Sage Advice: Beyond Report Cards

I'm a music teacher, and at regular points we offer "informances." Instead of attending a polished musical concert (which they also enjoy), parents come and see how we teach a drumming pattern or art technique. On parent-teacher conference days, the music room is open for parents and students to come in and play some riffs or the recorder -- whatever the unit of study is for that grading period.

J. Dianne Anderson-Nickel

K-8 music teacher

Arthur M. Hamilton School

Phoenix, Arizona

I record my students talking with me about what they've learned and what they think about some of the major issues we have confronted (in existentialism and in the philosophy of religion). Those clips go on the Web or home on a DVD for their parents. Seeing their children thinking about and handling these complex issues gives parents a sense of the intellectual progress students are making.

Ken Knisely

Philosopher outside teacher program

H-B Woodlawn Program

Arlington, Virginia

I send home a weekly Friday Folder. The contents vary from week to week, but it includes all scored assignments and important information for parents. Any significant paperwork that I would like returned is stamped "sign and return." Also, I ask parents to sign the inside pocket of the folder, which lets me know that they have seen the contents of their child's folder, even if there are no return papers that week.

Maureen Schafer

Fifth-grade teacher

Quakertown Elementary School

Quakertown, Pennsylvania

Whenever a student does not turn in an assignment, I ask her to put the reason in writing. I save each of these excuses, and these papers do more to enlighten parents as to their children's study habits and work ethic than I ever could.

Julie Santaniello

Teacher/media specialist

Bishop Kearney High School

Brooklyn, New York

We use "Cardinal Cards," nice, heavy bond cards with a cardinal (our school mascot) embossed on the front. Teachers, coaches, and administrators use them to send quick, positive notes home. Finding examples of good behavior or insightful moments is easy once you begin looking.

Matt Lukshaitis

Principal

Onaway High School

Onaway, Michigan

I call each parent once every two weeks during the first two quarters to have a five-minute chat about where their child is and what has gone well, as well as a goal for the next two weeks.

Jamie Owen

Sixth-grade teacher

Fields Memorial School

Bozrah, Connecticut

We have a Web-based reporting system: At any time, parents can go online and see their teenager's overall grades, including those for specific assignments, quizzes, and tests. This has helped immensely at parent-conference and reportcard time, because parents are kept up to date day by day, rather than just when report cards are distributed. Parents and teachers can also keep in contact using email, rather than playing phone tag.

Karen Dolovacky

Chemistry teacher, science department

Regina High School

South Euclid, Ohio

We hold student-led conferences twice a year. The students invite their families to come to the classroom on a preset day to view their accomplishments. Depending on the teacher and grade level, the things that they show at the conference can be individual or group projects, portfolios, student work samples, skill demonstrations, and so on. For example, a student might demonstrate reading ability by reading a grade-level passage to his or her parents, or complete math activities to demonstrate knowledge of a specific lesson. After a student has shown work to his or her parents, they then meet with the teacher to go over the report card. By this time, parents have a very clear picture of how their child is performing and how performance is measured and reported. It can be a lot of work to prepare for, but it's well worth the effort.

Ginna Slocum

Fourth-grade teacher

Abraham Lincoln Elementary School

Colton, California

A portfolio is a better picture of a student's work and offers more realistic evidence.

Judy Iliff

English instructor

Campbell County High School

Gillette, Wyoming

I videotape my third-grade students reading a short passage for use at parent-teacher conferences. I import the video into iMovie on my laptop and leave the individual student clips on the iMovie shelf. When I want to show parents an example of their child's fluency development, I select the corresponding clip and play it back. It's a quick and powerful way to illustrate a child's progress as a reader.

Jeff Shaw

Teacher

Sherwood Elementary School

Highland Park, Illinois