Implementation of the Elementary Progress Report Card
(Growing Success Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, First Edition, 2010)

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Schools will use the new Elementary Progress Report Card between October 20 and November 20 of the school year.  The progress report card is designed to show the development of a student’s learning skills and work habits during the fall of the school year, as well as a student’s general progress in working towards the achievement of the curriculum expectations.
 
The Elementary Provincial Report Card is designed to show a student’s achievement at two points in the school year.  The first provincial report card will reflect the student’s achievement from September to January/February of the school year.  The second provincial report card will reflect the student’s achievement from January/February to June of the school year.

ETFO has developed the following guidelines to support members, protect against increased workload, and ensure consistency from school to school across the province as the new progress report card is implemented.

The ETFO Elementary Progress Report Card Guiding Principles:

1. The term “teachers’ professional judgement” is used consistently throughout the Growing Success document.  Teachers use their professional judgement to determine where a child is progressing in the progress report card boxes.  The teachers’ professional judgement should also be relied upon to determine which subject areas to comment on in the “Strengths/Next Steps for Improvement” comments boxes.  Teachers do not need to comment on every subject or learning skill.

“In the case of the Elementary Progress Report Cards, it is not necessary for teachers to comment on all subjects/strands in the one space provided for comments.”  Growing Success, Page 64.  (See Pages 98-99 of Growing Success, for Progress Report Templates).

2. The term “personalized comments” does not mean that every student must have a different comment. 

3. A process should be in place for all teachers who instruct a classroom to have the opportunity to include comments on the progress report card if he/she requests to.  A school based strategy should be developed and in place.
 
“The comment area on the progress report card is not subject specific.  Teachers are to share this space and, if possible, the electronic versions should facilitate the sharing.  The position of the ministry is that students benefit when teachers collaborate in the assessment of their work.  In addition, it is alright for one teacher to enter more comments than another.  The comments do not need to line up with the subjects and teachers do not need to enter comments for all subjects/strands.” Growing Success, Elementary and Secondary Report Cards: Q’s and A’s: Version # 4 – August 11, 2010.

4. Completion of the progress report card should not be the sole responsibility of the homeroom teacher.

5. Teachers are not required to completely fill the comment boxes; the comments should be based on quality not quantity.  Comments should follow the format of Strengths/Next Steps for Improvement and be linked to the learning goals for students as opposed to curriculum expectations. 

6. Comments should be general rather than specific as it is the beginning of the year.  “The comments should describe in overall terms what students know and can do…”  Growing Success, Page 64.

7. Comments may be written in full sentences or in point form.  Individual boards and schools may make decisions about this format.

8. The inclusion of appropriate comments should be considered when “Progressing with Difficulty” is checked off for a student.

9. Space for Board Information and Space Designated for Board on the progress report card is to be completed by the school board, not the classroom teacher.

10. IEPs need to be created and in place within 30 school days of the start of the student’s program, typically the first day of school.  The IEP is to be reviewed and updated if changes are needed, for the fall progress report card.  It is unlikely that within a few weeks of completion of the initial IEP there would be many changes to it.  If upon review of the IEP there are no changes to it, then the initial IEP is what will stand for the fall progress report card.

The Ministry Reporting Guidelines will be distributed this fall. 

Rationale for Reporting Changes

ETFO supported many of the reporting changes.  Members made it clear over several years that they were not happy with the reporting process.  Members voiced their view about short time lines in the fall and lack of time to assess students in meaningful ways.

• Many ETFO member issues have been addressed in the following changes:
• The professional judgement of teachers is embedded throughout the policy document.
• The first report is a progress report card only.  There are no grades.  It is a checklist style report card which will result in a decrease in workload early in the year.
• The Elementary Progress Report Card includes fewer comments and is collaborative.
• Learning skills are more predominant as requested by members.
• Comments can be more personalized and are not limited to copying and pasting the curriculum expectations.

Local ETFO Leaders will work with their local school boards in order to implement the ETFO Elementary Progress Report Card Guiding Principles and to ensure that the guidelines: 

• Respect the professional judgement of teachers;
• Have a focus on the educational team;
• Applied consistently across the board;
• Do not increase the workload of members;
• Develop a strategy for completion of comments in rotary situations;
• Allow sufficient time for members to become proficient, on school time, with the guidelines before members are evaluated; and
• Allocate the necessary resources for professional learning that is member directed. 

Teachers should not be asked to do any additional written reporting to parents (formal or informal) other than the progress report card and two provincial report cards.

Please discuss any concerns with your ETFO school steward or your ETFO local president so that the federation can monitor the implementation of the new reporting system.

For further information contact your local ETFO president or Professional Relations staff in Protective Services at 416-962-3836 or 1-888-838-3836.