Report Cards Are Coming Home

Report Cards—they are on the minds of both parents and students this time of year. Like it or not, report cards will be coming home. Soon.

Report cards have come under scrutiny over the past years as reporting systems changes to meet with increased testing requirements, and newer classroom models.

Many report cards have changed so drastically that some parents don’t even bother to read them, feeling that the categories and evaluations are not an effective representation of their child’s scholastic abilities.

In some areas, reports cards have become so complicated to read that school boards are offering online guides to understanding and interpreting.

However, report cards remain one of the best ways to measure your child’s progress. Besides being a formal tracking system for grades, report cards paint a good picture of your child’s behavior in the classroom.

The first report card of the school year is like a check-up on how your child is adjusting to challenges of a new grade. It can take up to this point in the school year for many kids to get back into the school groove. This report card, while important, is not the final word on your child’s academic achievement for the school year.

The first report card is a tool to help you identify subjects and behaviors that may be trouble spots for the rest of the year. Pay attention to poor grades now. Get your child any extra help that he may need while it’s early in the school year, and by the next report card he’ll be on track!

Read more about how to deal with report cards on our blog: Deciphering Report Cards Part 1, and Part 2.