Parents, do you actually care about report cards?

[Ember]

I just spent week writing the darn things. Not to mention the two weeks before that doing all the assessments for them. When it came to my social comments, I had to "soften" them because apparently saying a grade one student has a tendency to socialize during work time was too harsh (this was in between two positive statements to start and one to finish). In kindergarten the report cards were different, so this is really my first crack at this sort of thing. I just can't see how they're all that useful... If all I can write is good things, what's the point?

Anyway, in response to my question: Parents, please say you read report cards over and over, then bring them up at family dinners for discussion, and perhaps even frame them or plate them in bronze... This will make me feel good about the amount of time I've put into them. Thank you. (In this particular case, saying you don't care about them all that much is the wrong answer. That's like my aunt cheerfully telling me how she wrote my wedding date in her planner and threw out the wedding invitation I spent countless nights hand making - it may be true, but saying it is just mean! )

 

[3boymthr]

Well.... I do care about what you have to say, but really I'd rather you be honest than wonder why my kids are getting a needs improvement in behaviour

 

[Val]

Yes, we care a great deal. we DO put the good ones on the refrigerator- and keep them in scrap books. We praise good grades, and make a plan for poor grades (mercifully, we have few of those!).

It appears to have worked. My oldest will graduate from Alfred Univ this spring, and my DD17 just got admitted with a great scholarship to Willamette University in Salem Oregon! Two down, two to go.....(8th grade DS and 6th grade DD).

Grades are important...sometimes a C is really worth praising because it was hard earned. Sometimes a B is a bad grade because it is an easy course for a student. You can't have an absolute standard (e.g.,only A's) for all kids, but must tailor to abilities and strengths. We strive for great grades- be the best you can be. Straight A's come easy for some kids, not for others. So far we have been very blessed with hard working children and excellent teachers.

Thank you for taking the time to fill out those report cards. I teach at university, and I know how much trouble grading can be....but it is important feedback. A good teacher can change a child's life- provide confidence and trust in one's ability, and knowledge that you can do well in life. Without good teachers, most of us would be unemployable. Thanks for caring about some body else's kids- you will earn many points in heaven for all the time you have put in.

 

[EMom]

When I was in school, there was a conduct section that said, "Works and plays well with others." The teacher remarked, "Perhaps TOO well."

I'd rather a teacher be honest than "soften" her comments. How can I know what's going on if it's sugarcoated? I worry that because teachers like DD, they have a tendency to give her a pass on minor misbehavior.

Who made/suggested you soften the comments?

 

[themilesfamily]

We homeschool, happily.

But my family took our report cards VERY seriously when I was a kid. In fact, I still have most of them and I can tell you what was written on them, all the way back to first grade! ("She talks too much in class" was a common theme...)

I think most parents WILL care about their kids' report cards.

I'm sure they're a LOT of work -- so kudos to you for your hard work!

 

[LoraJ]

My parents kept all of mine, good and bad. They are in a scrap book that my mom gave to me when I graduated high school.

 

[SRICE100]

We take them very seriously. Our school has an online grade reporting system, and we discuss grades/homework/tests/ behavior reports as they are posted every week.

The report card is extremely important, and is a big night in our house. Not only the grades, but the comments. Our kids know that everything that comes home from school is important to us- good or bad.

I agree also that I would rather know why my kids received a "needs improvement" or something along those lines.

 

[laurie31]

Oh, yes. I read them. DH reads them. We talk about them. Really!

Please don't feel you have to sugar-coat the "bad" stuff. If DD's talking too much in class, I want to know. OTOH, if she's helpful, I'd like to know that too. Report cards are more than grades!

And I don't bronze them, but I do scrapbook them! I even still have all of MY elementary school report cards that MY mom kept!

 

[DVC Sadie]

Report cards were discussed and were very important to both us and our son.

 

[turkeymama]

DH and I care very much about report cards. DD's report cards have all been great so far, so there isn't much a teacher could possibly say about her, except that she talks too much. But we get updates on behavior everyday so that doesn't go on the report card.

DS just got his first report card/progress report for kindergarten and it wasn't good (he is high-functioning autistic). The teacher requested a conference, and we would have requested one if she hadn't already. I used the report card and his IEP to figure out what I needed to focus on for helping him and so I would know what to expect going into the conference.

So yes, we do care. And I agree with others that I would rather have a teacher be honest as opposed to softening the comments.

 

[AustinTink]

Everyone in my house takes report cards very seriously. My son takes great pride in his accomplishments. His report card in on the fridge right now!

 

[Becky2005]

Umm...hmmm....seems you teach first grade? I look it over at least....does that count.

Does your school give grades in first grade? Are these the first report cards of the year.

Our school switched several years ago & I know the teachers really don't like them (or at least not when they switched -- parents were confused, teachers were confused, none of us had a clue what was going on) because they don't tell you anything...

we get "Exceeds Expectations" "Meets Expectations" and "Needs Improvement"

That's it -- I don't know if "Needs Improvement" means my kid is barely hanging on for dear life in a subject or is only lacking 1 point for being average. It's rare for any other comment to be there, I can't remember the last time I got a comment on my kids grade school report cards.

There is no clear definition as to what each of those means either.

I would definitely read the comments though. We have parent/teacher conferences after the first report card.

Although -- I have had teachers literally just grasp at something negative to say (for one of my kids, the other one definitely had things that needed improvement because those comments were earned. ) because they *had* to tell me something that needs improvement. That was a bit annoying...especially since they would fully admit they were telling me it not because they had any concerns but "everyone has something they can improve". I really didn't even need to have a conference but in grade school, they pretty much expect the parents to be at one. That wasn't first grade though, that was the 4th/5th grade level.

I don't think "socializing too much in class" is harsh though. I do believe my DD got something along those lines in first grade...she tended to talk a lot.

 

[TwinsinCA]

I can't say I framed my kids' report cards, but I have kept every one and I certainly do care. I spend a fair amount of time looking them over when I get them.

Just today I was in school helping in my daughters' classroom and their teacher told me how many hours it took her this past week to get them finished. You'd think with all their grades in a computer with running averages it wouldn't take that long to do report cards, but it really does. The kids get theirs on Friday. Although my reaction might be more like

We have subcategories for things like doing homework on time, observing rules, staying on task, etc. These will get a "+" or an "N". But there is very little in the way of comments. We get two or three sentences and that is it. Usually stuff like "Reseda is a joy to have in class" or "Pasadena has a great attitude" but nothing particularly helpful and I take it with a more than a few grains of salt.

I have a friend who got an absolutely glowing review of her daughter when she was in K last year. She was so proud until she saw a friend's daughter's report card and the comments were exactly the same, word for word. I know there are only so many ways that you can say how delightful a child is, but she was not happy.

 

[Stacerita]

Report cards are very important and I always have read every comment made by the teachers. DD is now in 8th grade, so had written comments aren't included. But the comments that are entered are still important.

The first report card I even had back in Kinder had a comment that I work well with others. Would you believe that I still get that comment on my performance evals? Some things never change I guess.

 

[dismom2]

I care about report cards,and I even save them. Thank you for taking the time

 

[jlima]

I'll be honest . . .both of my DSs schools use Edline; and grades are posted weekly if not more often. Their report cards are a print-out from Edline. By the time I get the hard copy, I've been following their grades weekly, if not more often, and I know EXACTLY how they are doing. The report card, I hate to say, is almost a formality.

At the middle school DS15 attended, starting in 7th grade, they did not have paper report cards; it was all electronic on NetClassroom. There was a open house in February that year; and the headmaster said only about 60% of parents had accessed their child's 2nd quarter report cards, three weeks after they were posted. Either those parents already knew their grades from NetClassroom, or didn't care!

 

[NMAmy]

Yep, dd's report cards are in scrapbooks. Heck, I'm 46 and I have some of my report cards that my mother saved. The difference is kind of funny, though. When I was young, you really only got negative comments. DD's always had at least one positive comment.

I've always thought that it was just the way things were done back then but maybe I was just badly behaved.

 

[aprilgail2]

IAnyway, in response to my question: Parents, please say you read report cards over and over, then bring them up at family dinners for discussion, and perhaps even frame them or plate them in bronze... This will make me feel good about the amount of time I've put into them. Thank you. (In this particular case, saying you don't care about them all that much is the wrong answer. That's like my aunt cheerfully telling me how she wrote my wedding date in her planner and threw out the wedding invitation I spent countless nights hand making - it may be true, but saying it is just mean! )

Starting in about 4th grade they became important- up until then not so much---and that really only because they changed the way they do the grading and all the kids got Exceeds Expectations" "Meets Expectations" and "Needs Improvement" rather than A, B C D and F's....so to me that was a waste of time- I would rather have a comment telling me that my kid disrupts the class than a lie saying they are good though!!
As far as wedding invites LOL---yea, I write the info down and toss the thing in the trash....I didn't know the bride expected us to keep it and cherish it LOL

 

[Kimberle]

Just got dd's yesterday! Yes, we care very much. Sometimes they are a little hard to understand. We have 2 pages of specific line items with a numeral rank (1 lowest to 5 working above grade level).

Next year is middle school. So I'm sure the reports cards will change quite a bit.

 

[mjkacmom]

I do care, but our report cards are A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-... there are no comments. In elementary, the specials (art, music, library, gym) give either a check or no check in certain behaviors (follows directions, self control). We do get a sentence from the band director.