Making Report Cards Parent Friendly

In-Depth Study

Helping Parents Understand Performance Standards

Performance standards are a shared understanding of student learning at different quality levels. Without this understanding, grades and feedback can be misread as compliance or effort rather than as evidence of achievement.

Exemplars of student work at different levels build understanding. When parents see examples of beginning, developing, proficient, and extending work, standards become visible. Sharing a child’s work next to these helps families locate their child’s learning on the proficiency scale. This makes strengths clear and clarifies areas for improvement based on the criteria.

When parents know standards:

Communication between home and school becomes clearer. Instead of saying a student is “doing well” or “struggling,” families see what proficient work looks like. Using exemplars and their understanding of quality descriptors, they can compare quality, identify missing elements, and understand growth in concrete terms.
When parents know the criteria, they support at-home practice aligned with classroom expectations. Support shifts from helping with homework to reinforcing quality in communicating, problem-solving, and understanding.
More conversations about student growth occur. Parents feel more confident in asking, “What does the next level look like?” How does my child’s work compare to exemplars? What evidence shows improvement? What feedback matters most now?

Performance standards and exemplars show that grades are based on evidence of learning and criteria. Grades reflect achievement, not behaviour, effort, or comparison. This transparency builds trust in the assessment.

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Providing a Meaningful Summary of What Students Know and Can Do

A single grade cannot capture the full extent of what a student understands and can demonstrate in relation to curriculum outcomes. Specific comments outlining students’ strengths and areas needing improvement provide a fuller understanding. Clear, meaningful reporting helps families grasp student learning, progress, and achievement over time. It enhances communication between home and school by providing parents with targeted information on strengths, areas for growth, and concrete ways to support learning outside the classroom.

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Collecting Consistent Evidence about Student Behaviour

These videos explore key considerations in assessment and reporting, including clearly communicating student learning, separating achievement from work habits and behaviour, and engaging stakeholders in reporting practices. Together, they highlight the importance of evidence-based assessment, meaningful communication with families, and reporting processes that support student learning and provide accurate, useful information to parents and caregivers.

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