last year. If you don’t remember your password, you can retrieve it through the ‘Forgot Password?’ link.
If you have not set up your MasteryConnect account yet, view the instructions in English here, or follow these steps:
- Use the email you receive from MasteryConnect to activate your parent account. The email will be delivered to you within the first few weeks of school. This email will prompt you to create a password. If you had access to the parent portal last year and still have the same email, you will not receive an activation email. Use your log in information from last year to log in or use your email address to reset your password.
- Go to the MasteryConnect homepage and click ‘Login’ on the top right. Enter your email address and your password to log in.
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After logging in, you will be in the ‘Current Classes’ section of the parent portal. Click on the green name of the teacher class to view student progress.You will see a link to ‘Archived Classes’. Here you may see other trackers your student is included in.
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This includes data from last year as well as trackers that may be used for data viewing purposes by teachers.
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You will see a link to ‘Progress Reports’. Students will have a progress report at the end of each trimester. This will be their report card.
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If you have access to the parent portal for more than one child, you will see a drop down arrow next to your child’s name. Use that arrow to toggle between children. You will only have one account.
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The screen you will see after clicking on the class name is used to report student progress toward each learning standard.
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Each row is a learning standard. You will see the abbreviation for the learning standard followed by the skills students need to know within that standard.
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On the left side of the row, you will see a green box with ‘M’, a yellow box with ‘NM’, or a red box with ‘E’. This indicates your student’s current level of understanding for the skills in that standard.
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The percentage inside the circle on the right indicates the percentage of assessed standards that your child has mastered. This does not indicate an average grade.
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If you click the arrow at the end of the row, you will get more detail about that standard.
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How to View the MasteryConnect Progress Report
The MasteryConnect Parent Portal provides real time information on your child’s mastery of standards throughout the grading period while instruction is ongoing, and student opportunities to show growth are provided. Parents are encouraged to login to the MasteryConnect Parent Portal on a regular basis to understand and support their child’s current level of mastery. This provides more opportunities for parents and teachers to work in collaboration to support each child’s academic needs.
At the end of each trimester, you will receive an email from MasteryConnect to notify you that your child’s progress report is available for viewing. This will be a summary of your child’s mastery levels at the end of the trimester.
How to View the MasteryConnect Progress Report
In grades kindergarten through fifth grade, students will receive a progress report through MasteryConnect at the end of each trimester. This progress report is what was previously known as a report card. If you need attendance information for your child, that is available through the PowerSchool.
Here is a guide to viewing the progress report:
- When the progress reports are released, you will receive an email from MasteryConnect alerting you that the progress report is ready for viewing. There are two ways to view the progress report.
- There is a PDF at the bottom of the email. You can access the progress report by clicking on the PDF icon. See steps 7-10 for how to read the report.
- The other way to access the progress report is through the Parent Portal. Click on the link in your email to get to the MasteryConnect login screen. Login to MasteryConnect at www.masteryconnect.com (use your email as your username, and choose forgot password if you don’t have a password).
- Click on ‘Progress Reports’ in the grey menu bar.
- Click on ‘Download Progress Report’ for the current reporting term.
- Open your downloaded report.
- The first page will be an overview page with a colored circle for each subject with a breakdown of standards’ mastery for the year to date. As you scroll down, you’ll see an individual report for each subject.
- The circle of mastery shows the number of standards mastered/number of standards assessed. This is not a grade. It is the number of standards the student has mastered.
- Each assessed standard is listed. To the right of the standard, you will see an ‘M’ for Mastery, ‘NM’ for Near Mastery, or an ‘E’ for Emergent. Please refer to the ‘Overview of Standards-Based Reporting’ document for more details about these designations. This document was passed out at the beginning of the year and can be found on the district website. Keep in mind that these are end-of-year expectations. When you see ‘NM’ or ‘E’, this indicates that the teacher will continue to work with the student to obtain mastery in this skill.
- There is a teacher comment section below the standards where you will see comments if the teacher has entered any.
