Ongoing Reporting Guiding Principle 1 Encouraging authentic engagement with parents

In this workshop we will review how we involve parents in our reporting processes explore what we might change, to improve our reporting to parents plan the next steps in making the change

Guiding Principle 1 focuses on relationships between students, teachers and parents values parents as key partners in developing reporting arrangements in the school

Consider the following… Parents should be given regular, timely and accurate information about their child's intellectual and personal development. Traditional school mid-term or end-of-term reports that take the form of a grade or mark and a generalised comment for each subject can be reassuring and supportive for the parents of students who are clearly achieving well. These reports, however, are not always comprehensive enough to give either parent or student a thorough understanding of what has been achieved and what remains to be done. Therefore, the traditional school report should be seen as only one part of the reporting process between school and home.

Research findings 1 ‘For parents to be effectively engaged in learning, schools need to ensure that there are trusting relationships between teachers and parents. This is particularly the case for parents in traditionally ‘hard to reach’ or ‘under –served’ groups, including those from diverse cultural backgrounds’ Australian Research Alliance

Research findings 2 Combining a variety of different ways of approaching school/parental engagement has a significant effect on student achievement. Houtenville and Conway 2008 Low parental engagement often to do with lack of confidence rather than lack of interest. Where schools make determined efforts to engage such parents, the effect on learning can be positive.

How useful is this video for parents. https://vimeo

Reviewing what we do… Working either individually or with a partner, discuss how well you feel our school is doing to engage with parents as part of the reporting process [Use the material on page 16 of the booklet to guide your discussion.] At the end of the discussion write down your suggestions for change.

Use this exercise to clarify what you might say to parents about reporting Review the draft letter on p. 18 of the booklet. In your groups, consider how our school might plan to communicate with parents about changes to reporting practice. Discussion: What details might we delete from/add to the bulleted lists? What details might we include in our letter?

Which Guiding Principle is next for us? You have now completed the discussion on this Guiding Principle and recorded the agreed changes or action points Decide which of the Guiding Principle/s you plan to discuss next.