Quarter 2 Progress Reports
This afternoon, the Quarter 2 Progress Reports will be “published” on PowerSchool. This letter went out today to provide an explanation of some of the key elements of the reports. We ask that you spend some time discussing your child’s report comments with them, acknowledging progress, effort and achievement, as well as helping us to highlight areas of future growth and development. When doing this, please take the time to also discuss developing responsibility, respect for others and independence - all of which support your child’s ability to self-regulate and direct their own learning.
When I was in elementary school in California all those years ago, my parents received report cards each quarter that used three letters to rate my achievement across a range of skills: O (for outstanding), S (for satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory). That was it. As I grew older and entered middle school, report cards expanded to five letters: A, B, C, D or F. There was very little explanation, if any, to accompany these letters. All we knew is that we wanted our parents to see As (and definitely not any Ds or Fs). The only thing that mattered was the letter grade. Even now, there are some elementary/primary schools and national school systems that continue to do this, although this is much less common these days.
Progress reports and report cards, regardless of how well-meaning, are strongly associated with letter grades and the practice of grading. You might think that this is only natural, and that school and grading are inseperable. However, research, going back decades, has repeatedly shown three things about grading:
- Grades tend to diminish students’ interest in whatever they’re learning;
- Grades create a preference for the easiest possible task or pathway;
- Grades tend to reduce the quality of students’ thinking.
Because we are a school that values the development of lifelong learners who seek to challenge themselves, and who are prepared for the complexities and nuances of the real world, we must take these findings into consideration. It is why we don’t place inordinate emphasis on “grades” in the Elementary School; rather, we emphasise comprehensible and timely feedback, discussions about challenge and effort, and identifying next steps for continued growth. This also explains why narrative comments form the core of the progress report that we issue at the end of Quarter 2, and the report card we issue in Quarter 4. The Quarter 1 and Quarter 3 progress reports are supported by additional context as they are deliberately issued in conjunction with our Parent-Teacher Conferences, which afford us the opportunity to have face-to-face (or virtual) discussions about students' needs, successes and next steps.
Before being “published” on PowerSchool, I take the opportunity to read these narrative reports. It is evident that our teachers have given careful consideration to the progress their students have made, using observations and evidence from class assignments, projects, conversations, home learning and more. In addition, the comments provide insights into the choices that children make and how they manage social interactions with their peers. There are numerous comments about what is known as executive functioning, such as how well students utilise their learning time (including “task initiation”), how they manage their emotions and behaviours, how they cooperate with others and the ways in which they have demonstrated independence. In the classroom, please know that our teachers will follow up on the items detailed in the progress reports with continued observation, feedback and discussions with the students themselves.
ISA Prints @ The Print Room
Join us on Thursday 13th, Friday 14th and Saturday 15th February for a celebration of creativity at the “Print at the Print Room” art exhibition, a collaborative effort between International School Aberdeen (ISA), Aberdeen Printmaking Workshop, and Peacock & the Worm, a contemporary visual art gallery. Held at The Print Room on 252 Union St, this unique showcase will feature over 300 print works created by ISA students ranging from Preschool to Grade 12 (ages 3 – 18).
This letter was posted on the Community Hub. Please use this form to sign up for a printmaking slot on Saturday, 15 February.
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