 The
Rainbow District School Board made a significant announcement in
February 2010 which on the surface appeared to be a unique
experiment in communication, but I would suggest that this is a sign
that we are on the verge of a whole new way of reporting student
progress. Furthermore, I would respectfully suggest that this new
reporting process will lead to an end to the traditional report card
system that is now in place and which is better suited to a society
that existed long ago.
By September 2010, all secondary schools in the Rainbow District
School Board will have in place a system that will allow parents of
high school students internet access to their children's mid-term
and final marks as well as their attendance record. It is called the
Parent Assist Program.
Parents will receive letters containing instructions and
passwords that will allow them to access their children's academic
information through the Rainbow Board's website. Students over the
age of 18 will be given passwords to access this information instead
of their parents.
Most students are responsible enough to be counted on to bring
their mid-term and final marks home for parents to look at and if
any of the parents wish to discuss the results they can always
arrange to meet with teachers. Perhaps the most revealing
information to be accessed through the Parent Assist Program at this
point is the attendance record, which for some students is not very flattering
and can explain a lot about the overall results being achieved by
students. The key here is that if teachers and administrators are
going to be able to post this information on the internet for access
by parents, then it must not involve much more technology for other
information to be added.
I would hope that the next step in this process is the posting of
all "unit test marks" in each subject area so that a
"running" tabulation can be kept on each student which
will allow one to identify problem areas at any time during the
school semester and not just in the middle and at the end. This
would allow teachers to provide anecdotal notes and suggestions on
strategies for improvement on the site as well. Parents would then
be able to communicate with their child's teacher over the internet
or by phone so that they are working cooperatively to ensure the
success of the student. This seems to be a natural evolution of the
system and would provide more than just parents with valuable
information. For example, teachers would be able to monitor the
progress of their students in other classes and see if some of the
comments being made by other teachers were consistent with what they
are seeing. It would allow for teachers to discuss ways in which
they could work together for the benefit of the student, much in the
same manner as two doctors collaborating on the treatment of a
common patient.
There are some obvious challenges that must be addressed before
professionals feel comfortable about being so openly transparent
when it comes to evaluation, but it would seem that there are some
real possibilities here as a result of this technology. Think how
nice it would be for a child to sit down with his/her parents and
review the marks and on-going comments of all teachers. Imagine how
much more meaningful education would be to a child if he/she could
actually see the "whole picture" as it is developing right
from the beginning to the end. And imagine how nice it would be for
parents to be able to ask questions and make comments that would be
added to the "profile" so that at the end of the year the
report contains a summary of everything that has gone on with the
child and not just a few grades and averages.
I am confident that this system can be done in a very
professional manner which would greatly enhance the communication
between home and school. Moreover, I see this as a great way for
parents, teachers and students to work together in a very positive
manner to help maximize the learning potential of each student. |
