How to get school record information to colleges, scholarship

							How to get school record information to colleges,
scholarship coordinators or potential employers
Step 1: Know your documents

There is a difference between a report card, an historical grade record and a transcript. A report card
shows the school’s name and address, parents’ name and address, student’s name, reporting period,
grades for a specific trimester and general grading and school information. First- and second-
trimester report cards are given to students and contain grades from the respective trimester. The
third-trimester report card contains a record of all grades received for the trimester and it is mailed
to the student’s home address.




An historical grade record is an internal school report which simply lists a student’s grades from 9th
grade to current. It is used mainly at the school to clear fines, LCAs, incompletes and other
housekeeping items.

Either report may be used to document grades for good student insurance discounts.
A transcript is the cumulative secondary school record of a student. It begins with contact
information for both the student and Idaho Falls High School. The first section also contains the
student’s birth date, guardian name, gender, graduation date, year of graduating class and the date
the transcript was run. The graduation date is blank until the student has graduated and final grades
are on the transcript.




The next section is a record of the student’s grades from 9th grade to the last completed trimester.
Transcripts are not final until the end of the senior school year and generally are available a week or
two after the end of the school year. Senior grades are reported early, but the transcripts are
finalized with the rest of the district at the end of the year.
The last section contains grading scale information so others know how to interpret our grades and
credits; grade point average summary, and the space for the official signature and date.




The transcript does not include standardized test results, such as the ACT, SAT or Compass sores.
It also does not include the student’s immunization record.


Step 2: Determine what type of transcript you need to provide

The Official Transcript is a record of your school information and grades. The Official
Transcript is signed by a school official and paper-crimped with the official school seal. It is sent
directly from the school to the college or business for which it is requested. Request for Transcript
forms are available on-line at www.ifschools.org or at the Counselors Office. There is a $2 fee for
official transcripts sent to colleges. There is no charge for transcripts sent out for scholarships or
employment.

The unofficial transcript is the same record of your school information and grades as the official
transcript. The difference is that it is not signed or sealed and it may be given directly to the student
or parent. It also may be referred to as a progress or current transcript. There is no charge for this
transcript.


Step 3: Order your transcript

Educational records are protected from disclosure by the Family Educational Records Privacy Act.
People may face penalties under state and federal law for sharing transcript information with
unauthorized individuals. Because of this no transcript will be sent from the Counselors Office
without a written release from the student or, if the student is 17-years-old or younger, the parent.
Release forms are the “Request For Transcript” form available in the Counselors Office or the
District #91 release available on-line at www.ifschools.org. The transcript link at the bottom of the
left-hand menu.

The Counselors Office asks requests be made no later than two weeks before the application
deadline.