assessment: report cards and student led conferences

Agenda• A little about me (5 minutes)• Placemat: What’s important about communicating with families? (20 minutes)• Share the essentials: policy (15 minutes)• Million dollar article: read- pick out big ideas, what was interesting (30 minutes) • BREAK/walk and talk- be back at 9:50am• Sharing big ideas from article (5 minutes)• Set criteria for report card comment (5 minutes)• Work on report card comment (45 minutes) : • BREAK: be back at 10:55am• Student Conferencing – introduction (20 minutes)• Role play- student led conferences (45 minutes) with work • Reminder: comment to mentor• Ticket out the door

•

LEARNING INTENTIONS

I can effectively

communicate with families

about student achievement

I can identify key elements of formal

reporting in BC

I can identify strategies and resources that can

help with formal reporting I can use collaboration to help me clarify strengths and challenges, and

determine ‘next steps’ for a learner

BIG IDEABIG IDEAGrading and reporting student

achievement is a caring sensitive process that requires teachers’

professional judgment.

Imagine:“….. schools are fear free places

where children don't need to have to worry about competition, failure

or performance…”

Who said this?

You’re born with what you got…

and that’s that

It’s fixed...

Your brain is like a muscle.It can grow…and will with practice

ASSESSMENT/TEACHING &

LEARNING CYCLES

Conferencing

& Reporting Planning

Initial/ Diagnostic assessment (formative)

Assessment for learning (formative)

Assessment of learning

(summative)

(Adapted from Cooper, 2007)

How can I support learning?

Where should we go next?Reflect, set goals

How will I communicate the learning?

What have the students learned?

What do I want students to learn?

What do they already know?

Placemat: What’s important about communicating with parents?

In groups of 4 -

1. Individually: each person fills in their thoughts on “what’s important about communicating with parents/guardians?” Write in your box.

2. Select scribe to jot down overlap of ideas in center when individuals share out

3. Each member of group shares their thoughts while scribe records commonalities

4. As a group decide of the 3 most important things about communicating with parents.

5. Share out to larger group

POLICY…we’ve got to do it

POLICY

• During the school year, Boards of Education will provide parents of students with at least five reports describing students' school progress. Three of the reports will be formal written reports and two will be informal reports.

• Informal reports to parents may include: telephone calls, student-led conferences, parent-teacher conferences, and the use of journals. Schools and teachers determine how they will informally communicate with parents - we will get to this later.

Three formal written report cards

• the formal written report must be on a form approved by the Minister or school board and must follow the requirements for the specific grade and program as stated in legislation and policy.

• One formal report shall be made at the end of the school year.

• Formal reports identify student progress and are placed in the Permanent Student Record file.

Formal Reports

Formal reports Formal reports communicate to parents and

students significant aspects of the students’ progress in the areas of intellectual, social, human and career development.

Performance Scale The performance scale for Primary students

indicates, in words or as a graph, the student’s level of performance in relation to the expected learning outcomes set out in the provincial curriculum for each subject and grade.

For Kindergarten, performance is described as one of the following:

• Approaching Expectations• Meeting Expectations• Exceeding ExpectationsFor Grade 1 – 3:

Not Yet Meeting Expectations Approaching Expectations Meeting Expectations Exceeding Expectations

Kindergarten to grade 3 reports

Student progress reports for students in kindergarten through grade 3 mustbe in writing and, in relation to expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum,

(a) must contain written reporting comments and a performance scale to report on each of the following subjects,

(i) English Language Arts, or in the case of a student enrolled in a francophone educational program or a French immersion student, French Language Arts,

(ii) Mathematics,(iii) Science, and(iv) Social Studies;

(b) must contain written reporting comments and, in addition, may contain a performance scale to report on each of the following subjects,

(i) Fine Arts,(ii) Health and Career Education, and(iii) Physical Education; and

(c) must contain written reporting comments for daily physical activity; and (d) must include a separate description of the student’s social responsibility.

With respect to reporting in Social Studies and Science, at least 2 student progress reports in each school year must include separate reporting for these two subjects.

With respect to reporting in Fine Arts, the student progress report must, in relation to the expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum, include reporting, at least once during the school year, in each of the following specific areas of the curriculum:

(a) dance,(b) drama,(c) music, and(d) visual arts. In conjunction with the student progress reports parents of a student in

kindergarten through grade 3 must be provided with oral or written comments on the student’s school progress with reference to the expected developments for students in a similar age range.

K, 1, 2, 3

With respect to reporting in English Language Arts, the student progress report must, in relation to expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum, include reporting using a performance scale in each of the following specific areas of the curriculum:(a) reading,(b) writing, and(c) speaking and listening.

Grades 4 to 5 reports

Student progress reports for students in grade 4 through 5 must, in relation to expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum, contain(a) letter grades, unless the board provides the letter grades to parents in a different document, and(b) written reporting comments.

Grades 6 to 7 reports

Student progress reports for students in grades 6 through 7 must, in relation to expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum, contain(a) letter grades, and(b) written reporting comments.

Students with Special Needs: A letter grade may only be assigned for a

student with special needs or an ESL student where that student is able to demonstrate his or her learning in relation to the expected learning outcomes in the curriculum for the course or subject and grade.

Students with Special Needs:

“Unless a student with special needs is able to demonstrate his or her learning in relation to the expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum for the course or subject and grade, a student progress report for that student must contain written reporting comments in relation to the expected learning outcomes set out in that student’s IEP.”

Student progress reports referred to in subsection (3 –Special Needs) must contain

(a) a statement that the progress of the student is in relation to the expected learning outcomes for that student in his or her IEP and is not in relation to the expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum for the course or subject and grade, and

(b) where deemed to be appropriate by the teacher or principal, vice principal or director of instruction, written comments describing(i) ways to enable the student to demonstrate his or her learning in relation to expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum for the course or subject and grade, and

(ii) the time period required to enable the student to demonstrate his or her learning under subparagraph

Until an ESL student is able to demonstrate his or her learning in relation to expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum for the course or subject and grade, a student progress report order for that student must contain written reporting comments.

Reporting Comments for Daily Physical Activity

Kindergarten to Grade 9:• When students are meeting the

Prescribed Learning Outcomes of Daily Physical Activity, a comment of“Meeting requirement” will be made on term and final reports.

• A comment of “Not meeting requirement” will be made at any time when students are not meeting the Prescribed Learning Outcomes of Daily Physical Activity. Where a “Not meeting requirement” comment is made, it is recommended that a further comment is added to outline a plan for the student to meet the requirement.

Million dollar article• Read article on own• When finished go

for a walk and talk with

a classmate• Talk about the BIG

ideas and the things that most tweaked your interest

• Be prepared to report out

Big idea/s about article

Written reporting comments• Write meaningful comments that refer specifically to the student’s progress.• Anticipate the questions parents may ask about their children’s growth and progress.• Recognize that parents vary widely in their educational experiences and familiarity with educational terms.• Write directly to parents about what their children are able to do and areas that need development. For example, instead of“When writing, Jason often needs to be reminded to use correctpunctuation,” write “Jason needs to work on using punctuationcorrectly.”

Written reporting comments

Kindergarten to Grade 3• written reporting comments that clearly describe, in relation to

the learning outcomes:− what the student is able to do− areas in which the student requires further attention or

development- ways of supporting the student in his or her learning

• written comments to describe student behaviour, including– information on attitudes, work habits and effort– a separate description of student social responsibility

• comments about student progress with reference to the expected• development for students in a similar age range

Grade 4-7

• include written reporting comments that clearly describe, inrelation to the learning outcomes:

− what the student is able to do− areas in which the student requires further attention or development− ways of supporting the student in his or her learning

• include written comments that describe student behaviour• including information about attitudes, work habits, effort and

Social Responsibility

• Use only as many words as necessary to make the message clear.• Use simple words and short sentences.• Use plain language (see the suggestions provided in Policy and Practice).• Use point form.• Avoid unfamiliar expressions. For example, instead of “... Able to decode words and use context clues” say “...able to figure out unfamiliar words by using clues from the letters and surrounding words.”• Provide an explanation in parentheses if a word may be unfamiliar to parents. For example, if you use “high-frequency spelling

words” add (words commonly used in writing) in parenthesesUSE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE…..Ministry Policy and PracticeLink to applicable websiteSee Cooper text 278-279Writing Report Cards and Having a Life (your million dollar article)

• “_____ is exceeding expectations in Social Studies for this term. ____ consistently makes insightful connections between ancient civilizations such as Greece and Egypt and the impacts of these civilizations to modern day. ___ created a well-researched and very artistically appealing travel brochure on interesting and important tourist attractions in Egypt.”

• Good use of specific examples to support statements.

Samples

• “_______ is approaching expectations in relation to the Language Arts learning outcomes for Writing. He is consistently using capitals and periods in his sentence development.”

• Feedback– Clear – good use of professional language– Could you include a specific example here? – Be sure to address issues beyond ‘surface level’

writing skills ( mechanics)

• “ ________ is an enthusiastic writer, who is happy to write a story or in her journal. She has creative ideas and has created a couple of good tales this year. What ____ now needs to focus on is her grammar and punctuation, and I encourage her to take more time to proofread her written work in order to make sure that she is understood.”

• Feedback: – Nice blending of strength and challenge – This will need to be addressed in Ways to Support– Could you include a specific example of a story she created?

• “______ is fluently reading at grade level and challenges himself with chapter books such as ‘The Adventures of…….’ . ____ enjoys reading to his big buddy in the morning.”

• Feedback– I like the reference to a specific book title– The wording is clear, without using jargon

• Science is clearly one of _______’s favourite subjects and it shows. In an experiment making ice cream. ____ was able to identify and explain the basic forces at work and present the steps and variable involved it the process to the class clearly. The next step for ___ is to begin to attempt to evaluate the fairness in given experiments.

• Feedback– excellent use of a specific example – this

clearly shows that you know this student’s abilities

– I like the inclusion of a ‘next step’

• Parents are the key audience• Students who are doing well – what to do with areas requiring

further development• If you indicate a challenge (Areas requiring further

development) you should indicate how you will support in Ways to Support

• Ways to Support – include ways you will support at school and suggestions ( not orders) for supporting at home

• School procedures– Watch editing!

• Sharing some specific examples with feedback

Report card notes

Set criteria for report card…portant when writing a report card?

Report card comments

Givens/must haves

Other important stuff

• Review the assignment– Create a report card using one of the templates

provided, or the template in use in your district– Use the criteria we have developed together to help

you– If your district template does not include space for

written comments, you must create a paragraph of NO MORE THAN 20 lines that highlights the required areas for written reporting comments for this grade level ( K-3 or 4-7) p. 8-10 in the Policy and Practice document

– Attach a writing sample with an appropriate Performance Standard completed

Report card comments: Learning/Working groups

• Meet with a partner who is teaching in the same grade or a similar grade.– Talk together about the student you have chosen to write a report card for

as an oral rehearsal for your written reporting comments . What can you say about this child in regards to:• ‘able to do’ • ‘areas for further support or development’• ‘ways of supporting’ (what will you do, what can parents do)

– Use the samples you have gathered as evidence to help you discuss these items

• Use the group to help you determine some possible ‘next steps’ and ‘ways to support’ this learner

• Use this time to take notes for your report card and conferencing role play

Provincial regulations for reporting student progress require that parents or guardians* be provided with a minimum of:

two informal reports each school year. At least two informalreports must be provided to parents each school year. Schoolsdetermine how they will communicate informally with parents.

Back to the informal part:Reporting on Student Progress:

Policy and Practice

Informal Reports(Ministry guidelines)

Each school year, teachers must provide parents with a minimum of two informal reports.

In relation to curriculum, informal reports may describe:– what the student is able to do– the areas of learning that require further attention or development– ways the teacher is supporting the student’s learning needs (and, where

appropriate, ways the student or the parents might support the learning)Informal reports are an important link between home and school and can take a

variety of forms, such as:telephone callsinterim reports (written or oral)conferences (parent-teacher, three-way, student-led, etc.)

Parents should have the opportunity to meet with teachers for a conference at least once each school year. A record of each informal report should be kept, noting the date, and type and topics(s) of discussion.

Parent communication

• Often! A ‘no surprises’ approach• Not just for disciplinary purposes• Formal/ Informal– Chats, open house….ideas?– Tracking communication is important

Types of conferences

– Teacher/student– Parent/teacher – Parent/teacher/administrator/union rep– 3-way conferences ( parent, student and teacher)– Student-led 3-way conferences– School-based-team conference

Benefits?

• To students?

• To parents?

• To teachers?

"...this practice is the biggest breakthrough in communicating

about student achievement in the last century. When students

are well prepared over an extended period to tell the story of

their own success (or lack thereof), they seem to experience a

fundamental shift in their internal sense of responsibility for

that success. The pride in accomplishment that students feel

when they have positive story to tell and tell it well can be

immensely motivational. The sense of personal responsibility

that they feel when anticipating what it will be like to face the

music of having to tell their story of poor achievement can

also drive them to productive work."

Rich Stiggins, Phi Delta Kappan, November 1999.

Behaviours rather than academics

Get ready

• BEFORE????How do you foresee preparing for a parent-teacher conference?

Elbow to elbow talk

BEST PIECE OF ADVICEBE VERY ORGANIZED

Suggestions for a Successful Conference

• From Ministry Policy and Practice • Talk About Assessment ( Cooper)• Knowing What Counts

– Conferencing and Reporting ( Davies, Cameron, Gregory)

• Together is Better– Collaborative Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting ( Davies, Cameron, Politano, Gregory)

• Snapshot of the 3-way conferencing process– Davies– Cooper (video)

Before

- Be clear about purposes• determine the key area or areas for discussion

– Review student files• review background information and the student’s

permanent files• Be sure to have notes, samples

– Prepare students (practice, choose samples, discuss roles, rehearse)

– Prepare parents-see example pamphlet ( letter home, portfolio/work samples home…)

• set up the conference area in a way that promotescommunication

• prepare a conference form for record keeping, to focus the discussion, and to record follow-up

PREPARE PARENTS

PREPARE STUDENTS

AND TEACHER

During….

• What should we consider for during the conference?

• brainstorm

Have a schedule to help organize students and parents

Kindergarten example

During the conference teachers should:

Welcome the parentsEstablish the conference parameters and the role of eachparticipant ( having a posted agenda helps)Ask open-ended questions, listen closely, take notes andparaphrase parents’ concernsAvoid educational jargonBe specific when illustrating what the child does or does not dokeep the focus of the conference on the studentSet goals and expectations for following the conferenceConclude the meeting by briefly summarizing its highlights, planning follow-up

actions and, if necessary, setting a date for another conference

After…?

• Review teacher conference notes– Be sure to follow up on actions you said you’d take

• Seek feedback from parents• In class:– Use the conferencing experience to support

students to achieve the goals set at the conference and to make plans

– Continue goal-setting process with students

TEACHERS Reflecting on 3-way conferencing….

• One staff met to share advice and concerns about their conferences. This is what they suggest…– Be well-prepared. Think out your ideas and be ready to

support or demonstrate them– Have a collection of student work, samples that are chosen

by teacher and student to share – Adjust to the parent/child style of interaction– Have a program and a student goal to center on

Give students an opportunity to

reflect too

• Name:___________________________________• • Grade 5 Student-Led Conference Reflection• • During the conference, I felt really proud when…• • _________________________________________________________________________• • _________________________________________________________________________• • _________________________________________________________________________• • • • What I liked about the conferences was…• • _________________________________________________________________________• • _________________________________________________________________________• • _________________________________________________________________________• • _________________________________________________________________________• • _________________________________________________________________________• • _________________________________________________________________________• • • I think it could be better if…• • _________________________________________________________________________• • _________________________________________________________________________• • _________________________________________________________________________• • _________________________________________________________________________•

And parent reflection

Possible wrinkles/solutions

• Parents don’t want child present

• Parent is highly critical and focus is lost

• Offer a separate conference

• Stop the direction of the conversation and redirect

Possible response…

• “I need to remind you that the purpose of this conference is to focus on your child’s strengths, look at concerns in a constructive manner and set goals. This was all outlined in my letter to you. It appears that you have some issues outside this focus that you wish to discuss, and I’d be pleased to set another time to meet with you privately. In the meantime, I’d like to continue. Would that be possible?”

( if parent is unable to cooperate, stop the conference)

Wrinkles…

• Parents attack teacher’s methods or style

• Brainstorm phrases you could use…(“I can see that you are concerned about this. Right now, since Frederick is here, why don’t we continue, and set a private interview to discuss your concerns.”)

General Guidelines

• Know your school context• Be prepared for communication• Know your purpose• Think about what you want to say• Review files, notes etc.

• Sandwich principle – strengths, needs, next steps• Begin communication early with students who have

challenges (academic/behavioural)• LET THE CHILD LEAD if your intention is to allow for a

student led conference• TRACK your communications

Conference Role Play1. PrepareTeacher – tell the student about themselves – review the work samples/give them some samples to talk

about

Child – make a conference guide for student to guide you in the conference

Parent – decide what kind of parent you are

– Possibilities…. Child is nervous– Parent criticizes child, Parent criticizes teacher– Parent is nervous, Parent is defensive– Parent is high achiever and wants child to have top marks

2- Conference role play Parent and child enter– Teacher

• Greet parent/child ( make them feel at ease) • Review time limit and purpose

ie “Hello ____ we have 10 minutes together to talk about ___’s progress.We will discuss strengths and challenges, and set a goal together. “

• Follow the student conference guide…. to discuss strengths, show examples, discuss challenges• Set goal together• Decide how each participant can help towards the goal• Close with an affirmative comment…

3. Discuss the conference and write yourself some notes. If you have time, go through a 2nd conference role play and switch roles.

Agenda

• Find yourself a space for conferencing• Take 15 min to enact a student-led conference• Take time to discuss the process• At the end, write a reflection on what you will

take away from the experience for your own practice on the back of one of the conference forms

• Do another one if time allows• Take a break, and come back to class by 11:00

Report card comment to mentor by Friday

• Ticket out the door:What did I find most interesting/useful

What was the muddiest part