Many districts report behavioral outcomes, such as work habits, learner behaviors, or success skills, separately from academic achievement. While Forefront is primarily designed to report academic performance, districts may also use Forefront to communicate classroom behaviors and expectations that help students and families better understand habits that support learning.
In Forefront, behavioral outcomes can be reported through rubric-based assessments or directly on report cards. The best approach depends on how your district collects and uses this information.
Why Behavioral Outcomes Matter
Separating behavior from academic performance is a key principle of standards-based grading. Reporting behavioral outcomes separately can help districts provide a more complete picture of a student’s experience at school without allowing behaviors to distort evidence of what a student knows and can do academically. When districts clearly define and norm behavioral outcomes, they can help:
Communicate habits and behaviors that support learning
Support student reflection and growth
Give families a clearer understanding of classroom expectations
Keep academic grades focused on evidence of learning
Behavioral outcomes should describe how students engage in learning, while academic proficiency should continue to reflect what students know and can do.
Decide How Behavioral Outcomes Will Be Reported
Forefront supports two approaches to behavioral reporting: rubric-based assessments and report card expectations. Those two approaches are outlined below.
Rubric-Based Assessments
Rubric-based assessments may be appropriate when teachers regularly observe and document student behaviors using clearly defined criteria. This approach works particularly well when:
Teachers use an established behavioral rubric
Behaviors are assessed at multiple points during the year
Educators have time to collect and document observational evidence
Districts want to review behavioral results beyond report cards or progress reports
When teachers collect behavioral evidence through rubric-based assessments in Forefront, they have more options for analyzing and reporting those behaviors alongside academic performance. This can provide useful information beyond family reporting, but it can also create additional work for teachers if expectations are unclear or if they do not have protected time to gather and enter the evidence.
Helpful Tip: Consider the amount of evidence teachers can realistically collect. A system that requires extensive data entry may be difficult to implement consistently if the information is primarily intended for periodic family reporting.
Report Card Expectations
Some districts prefer to report behaviors directly on report cards rather than create separate behavioral assessments. This approach may be appropriate when most students generally meet classroom expectations and teachers primarily need to identify exceptions. In these cases, report card results may be pre-populated with a common value, allowing teachers to adjust individual ratings for students whose behaviors differ from the expected level.
Select Behavioral Outcomes
District teams should identify a small number of behaviors that are clearly defined and meaningful across classrooms. Strong behavioral outcomes are:
Observable
Teachable
Developmentally appropriate
Relevant to student learning
Consistently interpretable across educators
Many districts choose three to five core outcomes, such as responsibility, collaboration, persistence, self-management, and engagement. Some schools or districts also have shared behavioral expectations that are celebrated and reinforced as part of day-to-day school culture. When possible, these existing expectations can provide a strong foundation for behavioral reporting.
The specific behaviors you choose should reflect your district’s instructional priorities and the information you want students and families to understand. Before finalizing behavioral outcomes, consider:
Which behaviors are most important to communicate?
Can educators observe these behaviors consistently?
Are the expectations appropriate across grade levels?
Are any terms too broad or subjective to be interpreted consistently?
Define What Each Outcome Means
Selecting an outcome such as responsibility or engagement is only the first step. Districts should also define what the behavior looks like at each reporting level.
For example, if students are rated as Meeting Expectations, Approaching Expectations, or Needs Support, educators should have a shared understanding of the evidence associated with each level.
Whenever possible, descriptors should focus on observable behaviors rather than general impressions of a student.
Instead of:
Engaged: Usually engaged in class.
Consider:
Engaged: Participates in learning activities, begins assigned work, and remains focused with typical classroom support.
Clearer descriptors make behavioral reporting more useful for teachers, students, and families.
Norm Expectations Across Educators
Even well-written descriptors can be interpreted differently. Norming helps educators develop a shared understanding of what evidence supports each behavioral rating. A simple norming process might include:
Define the behavioral outcome and each performance level.
Identify observable evidence associated with each level.
Review classroom examples or student scenarios.
Ask educators to independently assign a rating.
Compare and discuss ratings.
Refine descriptors when differences in interpretation emerge.
Norming can help improve consistency across classrooms, reduce subjectivity, and provide families with clearer and more equitable reporting.
Keep Behavioral Outcomes Separate From Academic Achievement
One important decision is how your district will distinguish evidence of academic learning from behaviors that influence the learning process. Missing assignments, participation, organization, or responsibility may provide important information about a student, but they do not necessarily indicate whether the student understands a particular academic standard.
When academic evidence is missing, whether because a student was absent or did not submit an assignment, Forefront’s default is Not Assessed. This language communicates that there is not yet enough evidence to determine the student’s level of understanding for that standard.
Note that the language for Not Assessed can be modified at the district level and for sharing performance with families. Learn more about proficiency descriptors.
Teachers should avoid entering zeros for missing work when the zero does not represent evidence of the student’s academic understanding. Doing so can lower a student’s reported proficiency and shift the focus from learning to compliance.
Consider:
Which information belongs in an academic grade?
Which information should be communicated through behavioral outcomes?
How will teachers handle missing or incomplete work?
Can a student demonstrate proficiency while still needing support with a behavioral expectation?
Establishing clear guidance can help teachers communicate both academic learning and behavioral expectations without blending the two.
Consider Potential Bias
Behavioral reporting can be particularly vulnerable to differences in educator interpretation. Expectations such as participation, respect, or engagement may be understood differently across classrooms unless they are clearly defined.
As you develop behavioral outcomes, consider whether:
Ratings are based on observable evidence
Descriptors are specific enough to support consistent interpretation
Expectations account for developmental differences
Educators have opportunities to compare and norm ratings
District teams periodically review behavioral data for patterns or inconsistencies
Clear definitions and regular norming can help reduce subjectivity and improve consistency.
Questions for District Teams
Before implementing behavioral outcomes, make sure your team can answer:
Which behaviors are most important for us to communicate?
How will each behavioral outcome be defined?
What rating scale will we use?
What evidence should support each rating?
How will we norm expectations across educators?
How will behavioral outcomes remain separate from academic achievement?
How will these expectations be communicated to students and families?
As you develop your behavioral reporting approach, aim for a system that is clear, consistent, and practical for teachers to use. Behavioral outcomes should provide meaningful information to students and families without creating unnecessary complexity or duplicating information already communicated elsewhere.
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