Report Card Blues 

By Sifu Cathal Walsh

In recent weeks you have probably received your child’s report card. Reporting on student progress is a critical part of the educational process. Three formal reports per year (report cards) are a legal requirement for school districts and independent schools as outlined in the School Act. The challenge for students and parents is keeping up with changing reporting formats and deciphering the “eduspeak” that sometimes appear in the anecdotal comments from teachers. I thought this month would be a good time to clarify some common misconceptions concerning student progress and reporting, particularly when it comes to performance scales and letter grades. 

Let’s begin with the performance scale. Formal reports for each student in Kindergarten to Grade 3 are required to include a performance scale that is aligned with specific measurable learning outcomes. The scale ranges from 1 to 4 with these numbers reporting strictly on student ability. These numbers are not intended to include factors such as work habits, effort, etc…but rather should be an exclusive indicator of the student’s ability in relation to the learning outcome. There are other places in the report card to report on attitudes, work habits etc…)

Here is a quick review of the performance scale in BC which relates to each specific learning outcome being reported: 

Number 1 indicates the student is not yet meeting the expectations.

Number 2 indicates the student is minimally meeting the expectations.

Number 3 indicates the student is fully meeting the expectations. 

Number 4 indicates the student is exceeding the expectations. 

There is considerable debate within the education community as to the validity of the number 4 as many of the learning outcomes are not performance based. Therefore there is not an opportunity for a child to “exceed” the expectations. For example, a measurable outcome such as student is able to accurately add and subtract numbers to 100 does not really allow for a child to “exceed.” They either can fully meet this outcome or they are working on it at some lower level of performance. A learning outcome however, such as a student is able to show understanding of the relationship between solids, liquids, and gases does potentially allow for a range of performance. It should be noted that he performance scale is dependent not only on performance based learning outcomes but also on performance based assessment procedures from teachers. Not all the learning outcomes are performance based and not all assessment tools used by teachers are performance based. As a result a 4 is, in theory, unattainable in many areas. This should put some parents’ minds at ease when your child’s report card is predominately listing 3s and perhaps some 2s. If it’s full of 4s you may want to clarify with your child’s teacher as to how this assessment was arrived at. 

Now that performance scales are out of the way, let’s quickly review letter grades. Now finally we’re talking sense! A, B, C, just like when we went to school. Nothing complicated here right? Not so fast! In high school, the letter grades are fairly straight forward in relation to student progress. The upper elementary grades, however, often use a combination of performance scales and letter grades. Many parents mistakenly see them as reporting the same thing. That is an A = 4, B = 3, etc...). This is not necessarily the case. Remember the performance scale should only be referencing the student’s ability to meet the learning outcome. The letter grade on the other hand, will be arrived at from a variety of expectations from the teacher during the term of study. Missed assignments, homework completion, and even neatness and effort have a tendency to creep into letter grade reporting in the grades 4 to 7 range. This has been a pet peeve of middle and high school teachers for many years. Historically, it has not been uncommon for students to leave elementary school with “As” and “Bs” only to be rudely awakened in middle school when the letter grades can no longer be bolstered by effort, neatness, and work habits. In fairness to elementary school teachers, these are valuable skills that need to be taught and assessed. Unfortunately, it does create some confusion for students and parents. In theory, it is possible to receive 3s and 4s in relation to learning outcomes in a given subject area but still receive a letter grade of C or vice versa. Just keep in mind that performance scales and letter grades are two distinctly different reporting systems. They are both designed to help students and parents understand student progress and identify areas of concern for future improvement. Teachers work very hard to communicate student progress accurately within the report card template. Remember, behind every performance scale and letter grade there is a story about your child’s progress in school. Use the report card as a starting point for fruitful conversations with your child’s teacher to maximize your child’s success in school.

Sifu Cathal Walsh is a former school teacher and principal. He is also a former Education Standards Coordinator for the BC Ministry of Education. He conducts workshops for parents and educators on topics of school safety and bullying prevention. He is the founder of SHAKU Family Martial Arts, with locations in Duncan and Langford, British Columbia.. Got A Question? You can contact Sifu Cathal at 1-888-742-5810 or by email at asksifu@shakumartialarts.com 

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