What is a Progress Report? Why do I have to complete one? How do I complete one?
We answer all of these questions in this blog.
When you sign up with HOPE we ask and you agree that you will keep 4 sets of records
We ask this because the state law requires it. And if you do need to re-enroll your child into public or private school, they may ask to see what work your child accomplished during the year and you will need to provide it.
What we have become aware of is that MANY do not understand what they are agreeing to keep, especially Progress reports.
For starters if your child is in kindergarten, you do NOT need to do a progress report.
For 1st through 6th grades, I recommend a report which is NOT grade focused (think public school report card) but more of a report to summarize your year. Before the year starts, you should be making goals for what you expect your child to accomplish during the semester. For the January report, you can look back at what you actually accomplished compared to what you planned. Simply write a paragraph or a sentence for each grade and then set new goals for the next semester.
Examples (not real children or reports):
Mary, 3rd grade, Math – We used Teaching Textbooks math so the plan was to complete half the curriculum. Mary had a great attitude towards math, but became frustrated when we got to fractions. We stopped the curriculum to focus on games, cooking, worksheets, etc., until she understood them. We hope to finish the 3rd grade math before the end of the school year.
Bobby, 5th grade, Reading – We used Sonlight Reading. Bobby loves to read. We had planned on reading 6 of the novels by mid-year. He loved the books so much he read 10. His reading is going very well, however, his attitude towards his other subjects needs improvement. We will focus on the reading as a reward for completing his other subjects with a better attitude.
Then at the end of the year do the same. What did you plan? Where do you want to go? What can you work on during the summer? We recommend printing the report out, discussing it with your child AND both of you signing it. These reports are NOT turned in to HOPE. They are for your records only.
For 7th and 8th grades, you need to start looking at high school and what you and your child plan to do after graduation. Until they are taking HIGH SCHOOL level courses you can use the same format as listed above.
HIGH SCHOOL is a different ball game. Students can begin taking High School level courses beginning in 7th grade – up to 2 each year. The courses MUST be core courses, and the curriculum identified as 9th grade and above. You cannot take electives like PE prior to 9th grade. However, if your child is ready, he or she may take algebra 1 or 9th grade English or Spanish for example. Taking a high school level course while in 7th or 8th grade does NOT automatically make it Honors. (This is a topic for another blog post 😊)
Once a student begins taking High School courses, grades must be given. Grades are to be NUMBER grades (87, 96, 75, etc.). Do not use the 4.0 scale. Grades must be turned in to HOPE by January 15 and June 15 (earlier for Seniors). Please use this form for submitting grades.
There is an Excel copy on the website if you prefer to use that. Please use one form for all reporting periods. You do not need to make a new one each semester. You can keep a copy in your portfolio.
I hope this clears up the confusion about progress reports. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about them.
Ann and Heather
864-348-2656 and 864-224-5512