User-friendly report cards approved for public schools

Coming soon to a Toronto public school near you: report cards that actually make sense.

Without any debate on Wednesday night, Toronto District School Board trustees approved a plan to simplify the language used in report cards for elementary students, giving teachers a new bank of comments to choose from – and add their own, if they wish – starting with first-term reports issued in late November or early December of 2010.

"Everybody seemed to be delighted to support it," said Trustee Howard Goodman, who brought the issue to the board's attention.

Given the importance of report cards, his motion said the list of standard, computerized comments available for teachers' use are "based on technical pedagogical goals set out in the provincial curriculum" that are "incomprehensible" to families, especially newcomers.

He asked that report card comments "be meaningful to both students and parents and useful in guiding them in taking action to improve the success of the student."

Karen Grose, the board's system superintendent of program, said mere hours after the decision she had received emails from teachers with suggestions. She is also hoping to hear from principals and other school-based staff.

Any changes will need to ensure that the user-friendly language still reflects what the curriculum documents say children should learn and be able to do at each grade, added Grose, who was also in charge of the board's well-received, family-friendly homework policy.

She would also like for teachers to not just have a central comment bank to choose from, but also their own personal one they can share with colleagues.

Even board Chair John Campbell says he has had a tough time understanding his daughters' reports.

"I think a lot of parents feel would feel some sense of relief if they could make heads or tails about what they are reading," he said.

Since standardized report cards were ushered in more than a decade ago, parents across the province have complained about the "click and drag" comments. The education ministry will release a new assessment policy next year to clarify to boards that it has always expected personalized, clear remarks.

The Toronto board will next look at improving high school report cards and, if feasible, to translate some for parents who don't understand English.