Monitoring Your Child’s Academic Performance

Welcome to the “ember” months! The last couple of months of the calendar year are much awaited by both students and parents for many reasons including the holidays, time off from school, and hopes for a calmer schedule. At this point in the year students are past the beginning of the school year jitters and in the depths of various new concepts across all subject areas. This month we would like to remind all parents about using various sources of information to help you effectively monitor your child’s performance in the classroom. Many of us depend on seeing a numerical or letter grade on assignments and report cards as a way to monitor student success, however, rubric-based assessments, district assessments, state standards, and student-led projects or writings are also ways parents can gather a holistic understanding of their child’s true performance in the classroom. 

• Rubric-Based Assessments – Reading rubrics is a great, non-subjective way for parents to see where their student should be performing and what level they are performing.

• District Assessments – This type of assessment shows a small snippet of your child’s learnings of various concepts based on district and state standards. 

• State Standards – Parenting Corner’s July Newsletter shared information on reading state standards. These standards can be used to understand what your child is learning in class. Knowing which units your child has worked on throughout the year so far will help parents narrow down which standards parents should shift their focus.

• Written Work – Reflecting on written work, including any published writings, math problem explanations, or any written response, will show your child’s thought process more than a traditional multiple-choice assignment or test.

• Progress Report / Report Card – Shows an average of the class assignments and test scores for each subject area. The report card provides a lot of information but could also be skewed based on the types of assignments and assessments covered in one grading period. As parents, we should have an understanding of the main goals and objectives in the various subject areas. This information may be provided by the classroom teachers in the form of a newsletter or weekly communication.

Components of a Report Card 

Traditionally we have depended on report cards as the sole document which determines a student’s level of success in the classroom, however, there is a lot more information that can help parents create a cohesive picture of a child’s overall development as mentioned above. The report card not only focuses on academics, but parents will also gather information about social and emotional development as well as work habits. Below is a list of areas in a report card that will help parents to get a better understanding of their child’s performance.

• Subject Grades

• Test Results/ Standards Achievement – Standards achievement is seen mostly in the younger grades when focusing on reading, writing, and motor skill milestones. 

• Absences

• Teacher Comments – Be sure to read these and ask for more clarification if needed

• Performance in Specials Classes (music, art, tech, physical education, etc.)

How to respond to information from a report card – Actions to take 

The report card can serve as a guiding document for parents and children on creating action items whether that be setting goals, reviewing areas of improvement, and challenging students where needed. Here are a few action items to consider after reviewing the report card:

Discuss the Results

• When discussing grades with your child, it is important to keep their best interest in mind, so beginning with focusing on the positives would be beneficial. In order to have a productive conversation, your child should know they are in a safe space and can discuss their feelings related to school with you. 

Teacher Partnership (e.g., ask questions for clarification, goal setting, etc.)

• As you review the report card, think of how support from your child’s teacher can help you grasp where your child needs to be supported or challenged. Asking specific questions will allow for more detailed responses. Consider the following question stems:

  • Could I get some clarity on what you meant by ______ in the comments?

  • Was there a particular standard or topic which resulted in this grade?

  • Which standards in (insert subject) would we benefit from reviewing at home?

  • How could my child benefit from working on this social skill?

Create attainable goals

• Once you have more context on how your child is feeling and the areas they should continue refining, set small attainable goals with your child. This goal could be result oriented or building a habit which will solicit the proper results. 

Sharing results with external resources (e.g., family members, counselor, physician)

• If there are any patterns you notice with frequency of the classroom teacher reaching out or continuously bringing certain behaviors to your attention, please remember to take this information to certified and trustworthy resources. This could be a counselor, physician, or close family members. Building a supportive community will create a support system around your child.

Grade Inflation

Some studies show that while students’ grades are getting higher, standardized testing scores are declining.  Why do we think this is happening?

Some teachers may use easier books and problems to teach a concept for a child based on each student’s reading level or math capabilities, but children should be assessed on concepts at grade level.  Additionally, standardized tests cover information from the state standards for their particular grade level, not based on the student’s ability at that time. Standardized tests include results from ACT scores as well.

This is why it is critical for parents to use multiple sources of information, to understand if your child is performing at grade level.  Therefore, using the various sources of information outlined earlier, parents can have a better understanding of a child’s performance at school. This practice will truly showcase how children are performing academically.

This month we ask parents to have open conversations with their child about how they feel about school. Where they feel confident? Where they feel like they would like more support? The graphics and video below will provide more information on how to use sources from school to engage in these meaningful conversations.