Progress Reports ... Coming Soon!

It’s hard to believe that we are in the second half of September! As we move closer to October and fall conferences, I wanted to share with you a little about progress reports, which you may refer to as grade cards. If you’ve read my acorn articles in the past (thanks for reading!) you probably remember me talking about progress reports. As silly as changing the name from grade cards to progress reports may seem, it can help us think more in terms of progress instead of perfection. A grade card has a more absolute sound to it, and a progress report makes you think more in terms of growth. Since you will soon be seeing your child’s first progress report of the year, I wanted to take some time to explain what you can expect.

In Early Childhood our teachers focus on communicating the overall progress of their students. This is done through written narratives used to explain basic academics, social and emotional skills, along with other important notes. These narratives are written twice per year, in the second and fourth quarters. We have strategically placed those narrative reports to be sent opposite from the quarters when conferences are scheduled since they will get to visit with you during conferences! Narrative reports for Pretoddler and Toddler students contain a report from their classroom teacher focused on the elements listed above. Students in Preschool and Pre-K receive narrative comments from their classroom teacher as well as specialist teachers. From an administrator and parental point of view, our Early Childhood teachers do a very good job at sending daily Seesaw communication to keep you in the loop of daily updates and achievements. The goal is for progress reports, conferences, and daily communication to inform you on the short and long term growth of your child.  

As students progress into Lower School (K-3rd grade) they begin receiving a more traditional looking progress report which includes grading marks. These marks cover grade level skills assessed during specific quarters. You may notice that there is an asterisk in some columns during the first quarter, and that signifies that the content has not yet been taught. The reports are broken down by subject matter that includes grade level specific skills. These markings allow you to take a detailed look at exactly where your child may excel or need more time. The report itself explains what each marking stands for. Letter grades are not yet introduced on these progress reports since the focus is more on assessing ability in the classroom while guiding students to be responsible through gradual homework over time. When reading the progress report, it’s important to observe the growth from quarter to quarter to effectively measure and evaluate how your child is learning. It’s less about where they start, more about where they finish. 

Intermediate progress reports will look a little different this year which is exciting! Our goal is to seamlessly bridge the gap between Lower, Intermediate and Middle School progress reports. Intermediate progress reports will still have marks for certain skills but will also contain a letter grade. The detailed markings allow you to see individual skills assessed for each student along with the letter grade they’ve earned. We are guiding our students to be more independent and responsible by incorporating letter grades for homework assignments and classroom assessments. Students begin to learn accountability while parents stay in the know about their detailed progress. 

For Middle School progress reports you’ll only see a letter grade. This isn’t to say that teachers aren’t tracking individual skills, rather their grades are viewed as letter grades on the progress report. One of the reasons we have so many conferences and forms of communication throughout the year is to be able to share those skills no longer seen on the grade card if there’s a celebration or concern. The goal for Middle School students is to be evaluated based on their skills, abilities, and accountability through homework. Grades are based on performance and responsibility at this level, which helps prepare students for high school and beyond. 

Hopefully this gives you brief insight to our philosophy behind progress reports as students move up through each division. Progress reports are something we take a look at each year and evaluate. We strive to provide an age appropriate report for parents to review, understand, and ask questions. Progress reports along with conferences will help us provide you with the most accurate academic and holistic information about your child. 

A final thought about progress reports is to remember to view the growth your child makes each quarter. This is the second time I’ve mentioned that which means it’s important! Please resist the urge to compare with others or formulate unrealistic expectations. What’s most important is that your child is doing their best and continuing to show growth. If you ever have any questions or concerns about what you are seeing on a progress report please do not hesitate to ask questions or stop in. Delaney Zimmermann is also a great resource to help interpret grade cards and formulate a plan forward if necessary.

A strong parent and school relationship can help propel our students towards success!