The report card: this is how the school informs us
The delivery day of report card It is one of the most eagerly anticipated events for many students. Their interest is often related to the assessment given by parents to this school information. The degree of surprise, for parents, depends on the daily follow-up of the collegiate march and, in the case of older students, the sincerity of these when transmitting day to day.
The report card can have a great variety of forms, depending on the ages, style of the school and criteria of the educating team. Some evaluate objectives. In this case, within the language area of 5th Primary, for example, one should at least observe the following features: correct use of orthographic rules (b, v, g, j ...), speed and reading quality, oral comprehension , calligraphy, writing, conceptual knowledge (verb and verb forms, adjective ...), work from home, situation of your notebook if you have it ...
For those parents who follow their child's grades very closely, this information can be very useful; Of course, it is much more complete than a simple one: "progress appropriately" or "reach the objectives". It does not hurt, anyway, to include a qualification -numeric or not- that allows a quick assessment of the whole.
The formative evaluation of the report card
Asked to ask, it is not enough for us to be told that Ana reads regularly or that she has difficulties in operations; as much or more than that we are interested in being told what means to put and if the evolution since the last report is favorable or unfavorable. An evaluation that gives us results is not enough, it is necessary that evaluate processes and allow parents, students and teachers to take the necessary measures to correct on time what was not optimal.
Work for home: when the report card arrives
The notes are worth working at home if they have been thoroughly elaborated in the school; if it really is a correct valuation of work developed by the son or daughter in that period. If not, maybe we should pay more attention to the global valuation. Does this mean that if the positive or negative attitude of each subject are not very reliable, it may be worthwhile to observe the set of positives or negatives. When a student or student in almost all areas is given a negative assessment in housework, the message leaves little room for doubt.
It is important to see the data in context and no one better than the teacher-tutor, as we saw last month, for the correct interpretation. Overly picky parents can take things out of the box.
The delivery of the report card
Sometimes, the arrival of the notes coincides with a explosion of joy or anger. Older students prefer that the notes, if they are bad, arrive at the beginning of the week as it is possible for the effect to pass before the next weekend. It is even worse if they ask for the complicity of the mother to delay the delivery of the report card. I do not know if worse by the maternal performance or by the disproportionate reaction expected in the father.
It is worth spending a few minutes to remember how our reactions are to the possible qualifications as well as to assess whether the consequent decisions are dictated by logic or temperamental reaction. It can also be a good time to think about what we remember from the previous bulletins. To say that what matters most to us are attitudes, behavior, personality, etc. and then emphasize only the qualifications of the subjects is inconsistent. Saying that all subjects are important and then looking only at languages and mathematics is not very educational.
The school report has the quality of being a external report to the family and quite objectivable, but it should not be more than an indicative element. With the same notes, family reactions are very different, not only because the students are different but because according to the homes one thing or another is valued, one reacts in one way or another ...
The really important thing is that whether they are good or bad grades, that information helps us to educate better and our decisions in light of the qualifications are coherent with the educational style with which we try to act.
Action plans: the results of the report cards
The school results give rise to many action plans until the next school information. As the information offered by the schools generally coincides with the evaluations, it will be convenient to adjust the time of each plan to this period; however, intermediate plans must be made by renewing goals and motivation as often as necessary.
Four questions about the report cards
1.- What information should a bulletin contain? Undoubtedly, one way or another, it must reflect the academic qualifications of areas or subjects as well as all the information that, because it is of value to parents, can be reflected in a bulletin: punctuality, conduct, companionship, industriousness, etc.
2.- How should the information in a newsletter be? Truthful, complete, timely, clear. Not because it contains more information a newsletter is better. An excess of data, reflected in a confusing way, only leads to worse communication. A school report should reflect in the best possible way the current situation of the student. This information should reflect all evaluable facets and should be sent in time so that the appropriate means can be put in place to improve the following results.
3.- What does this school report reflect? A report is the result of a period of work, even in the case that the ratings have been set by the results of recent exams.
4.- Should we comment the newsletter between parents and teachers? It is worthwhile that a few days after the arrival of the grades, the father, mother or both have a conversation with the son or daughter. In this conversation, permeable to the new data by both parties, the most significant part of the report should be commented on and perhaps the goals contemplated up to the next bulletin should be noted on the back.
José Manuel Mañu Training Director of the Gaztelueta School
