Reporting Student Progress to Parents
Downloadable Version of Part IX – (PDF File)
Part IX – Reporting Student Progress to Parents
One of the responsibilities that you will face throughout the school year is reporting each child’s progress to his/her parents. Most districts will do this approximately 3-4 times a year using the child’s progress in attaining his/her IEP goals as required by law. However, there may be other times when this type of progress will need to be reported to parents. Parents place a higher priority on receiving information about their children’s progress than any other type of information they receive from schools.
According to Cuttance & Stokes (2000), a number of concerns and improvements are required in the reporting process:
- Parents consider there is a tendency, more common in primary schools, to avoid facing or telling hard truths. Parents understand how difficult it may be for teachers to convey ‘bad’ news, but nevertheless they indicate that they want a ‘fair and honest’ assessment, in plain language, of the progress of their children.
- There is a lack of objective standards that parents can use to determine their children’s attainment and rate of progress. Many parents specifically asked for information that would enable them to compare their children’s progress with other students or with agreed state/ territory-wide or national standards.
- Parents indicated they would like more interpretative and constructive reporting. Parents want something more substantial from reports than simple statements of achievement levels. They also want advice on what the report means in terms of the future learning goals for their child, and how parents can support their children’s learning.
- Most systems that report test results to parents do not require schools to incorporate these results in their reports to parents. Parents expressed a degree of confusion when they receive test reports in one style and metric and school reports in another unrelated style using a different metric.
- Parents want more comprehensible reports when they are based on outcomes reporting. Some education systems have adopted criterion-based outcomes reporting approaches, but many parents are finding it difficult to understand the reports because of changes in assessment practices.
- Parents require more appropriate timing of reports. They indicated a clear preference for reports earlier each year when they are in a better position to support their children with any learning improvement. Parents appreciated reports during Term 1, where these were provided, and find that an end-of-year report is too late for any constructive use.
- There is a mistrust of computer-generated reports in the parent community. Parents indicate that they find computer reports to be impersonal and limited. Parents want reports that are tailored to their individual children.
- Parent-teacher meetings need to be more useful to parents. Parents are dissatisfied with meetings that are poorly organized and lack focus and purpose. They consider meetings of 5-10 minutes to be too limited to be useful and believe they are organized mainly for ceremonial purposes. The timing of most meetings does not encourage an interactive discussion.
- The detection and prompt reporting of learning and behavioral problems is of major concern to parents. Many parents are concerned that they had not been advised as early as they could have been of their children’s learning problems.
- Parents would like an enhanced role for their children in the reporting process. Parents believe that their children are an integral part of the reporting process and seek to involve them in parent-teacher meetings as well as in other aspects of assessment and reporting.
In light of the above information you may want provide a variety of opportunities to convey information home to parents. Keep in mind that informed parents usually mean supportive parents. Non-informed parents may have a tendency to assume, write negative scripts, interrogate his/her child, and be defensive. We suggest you try the following:
- As previously mentioned in other parts of this series, you should hold individual interviews with the parent (s) at the beginning of the year. This allows parents to give teachers first hand information which will assist them in planning to meet the specific individual needs of each child.
- Use a variety of progress reports that focus on the specific needs or concerns of the child instead of a general one which focuses on too many areas. For instance if the parents are not aware if homework has been given and need to know that it was turned in the next day use the following form:
Elementary Grades
Name ____________________
Date _______________
__Monday Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
__Tuesday Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
__Wednesday Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
__Thursday Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
__Friday Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Secondary Level
Name __________________________
Monday Date: ___________
Subject
Math Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Social Studies Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
English Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Science Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Tuesday ___________
Subject
Math Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Social Studies Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
English Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Science Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Wednesday___________
Subject
Math Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Social Studies Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
English Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Science Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Thursday___________
Subject
Math Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Social Studies Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
English Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Science Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Friday___________
Subject
Math Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Social Studies Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
English Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
Science Homework tonight yes____no___ Homework handed in yes___no___
This type of daily record will reinforce the child’s accountability and assist the parents in working with the child at home. When you meet with the parents at the beginning of the year explain that they should expect this home every night.
Such Progress Reports are important sources of information on the child’s learning at school. Do not be afraid to tailor such reports to specific behaviors if they are required and necessary to facilitate positive outcomes.
More detailed reports focusing on academic achievement, social abilities, cooperation, etc. should be done monthly with children with learning disabilities.
However, have a policy that allows parents to request an interview with you at any time throughout the school year.
In summary, provide a system of communication home on regular basis that offers positive information, suggestions, solutions to issues you have noticed, or just to see if the parents have any concerns. Using this type of approach will facilitate the closeness with the school and facilitate your relationships with parents.
