Writing Effective Report Card Comments

Effective Report The B e st S t r a t e g ie s , Tips, a n d Lists o f U se fu l P h r a s e s That E n c o u r a g e C h ild r e n — a n d S a v e Y o u Tim e! ------------------- by Susan Shafer --------------------

JCim is a g r e a t contributor to our rcudi

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M ichael is always eager to assist his fellow rlrfscrnrttaj;---------------Helen frequently acts as a le a d e i free activity periods.

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Writing Effective

REPORT CARD Comments by

Susan Shafer

pROFESSIONALgOOKS NEW Y O R K

• TORONTO

• LONDON

• AUCKLAND

• SYDNEY

D e d ic a t io n

To Marilyn

A C K N O W LE D G M ENTS

My thanks to the teachers and consultants w ho contributed their tim e and th o u g h ts to this book, especially Adam Berkin, M iriam Epland, Adele Fiderer, M in H o n g , Gloria H oyos, Jane Fowler, M ary Gallivan, Kathy Lake, Fran M cNulty, Yvonne Sui R unyan, Peggy S cott, Leslie Serling, Penny S trube, Kathy Sholtys, Suzanne H o u g h to n Varney, and Valerie Williams.

T he report card excerpt on page 11 is reproduced from the archives o f th e N ew York City Board o f E ducation: New York City Board o f Education Archives, M illbank M em orial Library, Teachers C ollege, C olum bia University. T he student pages may be reproduced for classroom use. N o o th e r part o f this publication can be reproduced in whole o r in part, stored in a retrieval system, o r transm itted in any form o r by any m eans, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, o r otherw ise, w ithout w ritten perm ission o f the publisher. For inform ation regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. C over design by V incent Ceci and Jaime Lucero Interior design by Solutions by D esign, Inc. ISBN 0-590-06882-2 C opyright © 1997 Susan Shafer All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

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Table of Contents /

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J In tro d u c tio n ...................................................................................................5

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C h ap ter 1

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R eport Cards in the Assessment Process......................................... 7 I

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Teachers’ Philosophies A bout Teaching and K id s .....................15

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C h ap ter 3

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M ethods for Assessing O u r S tu d e n ts ............................................ 21

C h ap ter 4

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Tips for W riting R eport C ard N a rra tiv e s .................................... 35

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C h ap ter 5

Words and Phrases T h at W ork......................................................... 41

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W hat D o Parents W a n t? ................................................................... 49

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Strategies for Resolving Possible P ro b lem s..................................53 $

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Guidelines, Form ats, Schedules, and T ips.................................... 59

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B ib lio g ra p h y ............................................................................................. 63

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Introduction “A report card,” says Penny Strube, a fifth-grade teacher in H annibal, Missouri, a keepsake fo r the whole fam ily. It's a piece o f memorabilia th a t a child may keep fo r a lifetime. So, when I write comments on my students' report cards, I compose very carefully, basing my statements on careful observation o f the child's work. I know th a t in fu tu r e years those kids may one day reread what I said about them when they were students in my class. It's a big responsibility, a n d I try to be positive a n d encouraging.” This is part o f a conversation I had w ith one teacher, which grew into conversations w ith m any teachers across the country, on how to make com m ents we teachers write on stu d en ts’ rep o rt cards m ore m eaningful and helpful to the child and the child’s family. R eport card com m ents have always been an interest o f mine. D uring the tw enty years I worked as an elem entary school teacher, I often wished th at we teachers had m ore opportunities to share ideas on how to write the best narratives possible. W hile I was confident th at the rep o rt cards I w rote were clear, straightforw ard, and inform ative, I wished th a t I had further chances to discuss w ith my colleagues o u r philosophies ab o u t rep o rt card w riting and o u r approaches to and systems for collecting data. By sharing ideas, we w ould grow as professionals and our im proved narratives w ould help students grow as learners.

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9

Questioning Begins

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om e m onths ago I plunged into the research th at I had w anted to undertake for so long. N ow an educational w riter and consultant, I started by p h o n in g teacher friends and colleagues, asking them to discuss w ith me the basic tenets and practical assessment systems th at guide them as they prepare rep o rt cards. My plan was to write a book th a t w ould give teachers the tools to com m unicate m ore effectively w ith parents. I hoped to make it easier for teachers to create narratives that are clear and constructive—in the fullest sense o f th a t w ord. I w anted to help teachers write com m ents that w ould build kids’ confidence and im prove their learning.

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Phone Calls Galore

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*cll m e about your philosophy o f w riting rep o rt card com m ents,” I began, after chatting informally w ith each teacher. (Their response? Make it positive.) “W hat do you hope rep o rt cards will accomplish?” I also asked. “W ho are you trying to reach?” Teachers were eager to discuss these questions and were happy to share their thou g h ts and practices. M any even w rote letters and sent me sample narratives to illustrate their points. T he interviews were so spirited and inform ation-packed that I began to take notes.

* Distributed Questionnaire *

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oon I formalized my w ork even m ore. I created a questionnaire which I sent to eight o u tstan d in g teachers. (They teach various grades, from grade 1 th ro u g h grade 5, and some have tau g h t preschool or grade 6 and higher in the past. O ne ta u g h t a range o f grades from K— 12 and is currently an associate professor in a university.)

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Moms and Dads Queried

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also w anted parents’ v iews ab o u t narratives. In tim e, I contacted parents o f my form er students, friends o f relatives, and neighbors.

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Purpose y he purpose o f W riting Effective Report C ard Continents is to help you:

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Write rep o rt card com m ents w ith clarity and ease.

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Share inform ation th a t encourages parents’ su p p o rt o f their child ren ’s learning.

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Ki3 Make the rep o rt card w riting process m ore efficient.

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T he book describes the four m ost im p o rtan t elem ents o f effective narratives and offers tips and actual examples o f rep o rt card com m ents th at work.

Chapter

1

Report Cards in the Assessment Process Assessment Is Ongoing rom the m om ent students enter your classroom in the m orning till long after they leave at the end o f the day, you are evaluating their progress, b o th formally and informally. Assessment is often so m uch a natural part o f w hat we teachers d o th at w e’re hardly aware w e’re doing it. Yet assessment is vital in helping us p ro m o te students’ grow th as learners, in inform ing us about o u r ow n teaching, and in reporting students’ progress to parents. L et’s look at the ways in w hich all o f these things com e into play in one teacher’s classroom. After lunch, the students in a fourth-grade class gather for a w riting w orkshop mini-lesson. T he teacher starts by dem onstrating for the group how to use dialogue to write a “ catchy lead.” After the discussion, the children return to their desks to experim ent w ith leads for their own stories (they have learned several techniques so far this m o n th ). Before long, the teacher notices 11 -year-old Shawn sitting dejectedly at his desk, crossing o u t som e o f his sentences, crum bling up his paper. “W hat’s w rong, Shawn?” the teacher asks. “ My leads are crum m y,” he says. “ I’ve tried ‘dialogue.’ I ’ve tried 'surprise statem ents.’ But no th in g sounds good en o u g h to get my friends to read on. I ’m stuck.” The teacher offers a suggestion. “ Have you tried ‘flashback’?” she asks. Shawn’s face brightens, his body relaxes, and he goes back to w riting w ith new energy.

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Pleased, the teacher walks away, m aking a quick note to herself on a sticky paper: “ January 4— Shawn struggling w ith leads.” She drops the note into her folder for Shawn and makes a m ental n o te to observe his progress in this area as the weeks go on. To see how he is com ing along today, she will stop at the boy’s desk again later in the w riting w orkshop. She may even include a com m ent on his next rep o rt card: “Shawn is w orking on finding g o o d leads for his stories.” T he teacher jots dow n one m ore n o te, this one to herself: “ Plan new lesson on leads. Ask kids to bring in books from hom e that have a lead that they like.” * Later that m o n th , w hen the teacher and Shaw n’s m o th er m eet during a parent-teacher conference, they will look over Shawn’s rep o rt card and portfolio and talk, in part, ab o u t Shaw n’s progress in this area. This is just one example o f how we teachers are involved in assessing ou r students on an o n going basis— all day long, all year long.

Select From a Wide Range of Tools

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‘here are so many assessment tools available to us as teachers— including observation, anecdotal records, conferences, portfolios, rubrics, checklists, stu d en t self-evaluation, and tests, to nam e just a few— th at we generally select a few th at are appropriate. H o w do we decide which assessment tools we will use? We base o u r decisions on: I®" the grade level we teach. For example, a lower grade teacher may use a reading readiness checklist while an upper grade teacher may study children’s daily reading logs.

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the subject we teach. For example, to assess m ath we may listen to a child’s explanation o f how he solved a problem , and to assess social studies we may read his w ritten response to the question “W ould you have liked to live in Colonial times?” US’ school or district mandates N o m atter w hat the grade or subject, or w hether we assess formally or informally, m ost o f us a re required to write rep o rt cards. R eport cards can serve som e useful purposes. L et’s take a look at w hat those are.

Why Use Report Cards? Build Hom e-School Connections

M any families use the rep o rt card as an occasion to sit dow n to g eth er to talk about the child’s progress. G athered at the kitchen table or seated on the living room couch, parents and children often read the grades and com m ents together, celebrating the children’s successes or making plans to improve weaker areas. Document Growth Through Childhood

M any parents save their children’s rep o rt cards from preschool to high school, storing them in family album s or in shoe boxes in the attic. As years go on and children becom e teenagers or young adults, families often take o u t the stacks o f rep o rt cards, treasuring them as warm rem inders o f the child’s grow ing-up years. Along w ith photographs, rep o rt cards docum ent a child’s developm ent th ro u g h tim e ( “ Look at B ernie’s secondgrade rep o rt card. H e was even good in m ath back th en !” ). Inform Families About Children's Learning

A rep o rt card sum m arizes for the family the salient aspects o f the child’s progress. It indicates for the child and parents the strengths o f that student, b o th academically (_____ 3s written stories are im aginative and well organized) and socially (_____ shows leadership skills in his social studies group). R eport cards may also bring to the parents’ attention areas in which the child needs extra help (_____ could use extra practice with m ultiplication by 4 a n d 5) and may include suggestions for ways parents can assist their child at hom e (Perhaps you can read to her fo r fifteen m inutes every night). R eport cards, th en, are a way to increase dialogue betw een hom e and school. Help Children Grow as Learners

Effective rep o rt cards can m otivate children to set higher goals. For example, a child w ho has a ready grasp o f science principles about electricity may be encouraged— th ro u g h the rep o rt card as well as oth er forms o f com m unication— to attain m ore challenging levels o f achievem ent. W hen a child reads ab o u t h erself:_____ excels in science. I would enjoy seeing her create an original science project on circuits and demonstrate it fo r the class, she will have a concrete suggestion that propels her to stretch her abilities. R eport cards can raise a child’s perform ance or suggest new goals n o t considered initially by the child or the family.

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Reach Shy, Q uieter Children

Those children in class w ho are shy and less vocal may dem and less o f the teacher’s in-class attention than children w ho are m ore outgoing. (T hat does n o t m ean that the teacher does n o t recognize each child and the range o f his o r her capabilities, o f course.) But the rep o rt card— particularly th ro u g h the w ritten co m m en t—can becom e a vehicle th ro u g h which the teacher rem inds the shy child th at he or she is appreciated. Recognize Each Child's Unique Qualities

Some elem entary school principals add to teachers’ com m ents by w riting com m ents o f their own. (Michael— I'm g la d to see th a t your attendance this semester has improved. Keep up the good work! —Dr. Williams). This makes all children— and parents— feel special. R eport cards, th en , serve many useful purposes.

Changing Nature of Report Cards

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erhaps you or o th er teachers in your school have participated in a district-wide com m ittee to revise your district’s rep o rt cards. C om m ittees like these arc becom ing increasingly com m on because teachers have found that the nature o f teaching— and therefore, the nature o f assessment— has changed during th e last several years. Pressure for Revision

As recently as fifteen years ago, educators som etim es presented subjects such as spelling, gram m ar, and com position as a set o f isolated skills. Teachers assessed students’ know ledge mainly th ro u g h tests and reported children’s progress by means o f grades or num bers. But w ith the current emphasis on integrating subject areas th ro u g h literature-based instruction, them e studies, w riting process, problem solving, critical thinking, and collaborative learning, teachers today are likely to use alternative means o f assessment—such as portfolios, perform ance assessments, conferences, and observations— to capture the full range o f learning activities in the classroom. Yet rep o rt cards do n o t always reflect these new m ethods and views o f learning. As a result, many teachers are urging their districts to find ways to revise report card form ats to create greater harm ony between current approaches to instruction and reporting. Comeback for Narratives

As far back as the early part o f the tw entieth century, teachers reported

student progress th ro u g h narratives. But w ith the passage in 1918 o f com pulsory attendance laws (and w ith their enforcem ent by 1930), larger num bers o f students attended school and teachers’ classrooms were crow ded with learners (Guskey, 1996). W hen it came tim e to report to parents, teachers still w rote narratives b u t it was n o longer efficient to do As years w ent by, teachers gradually shifted to checklists to save time, especially w ith older students. Ironically, while rep o rt cards today contain checklists and grades, there is a shift away from grades and marks back to narratives again. In many school districts still using traditional rep o rt cards, teachers are supplem enting the cards w ith w ritten self-evaluations from students, narrative evaluations, and o th er data.

A LOOK BACK IN TIME: Did You Know? In 1931: A bout 6% of report cards during the early 1930s included a section on health education. It advised young children to consum e each of these daily: 1 pint to 1 q uart m ilk a glass of w ater before breakfast 1 cooked cereal, fruit a green or leafy vegetable A few cities distributed color-coded report cards, indicating at a glance the overall quality of a child's w ork in school: blue m eant excellent work, brow n m eant very good, and so forth. Presumably, privacy w a s not highly valued, as children w ould quickly know their teacher's view of their o w n as w ell as classm ates' w ork by the color of the card! A city in the West included space on their report cards for grades in these areas of children's hom e responsibilities: canning, care of stock, care of poultry, dusting, general farm w ork, ironing, and milking.

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o f Ihis pupil’s ability, he (she) 1. Is doing very well 2. Is doing satisfactory work 3. Could do better 4. Shows little effort I have read this report Parent’s Signature_________

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S econ d R eport In view o f this pupil's ability, he (she) 1. Is doing very well 2. Is doing satisfactory work 3. Could do better 4. Shows little effort I have read this report Parent's Signature_________________________

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T h e s c h o o l is tr y i n g t o a i d (h e g r o w th o f y o u r c h ild ______

in s c h o l a r s h ip , in h e a l th h a b i t s a n d in c h a r a c t e r . T o g e t th e b e s t r e s u lt s in s id e a n d o u t s id e s c h o o l , y o u r h e l p is needed. T h e p r i n c i p a l a n d t h e t e a c h e r w i l l b e p l e a s e d t o ta lk m a t t e r s o v e r w ith y o u .

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TRAINING IN PERSONALITY

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A n excerpt fro m a 1940 New Turk City report card (above) a n d one fro m a 1996 Shaker Heights, Ohio, report card (pages 13, 14) shows how educators have moved toward a more descriptive a n d integrated approach to curriculum a n d evaluation.

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EDUCATIONAL R EPO R T □ ■ O '

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R E A D IN G c h o o s e s t o r e a d in d e p e n d e n t l y u n d e r s ta n d s w h a t is r e a d (s u m m a riz e s , re te lls, d is c u s se s )

uses a variety o f strategies: u s e s p i c t u r e c lu e s r e r e a d s w h e n m e a n i n g is u n c le a r m a k e s m e a n in g f u l s u b s t i tu tio n s u s e s th e c o n te x t u s e s w o r d p a r t s ( w o r d f a m ilie s a n d v ow el p a tte r n s - p h o n ic s ) s e lf - c o r r e c ts r e c o g n iz e s c o m m o n w o rd s r e a d s f lu e n tly w i t h e x p re s s io n r e s p o n d s t o te x t (o ra lly , i n w r i tin g , a n d t h r o u g h t h e a r ts ) u s e s te x t t o f i n d / s t a te f a c ts , a n d s u p p o r t o p in io n s u s e s re fe r e n c e m a te r ia ls a n d r e so u rc e s

W R IT IN G c h o o s e s to w r it e r e g u la r ly a t t e m p t s d i f f e r e n t k i n d s o f w r itin g ( p o e try , l e tte r s , s to r ie s , re f le c tio n s , e tc .) e n r ic h e s o w n w r i t i n g u s i n g m o d e ls f ro m lite r a tu r e , a d u lts , a n d p e e rs b e g in s t o re v is e f o r c la rity , f o c u s a n d o r g a n iz a tio n u s e s d e ta ils a n d in te r e s t in g w o rd s b e g in s t o d e v e lo p a p e r s o n a l s ty le (v o ice ) b e g in s t o p r o o f r e a d a n d e d i t f o r c a p ita liz a tio n , p u n c t u a ti o n , s e n t e n c e s t r u c tu r e , a n d g r a m m a r u s e s s p e llin g s tr a te g ie s t o m o v e to w a r d c o n v e n tio n a l s p e llin g sp e lls c o m m o n w o r d s c o rre c tly w r ite s le g ib ly

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S h a k e r H e i g h t s , O h io 4 4 1 2 0 - 2 5 9 9

LANGUAGE ARTS L IS T E N I N G /S P E A K I N G

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r e a d in g , a n d w ritin g b u ild u p o n a n il s u p p o r t o n e a n o th e r .)

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S H A K E R H E IG H T S C IT Y S C H O O L D IS T R IC T S H A K E R H E IG H T S . O H IO

S O C IA L S T l D IE S p a r tic ip a te s in d is c u s s io n s a n d a c tiv itie s g a i n i n g k n o w le d g e a b o u t t h e w o rld a n d p e o p le u n d e r s t a n d s t h e f o u r d ir e c tio n s a n d c a n a p p ly to m a p s a n d g lo b e s c r e a te s s im p le m a p s w i t h m a p keys g a th e r s a n d e v a lu a te s in f o r m a tio n f r o m fie ld trip s u n d e r s t a n d s t h e g e o g r a p h ic re la tio n s h ip s b e tw e e n c o n ti n e n t , c o u n tr y , s ta te , a n d c ity id e n tif ie s a n d o r g a n iz e s e v e n ts to t h e i r p la c e in th e p a st

S C IE N C E o b ta i n s i n f o r m a tio n t h r o u g h a c c u r a te o b s e r v a tio n g r o u p s o b je c ts b y t h e i r s im ila ritie s a n d / o r d if f e r e n c e s u s e s i n f o r m a tio n t o m a k e v a lid p re d ic tio n s c o n s tr u c ts a n d u s e s w r i t t e n r e p o r ts , d ra w in g s , d ia g r a m s , g r a p h s , o r c h a r ts to g a in in f o r m a tio n

HEALTH le a r n s a n d u s e s a p p r o p r i a t e v o c a b u la ry u n d e r s t a n d s h o w b o d y s e n s e s h e lp u s to c o m m u n ic a te r e c o g n iz e s th e i m p o r ta n c e a n d n e e d fo r g o o d n u t r it i o n r e c o g n iz e s h o w g o o d h e a l t h h a b its p r e v e n ts d ise a se

W O R K A N D S T U D Y H A B IT S o r g a n iz e s tim e , w o r k , a n d p e r s o n a l b e lo n g in g s p r e p a r e s f o r c la s s w i th a p p r o p r ia te m a te r ia ls c o m p le te s d a ily w o r k a s s ig n m e n ts c o m p le te s h o m e w o r k a s s ig n m e n ts lis te n s a n d r e s p o n d s a p p r o p r ia te ly fo llo w s o r a l a n d w r i tt e n d ir e c tio n s s ta y s o n ta s k h a s p r id e in g o o d w o r k m a n s h ip

S O C IA L & P E R S O N A L G R O W T H d e m o n s t r a t e s a p p r o p r ia te p e e r re la tio n s h ip s u s e s p o lite la n g u a g e a c c e p ts re s p o n s ib ility a n d c o n s e q u e n c e s fo r b e h a v io r c o o p e r a te s w it h a d u lts w o r k s c o o p e r a tiv e ly w ith a g ro u p fo llo w s e s ta b lis h e d ru le s a n d ro u tin e s re s p c c ts p r o p e r ty d e m o n s t r a t e s s e lf - c o n tr o l

SKCONI) G RA D E

STI D E N T 'S NAME

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II

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Teachers' Philosophies About Teaching and Kids W hat Did I Ask and Why? What is your philosophy of writing report card comments? That is, what do you hope your comments will accom plish? Who are you trying to reach? hese were the questions I asked o f eight teachers. I knew that a teacher’s philosophy ab o u t teaching and assessment would be reflected in her classroom practice. I felt it was im p o rtan t to establish the teacher’s point o f reference before asking ab o u t her actual m ethods in the classroom.

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W hat Did Teachers Say? om m ents should be positive, teachers said. I f it’s necessary to point o u t a weakness or an area that challenges the stu d en t, it’s best to do so diplomatically and in the context o f the child’s strengths. In addition, com m ents should:

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suggest ways in which a parent can assist the child at hom e or m ention ways the teacher is trying to help the child in school

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M any teachers feel th at rep o rt card narratives are crucial for conveying a philosophy o f teaching and for com m unicating the teacher’s respect for the child’s gifts. N ow let’s hear the teachers speak for themselves. M IN H O N G , a first-grade teacher from M anhattan, N ew York: A rep o rt card is an im p o rtan t d ocum ent, and you need to back up w hat you say w ith examples. If I make a statem ent such as “Your child is having difficulty focusing,” I substantiate it w ith stu d en t samples or actual docum ents. W ho am I trying to reach? Family m em bers, parents, and m ost im portantly, the child! T he rep o rt card com m ents will help the child set goals or give the child som ething to strive for. Every rep o rt card should be individual, different from the others. I make it very personal so th at even if I d id n ’t w rite the child’s nam e on the rep o rt card, the parents still w ould know it belonged to their child. I have tw o personal guidelines w hen I write a rep o rt card com m ent: Be positive. (E x am p le:_____ is becoming a prolific writer.) M ention an area in which the child can grow. (E x am p le:_____ is working hard on his spelling.) P E N N Y ST R U B E , a fourth-grade teacher from H annibal, M issouri: T he purpose o f grade card com m ents is to build confidence a child will find m ore success the next tim e o r praise the child for the success o f the present. G rade card com m ents should be positive, uplifting, or w ords o f hope for future success. They are global com m ents. I believe th at there should be no surprise grades on th e card. Parents should be aware o f a child’s strengths and weaknesses th ro u g h o u t the grading period. The grade card’s purpose is to confirm the expected grades and create a sense o f pride or encouragem ent for a better qu arter to com e. W ho am I trying to reach? Both parent and child. I f I’m w riting a negative n o te o n a rep o rt card, I always make sure that I’ve already contacted the parent ab o u t the issue. This way there are no surprises for that parent! The com m ents should be personal (ab o u t the child’s strength o f character) and academic.

S U Z A N N E H O U G H T O N VARNEY, a second-grade teacher from N ew Orleans, Louisiana:

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My aim in w riting rep o rt cards is to give an overview o f a child’s progress. I ’m w riting for parents and hope to com m unicate as ^ # straightforw ardly as possible. I believe in using supportive language and 1 *2 giving constructive advice ab o u t how to address a child’s weaknesses. If I always keep in m ind th at this child is the center o f the p aren t’s w orld. ^ & $ I think ab o u t the effect my com m ent will have o n the parents. * \ ^ A few years ago, w hen I tau g h t pre-K, I focused my com m ents m ore on social behavior and tried to express an understanding o f the child’s behavior. W hen I tau g h t Grade 4, I focused m ore on academic m atters. ^ JANE FO W LER, a fifth-grade teacher from D iam ond Bar, California: I think o f m yself as an advocate for kids. I look o u t for the child’s well­ being. I see it as my responsibility to recognize a strength in that child in at least one area. I w ant the child to get satisfaction from som ething he or she does well. I can sum up my philosophy with this acronym: S.A.F.E.

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S = Sensitivity to the parent or guardian and child. Before I make a co m m en t on a rep o rt card, I ’m aware o f the person w ho will be reading it. Some children are in situations where a negative com m ent will bring severe discipline. If that m ight be the case, I say som ething positive o n the rep o rt card and follow up with a telephone call or conference where I discuss my concerns. A = Affirm w hat the child can do. I find the child’s strength and state it in the com m ent. For example, the child may have show n strength in a certain area or have im proved in social skills, in playground behavior, or in fine arts.

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F = Focus on the m ost im portant concern. I f I have a particular concern, I m ention it as the stu d en t’s academic or social challenge. If possible, I address this early in the year so it can be m onitored th ro u g h o u t the school year. E = Every kid is special! Every kid is unique, so I look for a strength and end the com m ent on a positive note. Overall, I find som ething special about the child and share it w ith the child’s p arent or guardian.

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I also do research into the child’s cum ulative record cards and talk to past teachers and to the principal or su p p o rt staff, w ho give me inform ation to b etter understand that child. I find th at teaching som etim es requires that I be parent, counselor, and in some cases, a m ost needed friend to my students. a? K A TH Y SH O LTY S, a second-grade teacher from Ithaca, N ew York: I hope that my com m ents are as objective as possible and that they are personal to each c h ild /p are n t. Narratives should reveal the child’s strengths, interests, and areas in need o f additional work. G row th should be com pared against the individual child, b u t parents should be aware o f how th e child fits into their ‘developm ental level’ o f grow th. VALERIE W ILLIAM S, a first-grade teacher from St. A lbans, N ew York: Look Back, Look Ahead

R eport cards should reflect where the child has been, w hat has been learned, and goals for the future. W riting rep o rt cards forces me to pinpoint exactly where the child is in the learning process. This is the only way the teacher will be able to help parents understand the child’s progress in class. Back Up Materials

I try to write com m ents th at can be d ocum ented w ith test results, w ork samples, or anecdotal records. Parents react b etter to com m ents that are inform ative w ith o u t being judgm ental.

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FR A N M C N U L T Y , a third-grade teacher from B ayonne, N ew Jersey: Sandwich It In

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I follow a sandwich approach w ith my com m ents: positive, negative (if necessary), positive. Hopefully, the positives outw eigh the negatives and a p aren t/g u ard ian realizes th at positive statem ents are to be b ro u g h t hom e and discussed w ith the stu d en t as well as the negative ones. Y V O N N E S U I R U N Y A N , a form er teacher o f grades K -6 from Boulder, Colorado: Use It as a W indow on Teaching

To m e, assessment and evaluation are ways to measure children, but

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they’re also ways to inform us, as teachers, ab o u t o u r ow n teaching. After all, w hen w riting rep o rt cards, w e’re really dealing w ith the whole educational process.

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Stress Process Over Skills

I think teachers should fashion th eir rep o rt cards to convey to parents the process o f learning and the strategies w e’re teaching, n o t just the skills the child has learned. Parents need to see the big picture. We need to com m unicate o u r w hole philosophy o f teaching. F or example, if the teacher wants to com m ent on the child’s w riting, she m ight say: While d ra ftin g a piece, _____ is able to spell correctly any word he wants to use. H e ’s also able to help other students proofread a n d edit their pieces fo r spelling. H e ’s looked a t by his classmates as an expert in spelling. The p a r t o f the process he needs help with is exploring topics o f interest a n d fig u r in g out w hat it is he wants to say about a p a rticu la r topic. This approach focuses on the whole process, not ju s t on isolated skills.

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N ow th at we see the fundam ental principles th at guide teachers, let’s look at the m ethods they use to actually assess their students’ grow th. J " -

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Methods for Assessing Our Students |V .

What Did I Ask and Why?

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What systems do you or your colleagues use to collect information for report cards? knew th a t the answer to this question w ould uncover sound systems for collecting inform ation ab o u t students and for rep o rtin g evaluations fairly to parents.

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What Did Teachers Say? eachers use a wide range o f m ethods to assess stu d en t progress. For example, they rely on portfolios, checklists and inventories, anecdotal records, journals, observations, stu d en t self-assessments, and tests.

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PEN N Y S T R U B E , Grade 4:

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Authentic Evaluation

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These are the main ways in which I collect inform ation ab o u t my students: I keep anecdotal notes, recorded readings, portfolios, and checklists for each child, and I refer to all o f these w hen I ’m w riting rep o rt card com m ents. 1

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1. A necdotal notes in every subject area, from reading to personal

developm ents. Examples: R e a d in g _____ seems to be having difficulty foeasing on her book d u rin g SSR (Sustained Silent R eading). Problem atten d in g to print. M ath A fte r one-on-one lesson,_____ has a better understanding o f long division. or Considerable im provem ent on long division. Working toward total grasp o f long division. L ite ra tu re _____ shared real insight into the thoughts o f the m ain character. Compared the W o m a in characters. or _____ discovered the connection between the sequence o f events. M ade generalizations a n d synthesized the inform ation. Comprehending a t a very high level. Social _____ misbehaved on the playground. Disagreement with another student. Apologized a n d regretted incident. Showing real growth. Som etim es I record anecdotal q u otes, to o , along w ith my notes. For example: _____ said about Moby Dick: “I liked the ending. I t seemed just. A hab g o t his Moby, a n d Moby g o t his A h a b .” or _____ said: “I g e t this now. I t took me three times, a n d now I really understand. ”_____ is experiencing real success in math. This is her weakest subject. or _____ said: “The boy's stom pin' was saying T 'm hungry." ' ______did

not correct this miscue (stompin'’fo r stomach). He continued to read as though nothing was wrong.

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2. Recorded readings: I tape the kids as they read aloud, then I do a miscue analysis.

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1 3. Portfolios: Each week children p u t items in the portfolio so I can analyze grow th over time. I use tw o types o f portfolios: grow th and showcase.

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Growth Portfolio Early in the school year I start a grow th portfolio for each child. I place various item s in the portfolio, then collect new item s at the intervals show n here:

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Items Collected

How Often

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creative w riting sam ple

2 per m onth

handw riting sam ple

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reading inventory

first w eek of school

m ath inventory

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literature log

1 per m onth

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(also called journal) research notes to show

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the child's note-taking process oral reading sam ple

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I collect samples o f students’ strengths a n d weaknesses. The portfolios are cum ulative. At the end o f the year, they’re very thick.

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math: a piece that shows success in m ath on at least one concept; a piece the child is proud o f keeping. spelling: a particular set o f w ords th at the child spelled o n a test. w ritin g : the m ost creative piece o f w riting in fiction, nonfiction, and narrative. literature lo g entry: shows their m ost reflective entry w ritten ab o u t a piece o f literature. reading b o o k list: a record kept by children o f all the books they read, including title, author, genre, and n u m b er o f pages. art: any artw ork prized by the student. 4. Checklists: I use checklists as a way to keep track o f my students’ abilities and weaknesses. I keep tw o kinds: individual and group. Sam ple Individual Checklist: O ral and Written Response to Literature B «)k:

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A PP L IC A T IO N Draws Conclusions Illustrates Stales Examples Relates Personalis Research

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Creates New Ideas Writes (story. poem, etc.) EVALUATION Author’s Purpose Critique Judges w/reasons Evaluates w/reasons Personal Opinion S e s s io n C o m m e n ts :

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In d iv id u a l H ere is an example o f an individual checklist. It allows me to observe my stu d en ts’ use o f story elem ents during the reading o f a piece o f literature. I make a copy o f the sheet for each student, write the child’s nam e, then place an X and the date to indicate w hen the child show ed she und ersto o d that elem ent. W hen d o I observe students? D uring our literature discussions and in conversations w ith the child as she interprets her th o u g h ts in the literature log. Som etim es I record special com m ents in the space at the b o tto m o f the sheet.

Group I also use group checklists {left). In addition to gridlike checklists, I som etim es use a Y es/N o sheet o f observable behaviors (below) or multiple options checklists (page 26):

Sam ple Group Checklist Tillc/Auihor:

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VALERIE W ILLIAM S, Grade 1:

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Test results: For exam ple, end-of-book tests in reading or unit tests in m ath. & K

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Journals: I examine children’s m ath journals and daily writing journals. A necdotal records: I keep a folder for each child. I make notes on self-stick notes and place them in folders at the end o f the week. M IN H O N G , Grade 1:

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I assess my students in form al and informal ways th ro u g h o u t the year. I look to see which children have grasped a concept and which children need help. I may even look for an alternate way to teach a concept to m eet the learning style o f a particular child. All o f these co ntribute to my

picture o f the child. I ’ll m ention som e o f these on the rep o rt card. Some o f the m ethods I use include portfolios, anecdotal notes, and conferences. Let me explain.

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1. P ortfolios W hen I ’m w riting the rep o rt card, I look th ro u g h the child’s portfolio for evidence o f grow th. Every oth er m onth I place in the child’s folder samples o f his or her work. Some item s in the portfolio are selected by the child; others are selected by me. This is the system I use: C h ild ’s Selection In N ovem ber, M arch, and June I m eet w ith each child to help them choose one piece o f w riting to add to the w riting section o f the portfolio. I ask the child to choose a piece that shows their grow th as a writer. I also ask the child to sclect a piece th at shows their best woi’k, along w ith a statem ent o f “W hy I Like It.” C hildren include statem ents like “ I like it because it’s funny” o r “ I like it because it’s ab o u t my cat.” This shows me w hat kind o f learner the child is.

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2. O bservation I make brief notes ab o u t children’s w ork, which I take as I circulate around the room during w riting tim e, during Daily News tim e, or in inform al conversations w ith them . In addition, I look at the child’s w riting in the co n ten t areas— for example, science and social studies— and make notes. 3. Conferences W hen a child has w ritten a story and feels he is ready to edit it, we m eet for a five- to fifteen-m inute editing conference. T he child reads

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O ther Areas M ath I use tw o pieces o f form al assessment, such as tests or checklists. The checklists contain areas such as “counts by 5s” and “understands one-toone correspondence.” R e a d in g Besides keeping inventories, I also have my students com plete these statem ents: “ I did a good job o n _____ ” and “ I need to w ork on _____ .” Som etim es I jot dow n quotes from the child.

In lo o k in g a t my I d id a g r e a t jo b o n . . .

n e e d to w o r k o n .

A rt I keep selected samples in their portfolio. F or instance, a child w ho loves to draw or paint or make a puppet can p u t that p roduct in the portfolio. It does n o t have to be a finished work. SUZAN NE H O U G H T O N VARNEY, Grade 2: In addition to keeping folders for each child, I keep a noteb o o k in which I place anecdotal com m ents. As I observe my students, I write these com m ents on mailing label-sized stickers and then place them on the appropriate pages in my notebook.

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JA NE FOW LER, Grade 5: Life Folders

I use w hat I call Life Folders to keep parents inform ed ab o u t the weekly progress o f their child. W hen the rep o rt card arrives, there are no surprises. I create a Life Folder for each child during the first week o f school. On one side o f the manila folder I place a weekly letter to parents. W ritten by m e, it rem inds parents o f school events. O n the o th er side I place a check sheet on w hich the child sets goals for him self or herself. I t’s labeled “Week o f _____ .” I add com m ents to the child’s goals, and the entire folder goes hom e. “ Every w eek the child places in the folder all w ork th at has been graded. T he child takes the folder hom e o n M ondays. I ask the parents to review the w ork and, to g eth er w ith the child, decide if any work should be included in the child’s portfolio (w hich is a separate folder). I f the parent likes a piece o f w ork, she places a P in the upper right hand side o f the

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the stu d en t likes the paper, he places an S, and I make my w ith a T. The child returns the paper to school on Tuesday. to ask parents w hat they think o f the Life Folder. T he com m ents are always positive.

FRAN M C N U LTY , Grade 3: I use anecdotal records, portfolios, and oth er assessment tools. Let me explain:

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Anecdotal Records

O n self-stick notes I write com m ents to myself. After a while I have a lot o f inform ation ab o u t my students. ^

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Reading Portfolios, General Portfolios, Book Report Portfolios

Every six to eight weeks we do housecleaning. I look at the quality o f my stu d e n t’s work. I look for im provem ent. W ith all those student samples, the evidence o f im provem ent is rig h t in front o f me. I often w rite com m ents to my students while scanning their papers. I encourage my students to write back to me.

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To assess children’s developm ent, I also use matrix sheets from com mercial publishers. i

Y V O N N E S U I R U N Y A N , Grades K -6: I can tell you ab o u t my use o f anecdotal records, conferences, Status o f Class R eport, and stu d en t self-evaluation:

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Anecdotal Records

W hen I was in the classroom, I used an anecdotal record book in w hich I recorded inform ation. I was especially interested in areas in which a child was struggling and in the child’s AHAs! (new discoveries). These gave me in-depth know ledge ab o u t the child’s progress w hich may otherw ise have g otten lost. O nce a week I made anecdotal notes for each child. Teacher-Student Conferences

I also had a conference once a week w ith each student. At th at tim e, I jotted dow n inform ation in each child’s folder. Status of Class Report

O ne o f the m ost fruitful systems I used was the Status o f Class R eport.

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This helped me to understand where kids were in different areas. For exam ple, if I was concentrating on w riting, I ’d ask the class, “ H o w are you planning to spend w orkshop tim e today?” I f a child often said “ I ’m going to w ork on getting a good lead,” I ’d know this was an area th at was im p o rtan t to him . In fact, the children’s answers to that question also indicated to me how I should spend my tim e teaching. I f many students said they were spending tim e on dialogue or on leads, then I recognized a pattern and knew I needed to teach m ore m ini-lessons on the subject.

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For each quarterly rep o rt, I ’d ask kids in Grades 1 -6 to write goals for each subject area— that is, to self-evaluate. I ’d attach th at to the report card. I asked the children to go into their portfolios and reflect on three things: d r w hat they did well w hat they needed to im prove on c®3 their goals Other

I also used learning logs, tests, long-term projects, stu d en t portfolios, w riting samples, and miscue analysis. Summary

I ’ve always felt th at it’s im p o rtan t to com m unicate to parents my philosophy o f teaching, the process o f education, n o t just skills tau g h t. So if a child often said to m e “ I ’m having trouble finding a good topic for w riting,” I m ay have w ritten o n the rep o rt c a rd :_____ needs help in rehearsing good topics. I used w hat I learned about the child th ro u g h conversations, conferences, work samples, and the Status o f Class R eport to write com m ents.

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was certain that the answers to these questions w ould elicit specific examples o f exem plary rep o rt card com m ents and w ould include a rationale as to w hy these com m ents are effective.

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How Did Teachers Respond? ffer praise and encouragem ent for the child’s efforts,” teachers said, V-7 “ and call attention to the child’s strengths.” Teachers agreed that it’s im p o rtan t to p o in t o u t the positive ways in which th at child is unique. • • L et’s hear this in the teachers’ own words.

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P E N N Y S T R U B E , G ra d e 4: Provide Encouragement

I try to be as positive as possible. Even if th e re’s a negative I have to m ention, I always give the child “reasons for h o p e.” I m ight say, Tour child is working hard on showing grow th i n _____ . I try to give the child as m uch encouragem ent as I can. For exam ple, if I ’ve w ritten a negative com m ent, I mav also attach a cute Garfield™ sticker to the rep o rt card, on which I write: I know you worked hard, even

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though you still haven’t grasped those science concepts. I do th at so as to recognize the child’s efforts. This gives the child a pick-m e-up. Assess the Student, Praise the Child

I always address tw o areas— academic and social. I write positive ^

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_____ has grow n in her understanding o f m ath concepts. She works hard a n d I appreciate th a t she stays after school fo r extra help, and

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If th ere’s a m ajor problem for the child, I find that the space for the com m ents o n the rep o rt card is to o small. So I attach to the rep o rt card a sheet o f strategies th at the parents can use to teach the child at hom e. The note may say:

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N ext quarter we’re starting over. Here are some reading strategies th a t will help your child read better. When your child gets home fro m school each day, perhaps you can work with her on these areas. K A T H Y S H O L T Y S , G ra d e 2: Be Objective

I make my com m ents objective and personal for each child. Examples: *m

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has fo u n d a balance between work tim e a n d playtime. He takes responsibility fo r solving his work-related questions. or is able to fin ish a task with a clearly defined beginning and ending. I t is d iffic u lt fo r her to successfully fin ish an assignment that is open-ended.

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For M ath: is able to tell tim e to the hour a n d h a lf hour. I am working with him to tell tim e to the quarter hour.

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In addition to the com m ents themselves, I often include a work sample by the child or a w ritten description o f w hat he or she does well or finds challenging.

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Be thoughtfu l o f the language you use w ith parents. Use simple, com m on language, n o t teacher jargon. F or example, I w ould never use technical term s because parents may n o t know w hat they m ean. T h at kind o f language w ould cause a divide between teachers and parents. Words and phrases I w o u ld n ’t use: w ritin g process, decoding, one-to-one correspondence, and book talk (unless I had sent hom e notes about w hat a book talk is.) V A L E R IE W IL L IA M S , G ra d e 1:

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A rep o rt card should n o te observable behavior, n o t just general im pressions. So if you say:

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_____ stays on task a n d is able to use a variety o f reading strategies. H e ’s particularly good a t using context clues.

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JA N E F O W L E R , G ra d e 2:

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I always bring parents “ in11 on my rep o rt card com m ents. I make parents a part o f the educational process. O ne way I d o th at is by inviting parents to write com m ents on their child’s weekly Life Folders. (For inform ation on Life Folders, see C hapter 3.) A nother way is by thanking parents— directly or indirectly— on the rep o rt card itself. I may say it simply:

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Thanks fo r all your help this year.

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Treat With Respect

I look at cach child as distinct, n o t as a “ fill-in-the-blank.” W hen I write a rep o rt card com m ent, I think, “ I f this were my child, how w ould I w ant him or her to be treated?” S U Z A N N E H O U G H T O N V A R N EY , G ra d e 2: Convey Child's Specialness

Always convey som ething unique ab o u t the child. Show w hat you appreciate about th at boy or girl, such as his integrity or her personality. Show th at y o u ’re excited ab o u t the child’s progress and invested in the child’s developm ent. Examples: _____ is grow ing in self-confidence. I ’m really excited to see this happen. _____ has made good progress in social studies this year. I t has been exciting to observe_____ 3s grow th as a reader over the past few months.

“Always convey something unique about the child. ”

Enlist Parents' Help

If you m ention a child’s weakness, end with a suggestion as to how the family can address the problem . T h at is, try to p u t a positive spin on things. Example: If you w rite :_____ has trouble focusing on his homework, you can add: Perhaps you can help him fi n d a quieter spot in his room to filte r out distractions. Use Lots of Details

Cite specific examples o f a child’s w ork and progress, such as: D u rin g W riting Workshop, _____ goes right to the task o f p u ttin g her ideas down on paper. She has particularly enjoyed experim enting with poetry. She applies to her poems w hat we have learned about similes, metaphors, a n d repetition. _____ uses m ental strategies to solve addition a n d subtraction problems. _____ has a strong grasp o f the science concepts we have covered this term.

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_____ fin d s it d ifficu lt a t times to focus. I t ’s helpful to have him sit near the fr o n t o f the room. _____ is a g re a t contributor to our reading a n d history discussions. H is ability to recall a n d apply previously discussed ideas shows how carefully he listens a n d absorbs the new m aterial on our state’s history. In m ath, _____ shows a fir m grasp o f basic operations a n d the money and place value concepts we are reviewing. She is able to cover a good deal o f m aterial, often going beyond the m in im u m to help run the cash register in our class store. Use Common Sense

Avoid critical w ords, like ill-behaved, annoying, and noisy. V A L E R IE W IL L IA M S , G ra d e 1: Record Observable Behavior

For example: _____ is able to remember a n d follow directions necessary fo r completion o f independent assignments. _____ is a very talented student who is confident enough in her skills to experiment a n d take risks. When g iven a more open-ended task, such as a project or w riting assignment, she adds her original ideas. The results are as im aginative, such as a humorous draw ing o f a turkey with chicken pox. Highlight a Unique Aspect of Each Child

For example: _____ frequently acts as a leader d u rin g free activity periods. _____ particularly enjoys our discussions o f books. H e loved our readaloud book O w en, a n d read it on his own as well. Y V O N N E S IU R U N Y A N , G rad es K -6 : Start With Something Positive

I like to begin w ith som ething ab o u t the child’s personality or characteristics, then move to the academic areas. Examples: ____ makes friends easily. H er peers look to her fo r advice, assurance,

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and even direction. She is doing especially well in music a n d language arts. The areas th a t challenge her are science a n d social studies. 'While she is able to understand the reading materials, ______ has a d ifficu lt tim e draw ing conclusions about w hat she has read.

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uses a “circle” plot structure fo r all o f her stories. I am working with her to use other organizational structures in her writing. Vm helping her use a beginning, a middle, and an end in some stories.

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W hat p h ra s e s or w o rd s do you often use w h e n w riting co m m e n ts? W hy are these effective?

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What Did Teachers Say?

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W ords th a t encourage kids and p arents— and th a t are positive— include: energetic, consistent, h ard worker, problem-solver, risk-taker, potential,

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_____ relies less on the teacher fo r the spelling o f unknown words.

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Examples: _____ continues to show grow th in his writing. We will continue to help him add details to his creative w riting stories.

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* Phrases That Build Bridges to Families * Thanks for yo u r help. T I appreciate y o u r ___________________ .

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_____ }s oral reading has improved this quarter. Thank you fo r practicing with him daily a t home. Tour continued support o f_____ a t home has helped him reach his weekly goals.

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_____ ’s fa cility with m ath fa cts has improved now th a t you are g iv in g her an extra fiv e m inutes o f practice every night. Thanks fo r letting me know a b o u t_____ 3s special interest in frogs. I have a num ber o f good books on th a t subject a n d will try to encourage him to read them.

Tour weekend cooking sessions w ith _____ have helped her reading. _____ chooses cookbooks fro m the school library a n d enjoys reading them du rin g D E A R (Drop Everything a n d R ead) tim e in class.

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Adam Berkin, a form er fourth-grade teacher in Brooklyn, N ew York, shares a list o f com m ents that he has com piled over the years. H e says that referring to the list has made w riting rep o rt cards easier— and less timeconsum ing. Writing

inform ative pieces are well developed displays research skills incorporates m odels from literature uses notes and plans to assist in expression o f ideas uses com plex sentence form s and starts to set o u t w riting in paragraphs starts to build plot, suspense, characters, dialogue, setting, purpose, and climax into narrative willingly takes suggestions from peers and teacher learning to take m eaningful notes makes use o f descriptive language is developing correct capitalization, p u nctuation, and sentence structure has begun to edit for mechanics benefits from feedback and questions and revises effectively self edits

writes legibly uses invented spelling in early drafts b u t searches for correct form before presentation can write w ith imaginative touches willingly shares w riting is developing ow n voice sees w riting as a tool for learning takes risks able to give constructive feedback to a classm ate’s draft Reading

usually chooses books with simple narrative often rereads favorite books needs help w ith using reference and inform ation books is a confident reader w ho feels at hom e w ith books can use inform ation in books for reference purposes b u t needs help with unfamiliar material capable o f reading some dem anding texts reads thoughtfully and appreciates shades o f m eaning is an enthusiastic and reflective reader w ho has strong established tastes enjoys pursuing ow n reading interests independently can handle a wide range and variety o f texts contributes thoughtful com m ents to literature discussions is respectful o f o th ers’ com m ents and builds o n them well can get lost in a book chooses to read during free tim e shares reading experiences w ith classmates can articulate why enjoys story makes reasonable predictions turns to text to verify and clarify ideas can talk meaningfully about characters, setting, m ood, incident, structure symbol, tim e, tensions

makes connections w ith oth er books reads w ith expression Discussion

listens attentively and responds to peer com m ents in discussions actively participates in group sensitive to th e g roup m em bers’ ideas and views willing to com prom ise if necessary to best accomplish a goal helps others to understand assignments Work Habits

is productive and involved during w ork times expresses enjoym ent as a result o f hard work and achievem ent sensitive to and respectful o f others

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What Do Parents Want? “The vast m ajority o f fam ilies care deeply about their children’s education and w a n t them to do well in school. Generally, fam ilies w a n t to know how their children are “doing” in the basic subjects, especially reading, language arts (including spelling), a n d mathematics. They w a n t to know i f their children are applying themselves, i f they are cbehaving3 well, a n d i f they are g ettin g along well with others. ” — G lennie Buckley, Report C ard on Report Cards

What Did I Ask Parents?

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he parents I spoke w ith were eager to talk, needing few questions to prom pt them to “ open u p .” O f each parent I asked:

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W hat do you expect w hen you read your child’s rep o rt card? Ki3 D o you have any overall suggestions for im proving rep o rt card comments? W hat w ould you like teachers in general to know' about your reaction to re p o rt card comments?

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P a re n t o f six th -g ra d e b o y an d th ird -g ra d e girl: 1 keep my children’s rep o rt cards in large boxes, along w ith special m em entos from babyhood on up. I ’ve g o t their baby p h o to s, preschool projects, school photos, awards, special projects, and stories they’ve w ritten. From tim e to tim e we take them o u t and look at everything. Overall, I ’ve been happy with my children’s report cards. But if th e re’s a problem , I expect the teacher will let me know as soon as she knows. I w o u ld n ’t w ant to be inform ed o f a problem in the third m arking period that started in the first m arking period. I expect the teacher will drop me a note or p hone me right away to talk ab o u t it. To tell you the tru th , som e o f my friends—w ho have kids in my kids’ classes—expect the teacher to write som ething “ p ro fo u n d ” on the rep o rt card. 1 really d o n ’t. After all, they’ve g o t an awful lot o f students. O n the o th er hand, I also feel disappointed if I read som ething very general, like “ Have a nice sum m er.” . . . Last year the principal m ade a brief com m ent on my son’s and my d aug h ter’s rep o rt cards. I was impressed! It m ade o u r w hole family feel special. After all, w ith all those kids in the school, the principal to o k the time to d o that.

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v M o th e r o f tw o d a u g h te rs, o n e in 4 th g rad e, th e o th e r in 6 th g rad e: For several years my d aughter came hom e from school with w onderful rep o rt cards. I call them the $ 1 0 ,0 0 0 rep o rt cards because they were so outstanding. I felt like show ing the rep o rt to everyone I knew. The problem was that they d id n ’t zero in o n any one area. I’d read a one- or tw o-line statem ent from the main teacher and from the art, dance, and gym teachers, respectively. But they were general and n o t all that helpful. W hat’s m ore, the dance teacher w rote for every kid, “Your child adds a lot to dance class.” I expected a m ore specific, individualized com m ent for my child. In the last few years the rep o rt card com m ents have g otten m ore specific, and I appreciate that. N ow I know exactly w here my child is in each subject. . . . O ne year, a teacher m entioned on the rep o rt card a low score

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(65%) my daug h ter received on a standardized test. I was upset th at the teacher w rote that, as I saw it as a stigm a th at the score w ould forever be “in p rin t.”

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M o th e r o f tw o g ro w n sons:

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Both my sons w ent to a traditional private school. The emphasis there was on becom ing literate, and the school did a good jo b w ith teaching reading, w riting, and m ath. My boys did well academically. Rut I wish the rep o rt card had raised questions ab o u t another aspect o f my sons’ developm ent: self-confidence. Today one o f my sons has a serious problem w ith that. I w onder if the school knew the early w arning signals. If so, I wish they had b ro u g h t it to my attention. I w o u ld n ’t have w anted them to scare m e, b u t I wish they’d have focused equally hard on his social developm ent. I wish the school had raised questions ab o u t this, then presented me w ith som e options for how to handle it. After all, they’re the professionals. O ddly enough, my (problem ) son excelled in school and did as he was told. But those kind o f kids are often the ones w ho need special attention. The teachers em phasized social developm ent in the early grades, b u t that aspect took a back seat as the kids w ent up the grades. Today th at son is a first-semester freshm an at a prestigious college. But I hold o u t little hope th at he will stay in college for m ore than one term . H e has a m ajor problem w ith drugs— he has for years— and it’s tearing my family apart.

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P a re n t o f tw o g ro w n ch ild re n w h o is an ed u c a tio n a l co n su lta n t: As a parent and a teacher, my experiences w ith my tw o children in school were quite different. W ith my daughter, the rep o rt card was like a badge o f honor: it showed, in w ritten form , th at my dau g h ter was at the to p o f her class. But w ith my son, the rep o rt card was often a shock. The com m ents described a boy I did n o t know. T he rep o rt card said my son “ talks o u t o f turn in class,” “ does n o t stay on task,” and th at “ h e’s a wise guy.” But at hom e I had a son w ho was inquisitive, verbal, and interested in all sorts o f things. W hen I w ent to school to talk about these issues w ith his teacher, I changed from being an articulate adult to feeling like a th ird grader myself. W hen I left those m eetings, I never knew w hether to blame my son or myself. I felt I was being told I was n o t a g o o d p aren t . . . I was scared. I d id n ’t have the answers b u t I ’m proud o f my children today.

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. . . As a middle-class parent and teacher, I wish the teacher had asked me w hat works well for me at hom e. I wish the teacher had asked me for advice. Thinking back, that teacher w ould have g o tten fu rth er w ith me if she had said, “W hat are you doing successfully at hom e w ith your son that I can em ulate in my classroom?” This w ould have been positive and em phasized that I was doing a good job all along. . . . . . Nowadays, portfolios are a big addition to parent-teacher conferences. Today we teachers use the old rep o rtin g systems, b u t we back them up w ith student portfolios. I t’s a step in the right direction.

What Do Parents Look for in Report Card Comments? What Can You Do to Address That? How is my child special? Teacher's action: M ake the report card for each child unique. Offer specific com m ents about each child. Avoid general com m ents that also a pp ea r on other children's report cards.

How can I help my child improve academically and socially? Teacher's action: Offer concrete suggestions. Distribute a lists of books parents can read aloud to their child at home. Suggest short activities (read the paper together after dinner), as well as long-range activities (visit the library or enroll the child in a sports program ).

i®" Is my child doing okay? Teacher's action: C om m unicate often w ith families. If a child is having difficulty, let the parent know as early in the school year as possible. They w a n t to be able to tackle a problem early on and parents feel frustrated if they find out a problem m ay have existed for m onths prior to issuing the report card.

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Strategies for Resolving Possible Problems

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ost teachers, at some point in their careers, will send hom e a report card th at stirs up a p aren t’s concern— even anger. (W hat do you m ean my child is failing in m ath—she’s a genius! H o w can you say my child instigates fights w ith classmates? H e never does th at at hom e!) All the teachers I spoke w ith said that the rep o rt card is n o t the forum to firs t inform parents o f a child’s struggles. But, they advised, when you have to p u t a child’s academic or social weaknesses on record, it’s w hat you com m unicate to parents before and after the rep o rt card th at counts. H ere, additional teachers share their strategies for com m unicating w ith parents o f children w ho are going th ro u g h a rocky time.

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Child Struggling Academically Start-of-Year Conferences P E G G Y S C O T T , a seco n d -g rad e te ach er in B ro o k lin e, M assachusetts: I start the year by establishing a relationship w ith parents and use that as a basis for all future interactions. W hen, or if, I have special issues to discuss w ith parents, they already know th at I like and respect their child. After L abor Day, and durin g the first week o f school, I send a letter to parents inviting th em to a conference (held in the m orning, before the

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kids have arrived for the day). T he m eeting is voluntary. I ask parents to talk to me ab o u t w hat they feel w orked and d id n ’t work for their child th< year before. T h at way, we start o ff w ith a reference p o in t for the relationship w e’ll have th ro u g h o u t the com ing year. As the year progresses, I let parents know w hat the child does well and where the child is experiencing difficulty. If the child isn’t progressing well, I ’ll be specific on the rep o rt card but I w o n ’t overw helm the parent. Suggest Hom e Activities

I som etim es suggest a way a parent can help at hom e (because som etim es parents d o n ’t realize just how helpful they can be). For example, if a child is having trouble generalizing, or if h e ’s limited by his ow n experiences, I’ll suggest th at the p arent read to that child a book tha broadens his experiences (such as a book o n different kinds o f homes). O I ’ll tell the parent ab o u t a topic w e’re studying in class and ask the parent to talk to the child about how th a t’s connected to the child’s life at home Suggest One Strategy, Then Follow Up

I suggest one hom e strategy, then follow up in a m onth or so to see il the child responds well. For exam ple, if I have suggested th at the parent ask the child one reading question every night, I’ll also suggest that the parent check back w ith me in four weeks so we can see how this is working. Focus on One Issue a t a Time

The m ost im p o rtan t thing is to be h o n est and n o t give m isinform ation. But I w o u ld n ’t say to a parent “Everything is terrible. Your child is sinking.” In fact, at different tim es during the year I might talk about different things th at aren ’t going well. M A RY G A L L IV A N , a fo rm e r fo u rth -g ra d e te ach er in N ew Y ork City: In Addition to Report Cards, Use Portfolios to Communicate With Parents

Portfolios are a way o f dem onstrating to parents the child’s strengths and areas in need o f im provem ent. T he teachers in my school w ho are m ost effective have their students address strengths a n d weaknesses in tf portfolios so the kids themselves are also involved in assessing their progress. We start the self-reflection process at the beginning o f the year. I hav students write a Weekly Reflection, which addresses w hat children think they did well on and areas they w anted to w ork on. T hen, during the

n parent-teachcr conference, the parents and I discuss these and looked at the docum ents as well.

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Child Displays Social Problems P E G G Y S C O T T , G ra d e 2: Be Neutral but Accurate

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If a child is acting o u t in class, I m ight say on the rep o rt card, Tour child is not available fo r instruction. I t ’s hard to g ive a fa i r a n d clear indication o f how your child is doing academically. For example, your child isn’t able to follow directions because she seems to be distracted b y______ . Here’s what I ’d recommend . . . .

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Involve G uidance Counselor

I f I feel a child’s problem s go beyond my realm , I ’ll go to the guidance counselor for a referral or a diagnosis. The guidance counselor may suggest that the parent take the child to a pediatrician or to a m ental health professional for short-term counseling. But the guidance counselor and I w ould make sure the tim ing is right for this.

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Keep Teacher Journal

I keep a journal in w hich I record anecdotes ab o u t the child’s behavior. T h at way I can refer to it w hen I ’m w riting rep o rt cards or talking w ith a parent. G L O R IA H O Y O S , a T itle 1 c o o rd in a to r te ach er in El P aso , Texas:

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M a k e Use of Teacher Observation Form

A teacher has to be careful w hen m aking com m ents o n the rep o rt card. After all, com m ents may follow a child for a long tim e. F or example, if a * * child moves from one school to another, or to an o th er district, the parent is often asked to bring with her the child’s report card. T h a t’s used as a basis for the child’s placem ent in the new school. A teacher should always write com m ents that reflect consistent behavior. The teacher shouldn’t write som ething th at happened just a few ^ (t days before the teacher filled o u t the card. O ne way to safeguard against ^ this is to periodically fill in a teacher observation form (n o tin g the dates) * and back th at up w ith examples o f the child’s work. For example, if you write th a t the child “ is having difficulty focusing,” you should be able to 9 * substantiate th at in several ways. § ^

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Keep in m ind th at children often change from one year to another. If the parents o f a child in grade 4 are going th ro u g h a divorce, the child may exhibit social or academic problem s in class. But the next year, in grade 5, the m other may have rem arried a real nice guy, and the child may n o t display those problem s anymore. A D A M B E R K IN , G ra d e 4: It's All in the Phrasing

I f you have a stu d en t w ho is a real bully, it’s tem pting to call a spade a spade, b u t o f course, you can’t. You do have to be honest w ith parents, th o u g h , especially if the child’s behavior is disrupting the class. If I have a studen t w ho is often mean tow ard others, I ’ll w rite, “ is n o t always sensitive to o thers’ feelings.” If I notice a child gossips, I m ight say, “ has difficulty form ing tru st in friendships” o r “ repeats things th at can be hurtful to o thers.” If a child fools aro u n d a lot, I’d say, “ is easily distracted by o th ers.”

Adversarial Parent P E G G Y S C O T T , G ra d e 2: Be Professional

Som etim es a p aren t may accuse the teacher o f n o t helping the child satisfactorily and com e to school to tell her that the child’s p o o r report card is actually the fault o f the teacher. In a case like th at, it’s im portant for us to be the professionals, to show graciousness, and to step back a bit. In fact, all the skills you have for being a good listener w ould come in to effect during such a m eeting. Rem em ber, the parent feels even m ore vulnerable than we do. After all, this is his o r her child. D u rin g the conference, I w ould acknow ledge w hat the parent feels but stand my gro u n d as well. I’d say, “ I hear w hat you’re saying, b u t I see your child differently from 8 a . m . to 2 p . m . in school. I ’m basing my assessment on my observations o f yo u r child and w hat I know about children. But this is a good tim e to p u t o u r heads to g eth er and find a solution.” Then the parent and I would try to find a way to help th at boy o r girl.

Parent Puts Pressure on Child M A RY G A L LIV A N : Involve the Principal

T he students in my class were always so o n top o f things, yet the parents often w anted them to w ork harder still. T he parents sometimes p u t so m uch pressure o n the kids to d o b etter o n their rep o rt cards and elsewhere th at the expectations for the kids were enorm ous. (Sometimes the parents d id n ’t m ind w hat was w ritten on the rep o rt card. They were m ore concerned with how the child did on the city-wide tests.) To deal w ith th at, I had running dialogues with the principal o f my school, inform ing her o f w hat I considered undue pressures on kids. As a result, the principal, w ho was quite supportive, w ould walk by my room in the m ornings and chat w ith parents, letting them know th at their expectations w ere, in o u r opinion, dam aging to their children, and asking th at they ease up. In some cases, this helped.

Child Disorganized L E S L IE S T E R L IN G : Show and Tell

Som etim es I ’ll have a child w ho is quite disorganized—everything is falling o u t o f her desk, she forgets to bring lunch, things are flying all over the place, she d o esn ’t bring in the right assignm ents, or she doesn’t write dow n the hom ew ork assignm ent. In a case like that, I’ll write on the rep o rt card th at “_____ needs to w ork on organizational skills that affect her w ork in all curriculum areas.” But I ’ll also bring the parent in and show her the child’s desk. T h at usually speaks volum es. In many cases, the parent isn’t all that shocked at the news. She’ll say, “This doesn’t surprise me. You should see her room at hom e!”

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Guidelines, Formats, Schedules, and Tips

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ere are some basic recom m endations for w riting effective com m ents. M any teachers find this structure helpful.

S u g g e s te d F o rm a t a. Start w ith som ething positive. C om m ent on the child’s academic a n d /o r social progress. b. Describe in observable term s the child’s strengths, im provem ents, grow th, o r successes, giving reasons to celebrate and encourage the child to make further strides.

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c. If necessary, cite in specific term s an area th at challenges the child and tell how you are trying to help. d. Encourage parental involvem ent by suggesting how M om s and Dads can help their child, or thank the parents for the help they have already given.

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Examples: _____ has made impressive grow th this term as a reader. H er sight word vocabulary has expanded dramatically, a n d she reads more now. We are working on using the context o f a sentence to fig u re out unknown words. Thanks fo r exposing her to a good deal o f children's

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literature a t home, in class.

uses this background in her book discussions

It has been exciting to w atch_____ }sgrow ing enjoyment of'w riting these past few months. She is proud o f her recent story about her trip to Disneyland, in which she used im aginative details about the exhibits, the hotel, a n d dinner out. I am working with her to apply w riting conventions (such as punctuation a n d capitalization) as she edits her work. Perhaps you can help a t home by reviewing words that need capital letters a n d by pointing out the use o f periods a n d commas. _____ very much enjoyed our science u n it on leaves. H e especially liked comparing le a f samples fro m the school yard with those in his backyard a n d fo u n d it easy to classify samples by color\ size, shape, edge, and veins. I am working with him on handling materials in the science center w ithout h u rtin g others. Perhaps you can discuss with him safe ways to use these tools. Write

a Few Per Week

If you’re like m e, you prepare for rep o rt card w riting by going throu g h the assessment materials you have collected for each child. Then you sit dow n and craft com m ents carefully, Keep in Mind basing them on your com plete picture o f that M ake sure your com m ents about academ ic boy or girl. progress are tied to instruction. This is a task that Example: takes a good deal o f time _____ ’s reading comprehension has and energy. In order to improved over the last few months. give the job the attention it deserves, you can When seeing a new w o rd ,_____ tries to fig u re it out by looking a t it in create a schedule in context. I am trying to encourage her which you write only a to read more carefully few cards per week.

Sample Writing Schedule Weeks Before Report Cards Are Distributed:

Write:

5

5 c a rd s

4

5 ca rd s

3

5 ca rd s

2

5 ca rd s

1

5 ca rd s

th a t w e e k

5 ca rd s

Total

3 0 c a rd s

* By avoiding the w riting o f 30 (or so) report cards in a sh o rt period o f tim e, you will feel less rushed. W hen the day arrives to distribute your w ork, you will be able to hand o u t rep o rt cards th at make a real difference in children’s lives. Stagger Distribution

You can even speak to your principal ab o u t creating a flexible schedule. Rather than handing o u t all rep o rt cards o n the same day, your principal may agree to this: Week:

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Distribute report cards of children with:

1

Last nam es from A -G

2

Last nam es from H -N

3

Last nam es from O-R

4

Last nam es from S-Z

Invite Principal's Comments

If yours is like my form er school, your principal may review the report cards you’ve w ritten and then write com m ents o f his or her own. This is a fine way for the principal to keep u p -to-date on students’ progress, and it reinforces good school-com m unity relations. I f your principal doesn’t yet do so, perhaps you should suggest it. Parents and students really appreciate it! 9

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Supplem ent With Student Samples

I f your students have been keeping portfolios, you may w ant to send hom e sample docum ents w ith the report card or use portfolio item s from class as a basis for parent-teacher or student-led conferences. You may show parents a child’s best work thus far, or go over before-and-after samples th at indicate how m uch the child has learned over tim e. Consider Everlasting Im pact

As you com pose your stu d en ts’ rep o rt cards, keep in m ind, as I d o , the w ords o f one dedicated teacher and form er student: “ A child may keep her report card for a lifetime. In fact, my own m o th er saved every report card I ever received as a kid. W hen I look back at my rep o rt cards, I always flip mine over and read the com m ents on the back: w hat my teachers said ab o u t me. T o m e, rep o rt cards are precious docum en ts.” Indeed they are. And so m uch more.

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Bibliography

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Association o f Supervision and C urriculum D evelopm ent Yearbook. C om m unicating Student Progress. A rlington, VA: ASCD, 1996. Buckley, Glennie. “ First Steps: Redesigning Elem entary R eport C ards” in Azwell, Tara and Elizabeth Schmar, editors. Report C ard on Report Cards: Alternatives to Consider. P o rtsm o u th , N H : H einem ann, 1995, pp. 3 7 -4 8 .

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Educational Leadership. Vol. 52, no. 2 (O cto b er 1994). “ R eporting W hat Students Are L earning.” Guskey, Thom as. “ R eporting on S tudent Learning: Lessons From the Past— Prescriptions for the F u tu re.” A S C D Yearbook 1996: C om m unicating S tudent Learning, pp. 13-24.

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Fid ere r, Adele. Practical Assessments for Literature-Based R eading Classrooms. N ew York: Scholastic Inc., 1995. Lake, Kathy and Kafka, Kery. “ R eporting M ethods in Grades K -8 .” A S C D Yearbook 1996: C om m unicating S tudent Learning, pp. 9 0 -1 1 8 . Picciotto, Linda Pierce. Evaluation: A Team Effort. N ew York: Scholastic Inc., 1992. U.S. D epartm ent o f the Interior, Office o f E ducation. “ R ep o rt Cards for K indergarten and Elem entary G rades.” Leaflet 41, 1931.

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Card Comments t last, here is a practical book that gathers tim e-saving tips from teach ers on writing effective report card com m ents. Packed with advice, this resource will help you co llect a ssessm en t information easily and describe your stu d en ts’ performances clearly and constructively. You’ll find handy lists of phrases that encourage chil­ dren, words to avoid, and con cise advice on how to prompt parents to support learning at home.

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ISBN

Dr. Susan Shafer is a form er elem en­ tary school teacher with m ore than tw enty years o f classroom experi­ ence and a doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia U niversity. While teaching she received special recognition for her innovative, them e-based teaching methods. The author o f two books for children and num erous articles for adults, Susan is presently a free­ lance writer, editor, and educational consultant. Writing Effective Report Card Comments is her first book for Scholastic.

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pROFESSIONALgOOKS Scholastic Inc., 2931 East M cCarty Street, Jefferson City, MO 65102