本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Getting the Most Information from Your Student's Reports
Report cards get too little attention. Months in the making, they supply more answers and ask more questions than many people know.
THE GRADES
Many people count the letter grades and make a judgement about 'good', 'ok ,'not so good', and 'that's it, you're grounded!'.
Discussion that does occur, most of the time, does not include the teacher; and it rarely involves parent, student and teacher at the same time. A report card is not an end of a term, as much as it ought to be, a beginning of a process.
Grades are reported in percentages and/or letter grades. There is a tendency to give too little celebration to the higher grades and ask the wrong questions about the lower grades. Additional questions will yield useful information.
"Congratulations on the A Sumwhy'd you get it?" We learn from mistakes and failures; we also learn from success. Maybe the answer to how we got the A is the answer to why we got the C in the other subject..
What's the trend? How does this report compare to the last one and the one before that; are we getting better, worse, or maintaining?
How do results match expectations? The report will lose much of its value if it isn't part of a bigger picture that includes expectations, trends, and future plans.
Is there a pattern? What types of courses show better results; math and sciences, word-based courses, electives? What do the results mean for aspirations; the long and short term plans and objectives? Does 'the plan' need to be modified?
The most important question about a grade that's below expectations is "what will improve it?".
"If nothing changes, nothing changes."
To improve grades the following questions need answers. They are best asked in the presence of parent, student and teacher.
Which grades need improvement?
What is a reasonable expectation?
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO DIFFERENTLY? ('Work harder' is an insufficient answer)
How will we know if it's working before we get the next report card?
THE WORK HABITS OR ATTITUDE MARKS
There are a variety of work habit mark systems but most comment on student, effort and attitude. .
There is usually a connection between the letter grades and attitudes/work habits. An 'A' letter grade with a less than 'A' work habit mark is worthy of investigation. It is not a good idea to let a high mark justify a less than satisfactory work habit or attitude mark. .
A high-level work habit mark and a less than expected letter grade needs explanation. If the student is working up to potential is this then, the best mark they can expect to get?
THE COMMENTS
Most report card comments are selected by the teacher from a bank of prepared comments. Most computer systems allow for two comments of a line or two in length. 'Hand written' comments may also be attached. .
The computer comments are generic in nature, limited in scope, and often require explanation. .
"Greater effort required" is not a recipe for success; it is an unanswered question.
THE ATTENDANCE
Are there unexplained absences? They can be a sign of significant difficulty. Is there a relationship between attendance and progress? Perhaps recurring appointments should happen outside of school time.
THE GRADE POINT AVERAGE
GPA appears on most report cards. It is derived by assigning a value to each of the letter grades with an 'A' often-equaling 4.
Perhaps the GPA's greatest significance is its use as a measure of student standing for entry to post secondary institutions and for scholarships and other prizes. It is a crude measure because it can be manipulated through course selection. A student with a full load of senior sciences ought not to have their academic abilities compared to a student carrying a load of courses based primarily on non-academic skill acquisition.
Many institutes that screen on the basis of GPA select from the range of courses taken by the student and use only the best 4 or 5. It is important to know how GPA figures in the selection process and to choose courses and apply effort accordingly. Your counsellor can advise you.
OTHER INFORMATION
Many report cards will tell you when the parent teacher interviews are and how to make appointments. They may also indicate the name of your student's counsellor.
Report cards are an excellent source of information. They are intended to stimulate discussion as much as provide answers. Get the most out of your kids' reports. Everybody, including you, worked hard to make them possible.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Report cards get too little attention. Months in the making, they supply more answers and ask more questions than many people know.
THE GRADES
Many people count the letter grades and make a judgement about 'good', 'ok ,'not so good', and 'that's it, you're grounded!'.
Discussion that does occur, most of the time, does not include the teacher; and it rarely involves parent, student and teacher at the same time. A report card is not an end of a term, as much as it ought to be, a beginning of a process.
Grades are reported in percentages and/or letter grades. There is a tendency to give too little celebration to the higher grades and ask the wrong questions about the lower grades. Additional questions will yield useful information.
"Congratulations on the A Sumwhy'd you get it?" We learn from mistakes and failures; we also learn from success. Maybe the answer to how we got the A is the answer to why we got the C in the other subject..
What's the trend? How does this report compare to the last one and the one before that; are we getting better, worse, or maintaining?
How do results match expectations? The report will lose much of its value if it isn't part of a bigger picture that includes expectations, trends, and future plans.
Is there a pattern? What types of courses show better results; math and sciences, word-based courses, electives? What do the results mean for aspirations; the long and short term plans and objectives? Does 'the plan' need to be modified?
The most important question about a grade that's below expectations is "what will improve it?".
"If nothing changes, nothing changes."
To improve grades the following questions need answers. They are best asked in the presence of parent, student and teacher.
Which grades need improvement?
What is a reasonable expectation?
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO DIFFERENTLY? ('Work harder' is an insufficient answer)
How will we know if it's working before we get the next report card?
THE WORK HABITS OR ATTITUDE MARKS
There are a variety of work habit mark systems but most comment on student, effort and attitude. .
There is usually a connection between the letter grades and attitudes/work habits. An 'A' letter grade with a less than 'A' work habit mark is worthy of investigation. It is not a good idea to let a high mark justify a less than satisfactory work habit or attitude mark. .
A high-level work habit mark and a less than expected letter grade needs explanation. If the student is working up to potential is this then, the best mark they can expect to get?
THE COMMENTS
Most report card comments are selected by the teacher from a bank of prepared comments. Most computer systems allow for two comments of a line or two in length. 'Hand written' comments may also be attached. .
The computer comments are generic in nature, limited in scope, and often require explanation. .
"Greater effort required" is not a recipe for success; it is an unanswered question.
THE ATTENDANCE
Are there unexplained absences? They can be a sign of significant difficulty. Is there a relationship between attendance and progress? Perhaps recurring appointments should happen outside of school time.
THE GRADE POINT AVERAGE
GPA appears on most report cards. It is derived by assigning a value to each of the letter grades with an 'A' often-equaling 4.
Perhaps the GPA's greatest significance is its use as a measure of student standing for entry to post secondary institutions and for scholarships and other prizes. It is a crude measure because it can be manipulated through course selection. A student with a full load of senior sciences ought not to have their academic abilities compared to a student carrying a load of courses based primarily on non-academic skill acquisition.
Many institutes that screen on the basis of GPA select from the range of courses taken by the student and use only the best 4 or 5. It is important to know how GPA figures in the selection process and to choose courses and apply effort accordingly. Your counsellor can advise you.
OTHER INFORMATION
Many report cards will tell you when the parent teacher interviews are and how to make appointments. They may also indicate the name of your student's counsellor.
Report cards are an excellent source of information. They are intended to stimulate discussion as much as provide answers. Get the most out of your kids' reports. Everybody, including you, worked hard to make them possible.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net