Understanding Student Reporting

Student reporting is how your child’s teacher tells you how they’re doing in school. You have likely noticed that it’s different from when you were in school.

Here’s what you can expect as a parent or caregiver:

You’ll get updates about your child’s learning five times a year. Three of them will be written, like report cards. Two will be informal, like calls, emails, or meetings with the teacher.

For kids in kindergarten to grade 9, we use a provincial proficiency scale and descriptive words to explain how your child is doing. We’ll focus on their strengths and where they are on their learning progression.

In high school grades 10 to 12, we still use letter grades and percentages. You’ll also get descriptions of your child’s progress and on their last report card of their grade 10, 11 and 12 school years you will get an update on where they are towards meeting graduation requirements.

Why are report cards different than when I went to school?

Back in the day, school was all about memorizing facts and taking tests. But let’s be honest, we often forgot all that stuff after the test.

Now we know that good learning is more than just memorizing. It’s about using what we learn in real life. Universities, colleges, and employers care more about how students think than how many facts they remember.

That’s why in 2016 the Ministry of Education and Child Care introduced a redesigned curriculum. We still teach reading, writing and math, but we also teach kids how to think, problem-solve, communicate, and use what they know both in school and in the broader world.

The new way of reporting matches this new way of teaching and learning.

If you want to know more about student reporting, check out the resources listed on this page and talk to your child’s teacher(s) or school principal. They’ll be happy to answer any questions you have!