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Reporting involves communicating information about a student’s progress, academic performance, and overall school activities to parents, guardians, and other stakeholders. This process is essential for fostering transparency, collaboration, and engagement between the school and the student's home environment (Keith et al., 1993). Effective reporting promotes a shared understanding of student development and strengthens the partnership between the school and the family. This essay focuses on three key aspects of reporting: assessing student progress, maintaining accurate progress records, and conducting parent-teacher interviews, as well as sharing personal experiences from my school-based practice.
To begin, creating a meaningful report that accurately reflects student progress against established standards requires careful attention to detail (Darling-Hammond, 2010). It is vital that the report clearly outlines the learning objectives being assessed, while also maintaining a positive tone. By highlighting student growth and potential, the report can foster a constructive dialogue with parents, encouraging them to actively support their child's development (Roeser et al., 2012). Additionally, Robertson (2013) emphasizes the importance of recognizing student achievements and milestones to build motivation and confidence. This approach helps to avoid discouraging or overwhelming students and parents, while still addressing areas for improvement. A balanced report not only celebrates strengths but also provides specific, actionable feedback to guide progress.
In one of my experiences, I shared my students' reports with their parents, offering encouraging feedback to motivate them to continue supporting their children’s academic journey. This interaction proved to be a valuable experience, as it helped strengthen relationships with parents and colleagues, fostering a collaborative effort to address students' weaknesses and promote their growth. (Ribono and Nuotaea PTA)
Moreover, producing accurate progress records and maintaining a comprehensive student database requires thoughtful planning and effective implementation (Datnow et al., 2007). Teachers must determine which data points to track for monitoring progress—such as grades, assessments, attendance, participation, and behavior—and decide what information to store in the student database. Establishing clear guidelines for data recording ensures consistency among staff. Tools such as rubrics, grading scales, and templates can help standardize this process. In my experience, I encountered challenges when creating graphs from students' assessment results. Fortunately, a new qualified teacher at TUC 1 JSS taught me on constructing a graph from any data available. This time, I can professionally construct students' results and any other information. Additionally, I routinely recorded student progress by filling out report templates and updating the assessment result excel with students' marks and then provide a presentation PowerPoint for presenting students' academic progress. This system enabled me to better track and analyze student performance, providing valuable insights into areas of success and areas requiring attention.
The third critical component of reporting is conducting parent-teacher interviews, which typically occur at least twice a year (Baker & Keogh, 1995). These interviews are essential for discussing a child’s academic progress and behavior, as well as their adherence to school rules. Students with special needs or those facing academic challenges may benefit from more frequent interviews, while high-performing students may require fewer formal meetings. Nonetheless, all students can benefit from regular check-ins. The primary aim of these interviews is to facilitate communication between parents and teachers, ensuring that both parties are aligned in supporting the student’s growth and development. As I mentioned before, I participated in outreach efforts where we met with parents to report on their children's academic progress and behavior, including their adherence to school rules. For example, students who broke school rules received points, which were used to determine appropriate consequences. Parents expressed gratitude for our attention to their children’s progress, and these meetings provided an opportunity for them to better support their children’s needs.
In conclusion, the three key indicators of reporting—assessing student progress, maintaining accurate records, and conducting parent-teacher interviews—are crucial for fostering effective communication with students, parents, and colleagues. These practices ensure that student development is accurately tracked and that parents are well-informed about their children’s progress. Applying these reporting strategies has not only made me a more effective educator but has also contributed to building stronger relationships with both students and parents, ultimately supporting students' academic success
Bibliography:
Baker, C., & Keogh, J. (1995). Accounting for achievement in parent-teacher interviews. Human Studies, 18(2-3), 263-300. Retrieved from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01323213
Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). Evaluating teacher effectiveness: How teacher performance assessments can measure and improve teaching. Center for American progress. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED535859
Datnow, A., Park, V., & Wohlstetter, P. (2007). Achieving with data. Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Center on Educational Governance. Retrieved from: https://people.uncw.edu/kozloffm/AchievingWithData.pdf
Keith, T. Z., Troutman, G. C., Trivette, P. S., Keith, P. B., Bickley, P. G., & Singh, K. (1993). Does parental involvement affect eighth-grade student achievement? Structural analysis of national data. School psychology review, 22(3), 474-496. Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02796015.1993.12085668
Robertson, A. F. (2013). Greed: Gut feelings, growth, and history. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from: https://books.google.ki/books?hl=en&lr=&id=pynuwSL_cykC&oi=fnd&pg=PT5&dq=highlight+student+achievement+without+making+the+person+feel+offended+or+greedy&ots=PHLBQTQPe3&sig=nwhdEuCxRvupyo7wdNiX39red5Q&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Roeser, R. W., Skinner, E., Beers, J., & Jennings, P. A. (2012). Mindfulness training and teachers' professional development: An emerging area of research and practice. Child development perspectives, 6(2), 167-173. Retrieved from: https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00238.x
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