Every week, Megan Blosser logs on to her fourth-grade daughter's digital grade book to see whether homework assignments were turned in, if a quiz grade was posted and how the work she sees completed at home translates in the classroom.
Access to her 9-year-old's progress at school gives Blosser the information she needs to be an encouraging parent at home and an informed parent at school.
"The grade book gives a physical representation of how those grades are going up and down, almost like a map," says Blosser, whose daughter is in the Cuyahoga Falls City School District, which offers student grades, homework, attendance and communication through a ProgressBook Web portal.
But the letter grades just skim the surface. What Blosser likes best are the objective subcategories such as effort and understanding material.
She's not checking up on her daughter; she's checking in.
"It gives my daughter some independence," Blosser says. "I know she did her homework. I know she put it in her book bag, but did it get to school? [This allows me to not be] a helicopter parent, checking in with the teacher, •Did my little kid turn in her homework?' I can go look for myself and if I have concerns, I will email the teacher."
Blosser can have honest conversations with her daughter about what's going on at school while allowing her daughter to take the lead in her own education. "I'm not worried about the actual letter grades, I want to see that she is turning in quality work and trying her hardest," she says. "That's what I'm checking for. The grade book is a barometer of how things are going."
If Blosser needs to ask, "Why?" she can go to her daughter first, then the teacher.
"I want the teacher to know that I'm supporting my child and I've taken the time and care to do my due diligence before I approach the school," Blosser says.
Ultimately, online grade books make a classroom more transparent and accessible in a way that allows parents to guide students if there's a pattern, such as missed homework or poor test scores. And some schools, such as Hathaway Brown School, say the students, not parents, are the ones constantly logging on to find out where they stand.
"Technology gives us terrific power that we can use or misuse," says Larry Goodman, head of school at Andrews Osborne Academy. How parents use the information can teach student academic accountability or hinder their progression toward independence.
Posting the Grade Book
By now, most schools have adopted some sort of online grade book. Basic systems allow teachers to input students' grades and track assignments. They're digital record-keeping tools to help teachers plan and record data. More sophisticated systems can generate performance reports, and some even email alerts to parents of absences or if a child's grade falls below a certain level. Most systems allow parents and students to view grades and assignments on a password-protected Web portal.
Extending the grade book really started with giving teachers a digital alternative to the one once kept in their desks. Today teachers can upload assignments, work samples and teacher observations.
Some learning management systems, such as the one used at Andrews Osborne, give students the ability to submit assignments online or follow a teacher's links as part of an assignment.
"There is a trickle-down effect," Goodman says. "You have systems in place that go well beyond simply sharing grades."
Online access to grades and progress has advantages for parents and students. It can eliminate surprises and help families triage situations, such as figuring out the cause of a lower grade. (Poor testing? Missed homework assignments?)
"The technology can take the mystery out of how you are getting the grade you are getting," affirms Sue Sadler, associate head of school and director of the upper school at Hathaway Brown, which has been using a digital grade book for two years.
Helping parents understand how grades are figured out before they use the online grade book goes a long way toward preventing stress, Sadler adds. Hathaway Brown begins its school year with a parent night when teachers explain the grading process.
Robust systems go beyond posting grades. Hawken teachers can attach documents —writing samples, for example — to reports that are distributed three times each school year. Every eight weeks, parents either get a report or a scheduled teacher conference, says Brad Gill, director of the lower school.
So, a Hawken parent can watch a child's writing progress during the course of a school year. Rather than comparing the child's work to other students in the class, a parent can monitor his or her own child's development.
"This is a relationship between home and school that can only be fully actualized with parent participation," he says.
Acting on Information
While many schools are adopting digital grade book technology, others have resisted.
"Our goal is to hold [students] accountable for their education," says Bill O'Neil, assistant head master and academic dean for University School's upper school.
University School students are college-bound, and the upper school should prepare them for that level of independence.
"We ask [parents] to give us the space to work with their sons as emerging adults," O'Neil says. "We promise them we won't surprise them at the end of the grading period."
What's a responsible way for parents to use the grade book? Here's advice from schools.
Help. Don't hover. "If your child is confused about an assignment, a parent can pull it up and go through it with them," Goodman points out. Of course, the value of the grade book as a student-development tool depends on how the parent handles a situation like this. If a child doesn't understand his or her history assignment, for example, don't rush to the school website and explain the whole thing. "As a parent, I've blown it," Goodman says. "I should have asked him to print it out and read it with him so he could exercise his analytical muscles to understand what the assignment is."
The lesson from this scenario: "Parents have to learn how to be good consumers of information that is actually intended for your child," Goodman says.
Reinforce school skills. Guidance via the online grade book is helpful at the middle school age, when the workload increases and students have multiple teachers for various subjects, Goodman adds. Students can check online to see their assignments before leaving school, then pack appropriate books.
Ask the student first. Sadler recommends that parents exercise a 24-hour rule before calling the school. Start the conversation about grades at home first.
"You don't want the student to feel like you are going behind their back," she says. "You want them to feel in charge of their academic life."
The next step is an email or phone call to the teacher. It's appropriate to ask "Why?" But parents should be sure the conversation is focused on bettering the student. "When it gets into an accusatory conversation, that is not productive," Sadler says.
And if there's a negative pattern with a child's grades, homework or progress, a parent should schedule a teacher conference to gather insight into a child's performance.
Watch for trends. Gilmour Academy's digital grade book has been in place for years, and parents understand that every update does not warrant a call, says Elizabeth Edmondson, director of the middle school.
"Online grade books provide a nice avenue for helping trends to emerge in student performance," she says. "The downside with online grade books is that parents can become obsessive and check them every day."
Parents should look for trends in progress and not react over a single incident. "Maybe a student is not doing homework, or parents can see that writing assignments are a problem area," she says.
Proceed with care. Parents should step back and take in the big picture before intervening. Rather than acting as a helicopter, be the hot-air balloon. "Know what's going on, be aware," O'Neil says. "Come in quietly and with some affirmation to go from wherever you are to a better place."