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Schedule 2 (in effect and optional from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. Mandatory from July 1, 2006)

POLICY STATEMENT

During the school year, Boards of Education will provide parents of students with at least five reports describing students' school progress. Three of the reports will be formal written reports and two will be informal reports. (See below for how progress is to be reported.)

RATIONALE

This policy has been revised to reflect changes to the Student Progress Report Order.

LEGISLATION/ REGULATIONS

See the following Ministerial Orders and Regulation:

Ministerial Order 192/94, the Provincial Letter Grades Order Ministerial Order 191/94, the Student Progress Report Order Ministerial Order 190/91, the Permanent Student Record Order Regulation 265/89, the School Regulation

See the School Act for further information.

POLICY

During the school year, Boards of Education will provide parents of students with at least five reports describing students' school progress. Three of the reports will be formal written reports and two will be informal reports.

Informal reports to parents may include: telephone calls, student-led conferences, parent-teacher conferences, and the use of journals. Schools and teachers determine how they will informally communicate with parents.

Grades K - 3

Formal reports in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will include, in relation to the expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum, descriptions of progress in the following:

• Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies using a performance scale and written reporting comments.
• reading, writing, and speaking and listening using a performance scale and written reporting comments.
• Science and Social Studies, reported separately at least twice a year for each of these two subjects.
• Physical Education, Personal Planning, and Fine Arts using written reporting comments or a performance scale accompanied by written reporting comments.
• each of the four areas of Fine Arts (dance, drama, music, and visual arts) at least once in a school year.
• social responsibility using written reporting comments or a performance scale accompanied by written reporting comments.

Comments should relate progress to the expected development of students in a similar age range.

Daily Physical Activity: When students are meeting the Prescribed Learning outcomes of Daily Physical Activity, a comment of "Meeting requirement" will be made on term and final reports. A comment of "Not meeting requirement" will be made at any time when students are not meeting the Prescribed Learning Outcomes of Daily Physical Activity. Where a "not meeting requirement" comment is made, it is recommended that a further comment is added to outline a plan for the student to meet the requirement.

Grades 4 - 7

In Grades 4 to 7, formal reports will include letter grades and written reporting comments to indicate students' levels of performance in relation to the expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum. Boards may choose to provide letter grades to parents of students in Grades 4 and 5 in a document other than a report card.

Daily Physical Activity: When students are meeting the Prescribed Learning outcomes of Daily Physical Activity, a comment of "Meeting requirement" will be made on term and final reports. A comment of "Not meeting requirement" will be made at any time when students are not meeting the Prescribed Learning Outcomes of Daily Physical Activity. Where a "not meeting requirement" comment is made, it is recommended that a further comment is added to outline a plan for the student to meet the requirement.

Grades 8 - 12

In Grades 8 to 12, formal reports will include letter grades and written reporting comments, where deemed to be appropriate, to indicate students' level of performance in relation to the learning outcomes set out in the curriculum for each course or subject and grade. For Grade 10-12 students in the 2004 Graduation Program and Grade 11-12 students in the 1995 Graduation Program, percentages will also appear along with letter grades.

All formal reports, Kindergarten to Grade 12, must contain a description of student behaviour, including information on attitudes, work habits, effort and social responsibility.

Daily Physical Activity (Grades 8 and 9): When students are meeting the Prescribed Learning outcomes of Daily Physical Activity, a comment of "Meeting requirement" will be made on term and final reports. A comment of "Not meeting requirement" will be made at any time when students are not meeting the Prescribed Learning Outcomes of Daily Physical Activity. Where a "not meeting requirement" comment is made, it is recommended that a further comment is added to outline a plan for the student to meet the requirement.

Daily Physical Activity (Grades 10-12): When students are meeting the Prescribed Learning Outcomes of the Graduation Transitions Program, a comment of "Meeting requirement" will be made on the term and final reports. A comment of "Not meeting requirement" will be made at any time when students are not meeting the Prescribed Learning Outcomes of the Graduation Transitions Program. Where a "Not meeting requirement" comment is made, it is recommended that a further comment is made to outline a plan for the student to meet the requirement.

Upon successsful attainment of the Graduation Transitions Program, "Requirement Met (RM)" will be recorded on the student's transcript.

Students on Modified Curriculum

For students with special needs working on modified curriculum, structured written comments will be used to report how well the students have succeeded in meeting the goals and objectives of their IEPs (modified outcomes).

Performance scales, letter grades and percentages may only be used to report student progress when students with special needs are working on the learning outcomes of the curriculum.

Schools are expected to inform parents on the written report if their child is following a modified curriculum with outcomes significantly different than the student's grade.

Use of the Letter Grade "I"

The letter "I" will be used to alert parents when students, for a variety of reasons, are not demonstrating minimally acceptable performance in relation to the expected learning outcomes. The "I" may be used at any time during the school year on informal or formal reports. The underlying principle is that parents and students should be alerted to a problem as soon as teachers detect it.

When an "I" reporting symbol has been assigned:

students and parents must be informed, and must be provided with an opportunity to consult with teachers about the problems students are having and possible solutions; and, teachers must be prepared to identify what the problems are and specify plans of action to help students achieve the learning outcomes. An "I" may be communicated in a variety of ways, including: through a written plan, verbally by telephone, or in a direct meeting involving teacher, parents and students.

The "I" letter grade must be converted to another letter grade or percentage:

before students' records are transferred to another school, unless there is agreement between the principals of the two schools to defer conversion of the "I" reporting symbol; when letter grades are recorded on the permanent student record card; and, before submission of Grades 10, 11 or 12 marks to the Ministry for inclusion on students' transcripts of grades.

An "F" letter grade can only be assigned if an "I" reporting symbol was previously assigned, or as a result of failing a provincially examinable course.

PROCEDURES

Procedures for reporting student progress according to requirements set out in Schedule 2 of the Student Progress Report Order are described in Reporting Student Progress: Policy and Practice (revised 2008)