Progress Reports

Progress reports never really reflect what is going on with the child. They are specific yet vague. One of the children I work with got a progress report and it certainly does not match his abilities.

This is a child that does the work and is very smart.

The challenges of any progress report includes (a) to remember it isn't the grade (b) it can change and (c) it is an opportunity to force teachers to become specific rather than vague.

I felt it was worth sharing a few ideas on how to handle progress reports.

A - Remember It Is Not The Grade - A good progress report will not always translate to the same grade. Your child brings home a progress report showing an A. This actually may end up working against them. They may feel they have it all under control. Then they may fall backwards in their efforts. This may translate to a B or even a C.

The child that gets a high progress report should find things outside of the class to challenge their learning.

The child that gets a poor progress report should be a little upset and maybe even confused.

B - Remember It Can Change The grade can, will and should change. When a student gets to an A then make sure they are doing something with that knowledge in the real world. This is the only way to keep them engaged in the school system.

C - Force The Teacher To Become Specific Rather Than Vague If the progress report shows the child is disrupting class then get the details.

Ask the teacher specifically, "what has to change in the behavior for the grade to move up?"

Without this pressure the teacher can remain vague. A teacher will not risk giving a poor grade to a student whose parent is involved. Make sure you get the information direct from the teacher. Emails are great because they are clear.

"What are the three things my child needs to do in order to correct this issue?" Follow up as these items change and get confirmation about the change in writing.

I hope this helps some of the parents who struggle with report cards. Remember grading of any type brings up all of our core stuff.