Maximizing Impact through Report Cards

Report cards serve the purpose of formally communicating a child’s behavioral and academic standing to their parents. There is a lot of information that gets communicated through student report cards, so it is important that families know how to navigate these reports and use the feedback they are receiving to best support their children at home.

Content Breakdown

At Classical, we provide families with report cards at the conclusion of each trimester, with the first two requiring a parent-teacher conference. Our goal is always to communicate clearly and specifically about a child’s strengths and areas for growth. We pride ourselves on being heavily data-driven, and our report cards include the following quantitative data:

• Assessment & Subject Scores: We administer tests at the end of each unit and cumulative interim assessments three times per year to assess mastery. We calculate averages in each subject to provide an overview.
• Network Average: In addition to a student’s grades, we include the network average for test scores.
• Percent Rank: This indicates how a scholar ranks compared to all Classical scholars in the same grade across the network. At the end of the year, percent ranks are used to make decisions for Summer Learning Academy and promotion to the next grade.
• Unexcused Absences
• Tardies
• Dean Referrals
• Behavioral Reflections

We recognize that high levels of detail can feel overwhelming at times. As such, we encourage families to start by reviewing subject averages. To share more context, we include a network average for assessments to show how a child is performing compared to their peers who are receiving the same curriculum across our schools, and, from this data, we pull each scholar’s percentage rank as well.

Individualized Comments

An advantage of including all assessments in table format is that the quantitative data stands alone for review, and this allows teachers to leverage written comments to provide a better synthesis and actionable items for students and families. Written comments are not intended to reiterate data points, but instead should be standards- and skill-based – and share insights into how the student can improve. Through written comments for ELA and Math performance, as well as general notes about each child’s behavior and participation in class, teachers can elaborate on individual strengths and areas for improvement, both academically and socially. Furthermore, our teachers share actionable next steps for families to best support their child’s learning.

Resources for Beyond the Classroom

Our teachers share supplemental resources for students to practice critical skills at home. These resources may include extra practice, questions, strategies, and tips for families to use when supporting their children with homework. Teachers also share comments about student behavior and socioemotional development, as needed. It is through report card conferences, conversations, and written comments that our teachers can paint a clearer picture of each child’s progress and highest leverage areas of focus in the classroom and, so importantly, at home. The dream is that all schools provide report cards and facilitate conferences that are adequately detailed, cover critical subject areas, highlight student strengths or evidence of growth, and provide specific, actionable feedback to guide the student and their family to improvement over time.

 

 
 

This post was contributed by Ms. Maguire, Data Manager, and Ms. Emanuele, Specials Project Manager. As a non-CMO charter network, we rely on the thoughts, opinions, and innovations of our staff to move our mission forward and provide an excellent academic option to families in the South Bronx. To hear more from our staff, check out the next post! Or, click here to learn more.