Education

Grading the Parents

November 08, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Are parents doing their part to ensure their children are successful in school?

A school board member in Manchester, Conn., wants to know. Steve Edwards proposed last month that the district issue report cards to parents, to gauge how well they support their children’s academic, physical, and emotional well-being, according to this story in the Hartford Courant.

The story suggests that Edwards’ proposal faces an uphill battle, and recounts the failed experiment with parent report cards in Chicago. But there is increasing recognition that what parents do, or don’t do, to help reinforce the importance of learning and working hard in school is often reflected in student achievement.

I have heard a lot of complaints from parents about teachers and school administrators not doing enough to help their children learn. But when these parents are asked what they’ve done to help the child and the teacher I often get a puzzled look.

If nothing else, parent report cards could wake some parents up to their role in their children’s school success.

Do you think parent report cards could help the cause?

A version of this news article first appeared in the Motivation Matters blog.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Mathematics Webinar How to Build Students’ Confidence in Math
Learn practical tips to build confident mathematicians in our webinar.
Student Achievement K-12 Essentials Forum How to Build and Scale Effective K-12 State & District Tutoring Programs
Join this free virtual summit to learn from education leaders, policymakers, and industry experts on the topic of high-impact tutoring.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: April 16, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Quiz ICYMI: Do You Know What 'High-Quality Curriculum' Really Means?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of curricula.
iStock/Getty
Education Quiz ICYMI: Lawsuits Over Trump's Education Policies And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of money symbol, books, gavel, and scale of justice.
DigitalVision Vectors
Education Quiz ICYMI: Trump Moves to Shift Special Ed Oversight And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP