Report Writing in the Grades

							Report Writing in the Grades

Report Writing and Documentation Section 1

   1. What are the key elements of a year end report for students in grades 1
       through 8?
   2. Does your school have any written guidelines for report writing? Attach a
       copy if available and comment on the most important aspects of these
       guidelines.
   3. Describe the format of your school’s reports. What are the key elements
       that should always be included in a well written report? Excluded?
   4. In what ways do you ensure that what parents read and what teachers
       intend to communicate are the same?
   5. Do your reports include indications that a student is performing at, below
       or above grade level in a subject? When and how are these indications
       included?
   6. Does your school have written benchmarks for learning/teaching? Attach
       a copy if available. How are these benchmarks used in relation to report
       writing?
   7. Are grades ever used in lower school reports?
   8. Do reports include information about the non-academic aspects of the
       student’s performance at school (e.g. classroom behavior, social ease and
       interaction, etc?) How and when are these issues included?
   9. Are reports generated more frequently than once a year? Describe when
       and why additional reports are written.
   10. How and when are any issues or concerns regarding eligibility for transfer
       into the high school addressed?
   11. Describe the key elements of your school’s philosophy with regard to
       report writing in the lower school.
   12. What about your report writing in the lower school is particularly effective?
   13. If there were something that you could change in relation to your school’s
       report writing in the lower school what would you change and why?

   RW 1-1 What are the key elements of a year end report for students in
   grades 1 through 8?

At the simplest level a year end report in the grades is a characterization of the
student’s thinking, feeling and willing. However, the approach that is used to
address these three aspects of the child’s development changes as the child
goes through the grades. A year end report contains several key elements
including:
     a characterization of the whole child,
     block descriptions and reports that describe a student’s work in a class,
     subject teachers’ reports, including a course description and the student’s
       performance in the class, and
     a cover letter to parents.
Student Characterization
In the early grades the student characterization will mention the child’s
temperament, often described as choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic or melancholic.
This focus is replaced by comments on the student’s soul type, or psychological
disposition, as it manifests more clearly in the upper grades. (Editor’s note: For
additional information on soul types see Seven Soul Types, Max Stibbe,
Hawthorn Press, 1992)

In the lower grades the student will be characterized in regard to how he/she
comes into the class, his/her relationship to the teacher and to peers, and how
he/she is meeting the subject matter. The characterization looks at how the
student embraces the environment – the class and the world around him/her.

In the middle grades the report looks at how the student is integrating socially,
his/her likes and dislikes for certain subjects, and includes recognition of the
student’s challenges. By 5th grade it is important to identify real strengths and
areas where the student is really confident about his or her own capabilities.
Calling out areas of particular strength for a student allows him or her to more
easily wrestle with challenges, as he/she feels that strengths have been properly
recognized.

In the highest grades the focus of the characterization is on personality, the
student’s ability to receive another’s perspective, respect for authority, and a
thirst for learning. Success in high school is dependent on the student’s desire to
be a life long learner, so this quality is the focus of the characterization in the 7 th
and 8th grade report.

Block Descriptions and Reports
Most schools do not report on a child’s progress in individual blocks in the
earliest grades as an emphasis on academics is misplaced at this time. In the
lowest grades a teacher asks, “Does the child love numbers, stories and
drawing?” In the middle grades the teacher asks if the student is gaining
discipline in various areas of academic work. Then in the highest grades the
question is if the student is able to apply these wonderful strong habits and use
them to serve others.

Typically the block report is used as early as third grade, but not before that.
Instead the report in the early grades addresses the student’s progress with
language arts, mathematics, artistic work and social activity. For example, in the
language arts section of the report, the teacher will speak about reading, writing,
speaking and listening – skills that will be evident in all the work a student
undertakes. There may be references in the early grades to work a child did in a
main lesson book, but these references are used to illustrate the characterization
of the child.
As the child matures the report shifts from a developmental approach to one that
is more intellectual and subject oriented. Accordingly, the main lesson blocks are
spoken about separately beginning in 3rd or 4th grade. The block reports will
include comments on the main lesson book, and should note whether there has
been an improvement over the previous book or if the student has perhaps
slipped back into old patterns. The report can also note whether the student is
working up to his/her capability or if additional effort is required.

It is important to be specific about which academic abilities the student
possesses, and where shortfalls lie. Equally important is the need to avoid
sentimentality, and to be clear about where the baseline for achievement lies.
These comments can be stated in a softer way in the earlier grades, but must be
increasingly specific as the child matures.

While not a separate section in the report, many teachers include in the report
comments about the relationship of a student’s progress at school to his or her
home life. Comments may address whether parents encourage and model
reading at home, ask if they provide support for math work, and suggest they find
appropriate chores for the student to perform at home. Many times the report will
encourage parents to consider what goals they are setting for the student at
home for the coming year.

Subject Teacher Reports
There is a separate section in the year end report for comments by each subject
teacher. These comments include a summary of the information presented in the
class, and about the student’s performance in the class.

Cover Letter to Parents
This letter describes how the class did as a group, assigns summer homework,
and gives a preview of what is to come in the next school year.

   RW 1-2 Does your school have any written guidelines for report writing?
   Attach a copy if available and comment on the most important aspects of
   these guidelines.

Frequently schools have practical information in their employee handbooks about
report writing. The focus of these documents is on the operational aspects of
report writing; they do not typically provide much detail on aspects of effective
report writing. This information includes when reports are due, how to get them
typed, who is responsible for proofreading, and so on. It also includes the
requirement that all reports that go out must be read and co-signed by a College
member. These guidelines help keep everyone on the same page regarding
general expectations and the report writing calendar. (See: Sample Employee
Handbook Excerpt) The handbook may also include the general suggestion
that reports be written as each block is completed so that the child’s performance
will be fresh in the teacher’s mind as she writes her comments. It will note the
school’s expectation that reports will be objectively descriptive of the child, and
will not include a lot of judgments about the student. (It is appropriate to say,
“Johnny did not do the quality of work in this block that he has demonstrated in
the past,” but it is inappropriate to add, “Johnny just isn’t good at math,” or “I’m
sure this will change in the next block.”) Reports are expected to use quality
writing and good grammar, and should never contain any surprises. Any
concerns should have been communicated to the parents well in advance of the
report.

Two other documents are often available in schools to support the teacher in
his/her report writing – a curriculum scope and sequence guide and an
assessment rubric. The curriculum scope and sequence provides an overview of
the instruction provided in a particular grade, and the skills that a student should
be able to exhibit in the areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and
sensory-motor development. (See: Scope and Sequence Sample) The
assessment rubric is a categorized listing of expected skills by grade and
category, with boxes after each skill that allow the teacher to indicate for a
student whether this is an emerging skill, one that student still needs to practice,
one that has been achieved or is in use, or one that is a real strength of the
student. There may also be a place in the rubric for a teacher to indicate that a
student needs additional instruction or support in this area, or that concerns are
such that a special assessment of the students needs is warranted.

The curriculum scope and sequence and the assessment rubric are resources
available to the teacher to focus and sharpen his/her thinking about the student
and whether he/she has been taught/learned the expected material and skills. It
can also aid the teacher in ensuring that a year end report is complete and
thorough. Some schools send the assessment rubric home in addition to the
written report beginning in 7th grade. The rubrics can also be used by teachers in
the upper grades to help students highlight the particular skills they would like to
learn in the coming year, and what they are willing to commit to for that year.
This allows the older student a means for self assessment and to see his/her
own progress. (See: Assessment Rubrics)

   RW 1-3 Describe the format of your school’s reports. What are the key
   elements that should always be included in a well written report? Excluded?

The basic elements of a report are described above in question 1. In the past
there was a strong preference in schools for handwritten reports. While
handwritten reports are no longer required, most schools still permit them and
encourage their use. A few schools allow only typewritten reports so that
information from all of a child’s teachers is produced in a standard format that is
easy to read. One school even provides each teacher with a preformatted disc
so that all reports will follow a single format with regard to margins, font size and
style, placement of the student’s name, and information on tardies, absences and
detentions. This school asks teachers to use a modified block style format, and
suggests that the information that is particular to a student be shown in italicized
bold type.

   RW 1-4 In what ways do you ensure that what parents read and what
   teachers intend to communicate are the same?

A teacher’s insight into the child is the key to a clear report. This is why regular
child study is so important, as it allows the teacher to practice skills of
observation and explanation.

It is important that the report be honest, and that it doesn’t try to disguise what is
happening. Clear language in this area is helpful, and parent conferences during
the year are an opportunity to ensure that parents understand how their child is
developing.

Many schools have a buddy system so that all reports are read by another
teacher. The reports are read for grammar, content, and punctuation. It is
preferable when the buddy is someone who knows the students in a class well,
allowing an independent perspective on whether the report matcher the
perception of the student.

Another important key is that schools emphasize a “no surprise” policy with
regard to reports. This helps ensure that parents fully understand the information
being communicated in the report.

Frequently schools issue mini reports in November and March in conjunction with
the parent conferences. At one school this min report includes a half page of
commentary from the class teacher, and then a check the box form from each
subject teacher, supplemented by a comment or two. Subject teachers who wish
to meet with parents indicate this on the mini report. This school has two days
set aside for parent teacher conferences, and all teachers are on campus those
two days. This allows parents to start by meeting with their child’s class teacher
and then to meet separately with any subject teachers that have requested a
meeting.

In the upper grades the block reports are sent home soon after each block is
completed, again helping ensure that parents are fully informed about a child’s
development and providing opportunities for questions early on if something is
unclear.

The year end report is best understood when there is regular communication with
parents. It helps enormously to have personal conferences, to have parents in
attendance at class meetings, to share regular phone calls, and to have the
parents’ participation in classroom activities. The report must do more than
appease the parent and give them some information about the child. The
parent’s participation in the school transforms him/her from being a consumer to
a co-owner of the child’s educational development. The report must be well
written, but it must be looked at in the context of the whole communication
process. Does a report inspire a parent to be more involved and active with the
child’s education? This is one important criterion for an effective report.

   RW 1-5 Do your reports include indications that a student is performing at,
   below or above grade level in a subject? When and how are these
   indications included?

The reports at some schools include indications that a student is performing at,
below or above grade level. Comments on a student’s performance might say,
“Suzy has challenges in her academic learning and she is not working a grade
level,” or, “Johnny has made many strides in the year, but there is still a gap
between his progress and that of the class.”

It is far more common though in Waldorf schools for a report to speak about
whether a student is living up to his/her own capabilities, and whether he/she has
reasonably mastered the material. Most schools seem to prefer language that
states whether a student “exceeds expectations”, “meets expectations”, “needs
more effort” or “needs support to progress”. The report will speak to situations
where a student needs additional support by suggesting tutoring, testing,
summer school, extra lesson or remedial work. Students are never rank ordered
and indications are not given as to whether a student is at the top or bottom of
the class.

In some schools grades are given in 7th and 8th grade, further allowing a parent to
see how a child is performing relative to expectations.

   RW 1-6 Does your school have written benchmarks for learning/teaching?
   Attach a copy if available. How are these benchmarks used in relation to
   report writing?

More and more schools are developing detailed scope and sequence documents
for the curriculum and crating rubrics for learning expectations. These
documents are often a by product of the school’s accreditation process, and are
a healthy sign of the school’s ability to be conscious and clear about its
expectations for students and teachers.

These documents are used to help teachers organize their comments for the
report, and to assist them in determining whether difficulty lies with the
acquisition of a particular skill or with a broader area of skill development. For
example, one student may have difficulties with the rules for comma usage while
another has challenges with many areas of punctuation, grammar and spelling.
In this example a good rubric can help a teacher quickly focus on the size and
scope of a child’s challenges in the area of language arts.
Most schools do not include the assessment rubric in the year end report,
although this is occasionally done for students in 7th and 8th grade. These rubrics
can also be helpful at the beginning of the year in helping an older student to
identify personal development goals for the year ahead, and then in monitoring
his or her own progress toward those goals.

   RW 1-7 Are grades ever used in lower school reports?

Most schools surveyed do not include grades in their year end reports; however,
every school noted that it includes a fair amount of quantified information in the
reports of 7th and8th grade students. It is common to include quiz and test
scores, points and percentages in these reports so students and parents get a
quantified measure of progress.

Many schools indicate that there is ongoing discussion in their faculties about
whether to include letter grades in the 7th and 8th grade year end reports. One
school reports that it has issued grades in 7th and 8th grades in all subject classes
and main lesson blocks, and that his practice has been in place for some time.
This school only goes through eight grades, and feels that the use of grades
helps students in the transition from lower school to an outside high school.
Grades encourage the student to become personally accountable for his of her
performance. They allow students to see how they are held accountable while
still in a known, supportive environment, rather than postponing this experience
to a time when the student is in the unfamiliar world of an outside high school. In
addition, grades are a requirement for all students applying to area magnet high
schools. This school feels that grades are an awakening of consciousness for
the student, while also giving a student an affirmation that he/she is in a “real”
school and that the Waldorf education they are receiving is also “real”.

   RW 1-8 Do reports include information about the non-academic aspects of
   the student’s performance at school (e.g. classroom behavior, social ease
   and interaction, etc?) How and when are these issues included?

The non-academic aspects of a student’s performance in the class are always
included in the report from grade one on. This information is included in the
section that characterizes the child, and in the characterization of the child as a
member of the class. Comments might include observations of the child’s play at
recess, his/her ability to take care of belongings, whether he/she offers to help
put things away, or how he/she lines up for a drink at the water fountain.

Teachers strive to be tactful but honest in these characterizations, and may
include comments on classroom behavior, consistency and timeliness of
homework, and any detentions served by older students.

   RW 1-9 Are reports generated more frequently than once a year? Describe
   when and why additional reports are written.
Year end reports are generated just once a year. Block reports are written soon
after the completion of each block, although they are not typically sent home
earlier than year end until a student is in the 7th grade.

Most schools generate some sort of mid year report, often delivered in
conjunction with the parent teacher conference. These reports are typically
shorter in nature than a year end report, and are generated once or twice during
the school year. These mini reports are considered progress reports, and are
meant to indicate to a parent that a student is making fine progress or that there
are concerns that require additional attention. Some schools have mid year
reports that are fairly structured in their format, ensuring that teachers cover all
subject areas without requiring an undue amount of preparation time. (See:
Sample Mid-Year Progress Reports)

   RW 1-10 How and when are any issues or concerns regarding eligibility for
   transfer into the high school addressed?

In good year end report writing the teacher speaks about the child’s development
and progress continually throughout the years. Waldorf schools that include a
high school often have a separate enrollment committee that manages the
transition process for lower school to high school. This committee typically
includes teachers from every level at the school, and this group provides a place
to sound concerns and to hold students consciously if there is a concern about
eligibility for transfer into the high school.

The reader is encouraged to read the information included in Enrollment Section
4: Transitions from Lower School to High School.

   RW 1-11 Describe the key elements of your school’s philosophy with regard
   to report writing in the lower school.

Write as you go through the year. Don’t save it for the end. Write anecdotes,
make notes, find ways to remind yourself of what has happened through the
year.

Never make predictions such as, “This was a tough year, but I’m sure it will be
better next year.” Confine your report to observations of the child’s progress.

The report is about the children, not about the teacher’s angst or enthusiasm.

It is really helpful to read reports from other schools, and get a good picture of
what is possible.

Good child studies build the observational qualities that the school is looking for
in reports.
It is helpful to share observations with other teachers. Putting observations into
clear language is a skill that takes practice and benefits from repeated attempts
to articulate them.

Schools have strong extra lesson programs and Care Groups that do additional
child study, providing important extra sets of eyes to observe the child. Teachers
are encouraged to use all of these extra resources in writing reports.

It is helpful to call a teacher meeting when a child is having difficulty so that
everyone teaching the child can meet to build a shared picture and a consistent
response.

Make report writing a focus in faculty meetings by having frequent child studies
or by having discussions about the importance of clear language and good
grammar in reports. The school benefits when teachers have an opportunity to
increase their observational capacities and develop the ability to speak about
these observations.

The report focuses on characterization. It is essential that teachers sharpen their
powers of observation and the ability to describe what they see and experience.

Teachers must discuss concerns in person before including them in written
reports.

Teachers are well served to work with a simple outline that gives a picture of the
child’s relationship to the curriculum, teachers and peers. The report is most
effective when the focus is kept on those simple points.

Always have a second person read and critique the report. Faculty collaboration
on reports is essential so that the faculty can stand behind what is sent home to
parents.

The importance of rhythm, routine and ritual must be reinforced in the report.
Children do not learn in a vacuum, and need support in these areas in the home
life, especially in the early years.

The report is not a sales or marketing tool for the school or the teacher. It is a
journal of how the child is growing and developing in the course of the year.

   RW 1-12 What about your report writing in the lower school is particularly
   effective?

The report writing process raises teacher consciousness. It lets us see what we
know about our students, what we don’t know, where we’ve succeeded in our
teaching, and where we need more work.
The school has other teachers read each other’s reports. It is inspiring to read
about the work of other teachers, and provides a second opportunity to ensure
that reports accurately and completely reflect the achievements and challenges
of a particular student.

The school tends to review its approach to report writing every few years. This
keeps the approach fresh, and the process is a living one.

We strive toward economy. We want to be thorough and accurate, but believe
that brevity can be helpful in ensuring that the picture is clear.

The reports are done on time, and the document has a professional look.

The students are really present in the report.

The reports are positive, even when something is a challenge. The school
emphasizes the need to be clear and honest about difficulties.

If reports are not submitted on time the teacher is not rehired for the new year,
and summer paychecks are not generated until the hiring process is complete.

Writing reports on a computer is great. The computer allows the teacher to cut
and paste and speeds the process by avoiding rewriting.

The school’s emphasis on ensuring that difficult news is shared early on prevents
unwelcome surprises at year end.

Teacher’s comments on the thinking, feeling and willing aspects of the block for
each child are particularly well done and helpful to the parents.

   RW 1-13 If there were something that you could change in relation to your
   school’s report writing in the lower school what would you change and why?

Because report writing occurs at the end of the year it seems like it is more of a
monologue from teacher to parents. It would be great to find a way to make it
more of a dialog, and to get feedback from parents on the quality of the report
and the steps they will take as a result.

Teachers receive very little feedback over the years from parents about the
reports. It is easy to assume that if there were problems we would hear about
them, but it would be nice to find a way to encourage feedback.

We are wondering whether it might be more helpful to require two parent
conferences in first and second grades, rather than one parent conference and a
short form mid-year report as is done today.
The faculty would be served if we could engage more frequently in high quality
child study. This provides teachers with the experience needed to be able to
observe and characterize a child clearly.

It would be great if the class teacher and subject teachers could gather one
evening and do all the reports on a class of students. Then the teachers would
discuss the students and compare notes. This activity could benefit the students
and would connect the teachers as a group in holding the class.

The faculty handbook could be amended so that it also includes information
about the content of the report, rather than just the administrative and operational
aspects of report writing.

The school has an ideal of having teachers write reports as each block is
completed. This should be enforced, particularly in the 7th and 8th grades, with
the report being sent home along with the main lesson book.

We have just started having small reports from the special teachers for parent
teacher conferences.

It is important to always have another teacher read your reports. This is not a
mandatory part of our school’s report writing program.

It would be helpful to have more conversation about how each teacher
approaches report writing to ensure we have consistency in format and
approach, and agreement on what we think is important in the report.