Over the past decade there have been massive changes in schools and districts across the country as they relate to technology use. Districts are using their websites to disseminate more information, teachers are engaging their students through multimedia resources on the Internet, and parents and students are able to get help from suggested resources online. At the same time, there are many policy makers who are scared about this substantial increase in speed and ease of access. To be sure, it is important to be conscious of what we do online and how we work with our communities, but to be blind to the fact that communities are demanding more online engagement is silly.
Enter: the antiquated interim report. Briefly defined, these reports are status updates sent to parents about their students. They can inform them of their current grades and any comments from the teacher. The official version from the School District of Philadelphia is located here (please note its revision date is back in 2000).
My gripe with the interim report is that its lack of importance (or, indeed, its lack of detail). Instead, I have an issue with the timing: these reports are generated mid-quarter and they take time to print out, organize, and distribute. During the 1-2 week period in which this takes place tests, quizzes, projects, and more are being demanded from the students and grades are fluctuating. Especially in my own classes where students can retake tests and quizzes as much as they want, these grades may change from a 50 to an 80 over the course of a week.
So why rely on an out-dated, slow system to update parents when we could instead be emphasizing connecting with them online? The School District of Philadelphia already has a system they implemented over the past two years to post assignments and grades online. This system, called Gradespeed, does work (with some flaws) but has the potential to allow parent and student access easily. Personally, I would advocate for another system called Schoology.com because it is more versatile, but the idea is the same: connect parents, students, and teachers so they can all hold the other accountable.
Interim reports take time - unnecessary time that could be spent lesson planning, tutoring, contacting parents, and more. Why not change the requirements to leave them in the era of their last revision - the last millenium.
Enter: the antiquated interim report. Briefly defined, these reports are status updates sent to parents about their students. They can inform them of their current grades and any comments from the teacher. The official version from the School District of Philadelphia is located here (please note its revision date is back in 2000).
My gripe with the interim report is that its lack of importance (or, indeed, its lack of detail). Instead, I have an issue with the timing: these reports are generated mid-quarter and they take time to print out, organize, and distribute. During the 1-2 week period in which this takes place tests, quizzes, projects, and more are being demanded from the students and grades are fluctuating. Especially in my own classes where students can retake tests and quizzes as much as they want, these grades may change from a 50 to an 80 over the course of a week.
So why rely on an out-dated, slow system to update parents when we could instead be emphasizing connecting with them online? The School District of Philadelphia already has a system they implemented over the past two years to post assignments and grades online. This system, called Gradespeed, does work (with some flaws) but has the potential to allow parent and student access easily. Personally, I would advocate for another system called Schoology.com because it is more versatile, but the idea is the same: connect parents, students, and teachers so they can all hold the other accountable.
Interim reports take time - unnecessary time that could be spent lesson planning, tutoring, contacting parents, and more. Why not change the requirements to leave them in the era of their last revision - the last millenium.
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