Report cards are required in the British Columbia education system three times a year. These reporting periods divide our school year into three terms: fall, winter and spring. I organize my year around reporting. I am a teacher; it is a school system.
In each of the three terms there is a letter grade for Math, Literacies (Language Arts), Science, Social Studies, PE, Fine Arts, French and Personal Planning. As well, each of the subject areas has a behaviour, attitude and work habits grade of needs improvement, satisfactory or good. Finally, in the intermediate years, grade 4 through 7, there are written comments for Literacies (Language Arts) and Math each term, all of the other subject areas once a year.
This year most of the teachers in my school, and district, have gone to a checklist style of report card. The teachers compile a list of comments for the different subject areas, input them in a grid and then check off where the students falls - not yet meeting, minimally meeting, fully meeting or exceeding. Where the checks fall match the letter grade for each subject area.
There are several reasons for the move in this direction, which I will not elaborate on at this time. In my school I was the only teacher, Primary or Intermediate, that did not go to the grid for the written part of the report card. I was a bit concerned that parents and students migh take issue that I had not followed the norm, but it was not a problem.
I have distinguished my understanding of the difference between formative and summative assessment (see Assessment: Formative and Summative) and in how they play themselves out in my classroom. I have also represented how the students in my class work together and individually within the context of a collaborative community of learners (see other Projects: Literacies, Science, PE). In this context it follows that students are part of the report card writing process - they reflect on their learning along with me to create their report card comments. Because of this the report cards are personal and therefore do not lend themselves to standard comments in subject areas that can easily be placed in a grid. We would be creating individual grids for each student, which would defeat the purpose of the grid in the first place.
In the first term I lead the new students to my class through reflections that help me to write report card comments that integrate my understanding and the student's understanding of their progress. Students who had been in my class for grade six helped in the leading in this process - they are excellent teachers and can explain self reflection to their peers as well or better than I can. In second term we repeat the pattern with less teaching from me, and the repeat students, and by third term all of them can practically write their comments themselves.
This year in second term I had the students attach their reflections as Word Documents to an e-mail and send them to me electronically. Along with not having to type the comments myself this was also an exercise in electronic communication between the students and their teacher - not their everyday computer chat. Writing formal e-mail correspondence is a skill they will require in the future, no doubt, and practicing it with me modelling appropriate responses is well received. the students quickly followed the modelling adding new strategies to their repetoire.
After the written comments were systematically organized, edited, proof read and matched to grades the reports go to the principal for signing off and then are read one on one, student and teacher. This occurs several days prior to their scheduled release to home date.
Students Reading Report Cards with Me
After a student reads their report card with me, and we both agree it is acceptable, they take their report cards to their desk and place them in safe keeping. Once all of the students have read through their report cards with me we have a class relaxed-read of our report cards.
Students Reading Report Cards on Their Own
Once this read is done we have a quick chat about how fast the term went, what fun we have planned for next term and how proud we all are of one another. The report cards go away to be pulled out whenever they would like to read them and they go home several days later - without much fuss, and definitely no surprises.
Report cards are an example of summative assessment in my class - they mark the end of term. In my class they are usually a marker of celebration. Although they can also be a marker of time to take action.