LSS Partnerships
No. 104 A Guide for Teachers


Report Card Sharing:
How to Get the Most out of Parent-Teacher Meetings
by
Eva Patrikakou, Roger Weissberg, Mary Hancock,
Michelle Rubenstein, and Jennifer Zeisz
Laboratory for Student Success

One of the key goals of the Laboratory for Student Success (LSS) is to encourage school, family, and community partnerships to improve the academic performance and the socioemotional development of children and youth. Teachers face the challenge of educating an increasingly diverse student population which is growing up in varied home environments. Families and schools are both active participants in the education of children and youth. Parents/guardians and teachers need to collaborate to improve student achievement and school performance. Family members and educators each have a distinctive yet interrelated role to play, and each has an important voice to be heard.

Report Card Pick-Up represents a great opportunity for two-way communication between teachers and parents. Teachers’ attitudes toward parents and their efforts to involve parents are critical to good parent-teacher relationships and student achievement. The teacher creates the climate for collaboration with parents and influences student learning at home as well as in the classroom. Teachers can set up the expectation that parental involvement is welcome and necessary. Involving parents takes time and perseverance, but there are many payoffs!

    There is strong evidence indicating that children whose parents are meaningfully involved in their schooling:

      are better behaved and have more positive attitudes about school
      get better grades and test scores
      graduate from high school at higher rates
      are more likely to go on to higher education

Successful Parent Conferences—The First Meeting

One way to lay a firm foundation for successful teacher-parent collaboration is to have a parent-teacher meeting early on (late September, early October) before the official “report card day,” which usually takes place sometime in November. While the report card may serve as a valuable tool for discussing a child’s academic and social performance, the focus on grades may distract parents from a more productive discussion.

In that early conference, parents are encouraged to do much of the talking while the teacher listens to what the parents have to say on a variety of issues. Here are important areas to cover and some sample questions educators might ask during such a meeting:

The parents’ views of their child’s strengths and weaknesses
(e.g., Which academic area does your child like most? Which does he/she tend to avoid?)

The parents’ goals for and expectations of their child
(e.g., What are your goals for your child this year?)

The nature and extent of parents’ involvement in their child’s learning
(e.g., How do you help your child with homework at home? How often do you read to your child?)

Diversity and uniqueness of the child’s family heritage
(e.g., What is your family routine at home before and after school?)

Asking parents for their views will help them feel included in their child’s schooling and comfortable as partners in the education process. In addition, teachers can gain valuable information about a child’s home environment and family dynamics, and set a positive tone in home-school communications. The information obtained from a positive initial conference can enable teachers to be more proactive, responsive, and successful in working with students and their parents throughout the school year.

All parents can benefit by learning new ways to communicate with teachers and support their children’s academic and social development. With teacher encouragement and outreach, a parent who is not involved today could be a valuable partner tomorrow!

Making Report Card Sharing More Successful

    Planning for the meeting

    Send home a note that invites parents to meet with you and states the purpose of the meeting. Call parents who might need extra encouragement to attend.
    Send a reminder the day before the meeting. Have students decorate the reminders. This will ensure that parents see your communication.
    Parents can also be supplied with a simple worksheet to help them prepare for a report card pick-up meeting or conference.
    Tell parents you would like to talk to them for 10-15 minutes at report card pick-up. Let them know they might have to wait a few minutes if they arrive at the same time as other parents. Have interesting materials for parents while they wait.
    Collect samples of student work and identify areas that need improvement.
    Prepare a summary for each child of issues/problems you want to cover at the meeting. Are there materials or techniques you could suggest to help parents with their child?
    Make sure students feel part of the conference. Have students choose something they have done that they especially want to share with a parent or have them complete the student worksheet.

    Communication during the meeting

    Make sure to comment on at least one positive thing about each child. Focus on one or two areas for improvement. Some children have many problems, but don’t overwhelm parents with them. Be specific. Successful communication is not vague or general.

    Examples:
    (general) “Crystal is doing poorly in math.”
    (specific) “Crystal remembers her 2’s times table but is having trouble remembering her 3’s.”

    (general) “Kenya is a good student.”
    (specific) “Kenya learns new material easily in all the subject areas. He is interested in learning more about...”

    Ask parents if they’d be willing to help.

    Suggest some specific steps that parents can take that will help their child be successful.

    Provide materials (e.g., written instructions, sticker charts) to help parents carry out the task at home.

    Establish a follow-up plan so that everyone knows when the goal is being accomplished.

    Let parents know what you will do in the classroom to address the issue.

    Ask parents to share with their child what you talked about.

    Beyond the meeting

    Send a note home thanking parents for coming and reminding them of the plan that was agreed upon.
    Let parents know how things are going after a week or two.
    Let the child know that you enjoyed talking to his/her parents. If there is a plan of action, tell the child.

Contact LSS Information Services for a companion brochure for parents and for additional brochures on homework involvement and positive communication.

Partnerships is a publication of the Laboratory for Student Success (LSS), the mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory at Temple University Center for Research in Human Development and Education. For information about the LSS and other LSS publications, contact the Laboratory for Student Success, 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6091; Telephone: (215) 204-3000; also visit the LSS website at http://www.temple.edu/LSS. Copyright © 1997 Temple University Center for Research in Human Development and Education.