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Mother starts petition over concern about possible changes to report cards

JanLaree Nelson is concerned that the PSSDS is potentially moving toward an outcomes-based reporting system for high school and has started a petition

JanLaree Nelson is concerned that the Prairie South School Division is potentially moving toward an outcomes-based reporting system for high school and has started a petition to push for the continued use of percentages.

Nelson learned about the possible change while speaking with the principal at Palliser Heights Elementary School, from where her daughter graduated Grade 8 last June, she explained. 

The principal allegedly told Nelson that high schools in the Prairie South School Division (PSSD) would eventually move toward outcomes and away from percentage grades, she continued. He also said some high schools might not give percentage grades to this year’s Grade 9 cohort. 

“When he said that, I knew I needed to do something,” Nelson said recently. 

So, she started a petition that she plans to present to the Ministry of Education. She hopes it encourages the continued used of percentage grading in high school and the discontinuation of outcomes-based reporting in junior high. She plans to meet with ministry officials in early September.

What also bothered Nelson is Mortlach School — where her son completed Grade 4 this past June — plans to move away from the honour roll and valedictorian role and develop a new system. She thought this was a “new-age type of thinking and teaching.” 

School division response

Tony Baldwin, the PSSD director of education, told the Moose Jaw Express he had not heard about the petition. He noted it is up to schools — and not the division — to decide if they want to have honour rolls or valedictorians. 

It is also untrue that division high schools will phase out percentage grades altogether. 

“We have a requirement to report to the province using percentage grades yet (for grades 10, 11 and 12),” said Baldwin, who is a fan of outcomes-based reporting. “It seems to me that some of the confusion that may exist out there is connected to our student information system. But that really doesn’t have any connection to outcomes-based versus traditional assessments.”

The division uses outcomes-based assessment to report on how elementary students are doing, he continued. The emerging high school curricula is built more around outcomes over traditional organization. Some schools in PSSD use the outcomes model to report but then convert those indicators into percentages.

School divisions determine how students are evaluated and how achievement is communicated to parents and caregivers, according to a Ministry of Education spokesman. Achievement results — or percentages —are not reported to the ministry for students in kindergarten to Grade 9, but are reported for students in grades 10 to 12. There are no plans to change this requirement.

Negative experiences

The use of outcomes-based reporting has been a negative experience for both of Nelson’s children, she said. Such reporting has not allowed her to understand where her children’s strengths lie or how well they are doing. 

“We’re trying to raise our kids to be motivated and successful people,” she said. “This marking system is going against our values as a family and implementing those values.”

“Outcomes-based reporting is far superior to the traditional marks-based reporting,” said Baldwin. 

It breaks down the curricula’s content and skills so teachers can talk to parents and students about how kids are doing and where more work is needed, he continued. Giving a student a 73 per cent doesn’t tell them much. Instead, this method helps students be successful since it provides a deeper look at the assessment work. 

Concern for children

Nelson is particularly concerned about her son’s educational well-being. He had no motivation to look at his report card on the last day of school in June since he had received the same mark — Developing as Expected, or DE — all year long. She is worried he will not create the right work ethic when he enters Grade 5. 

Nelson pointed out DE is meaningless since it is too broad. If it were a percentage, she noted, it would range from the low 60s to the high 90s. She believes using an outcomes-based assessment sets the bar low and discourages students from working hard.

“I think they (the Ministry of Education) are encouraging mediocrity in the system … ,” Nelson said. “They are losing the opportunity to nourish academic leaders. They are sugar-coating those who struggle with academics.” 

“I wouldn’t agree that it breeds any sort of mediocrity,” Baldwin said. Instead, outcome reporting provides children with the opportunity to understand all the components of the curriculum. This allows them to improve in a meaningful way. 

Foundation needed for education

Nelson has been performing research and discovered that outcomes-based assessment is connected with a new teaching style called constructivism, which encourages students to learn more on their own with less direction from teachers. 

However, Nelson disagrees with this approach since she believes students need a foundation and the knowledge first before they can apply it to their future learning.

“All of the research would say that (outcomes are) more effective,” said Baldwin. 

While giving a student a 74 per cent might provide motivation, Baldwin thought there was greater motivation for students when they learn how well they’re doing and where they need to improve in other areas.

Nelson has received many supportive emails and texts in support of her petition. As of Aug. 21 she had 265 signatures from parents in Mortlach and Moose Jaw. However, she wants more signatures before she presents the petition to the ministry.

Parents are encouraged to email Nelson with their personal stories around outcomes-based reporting. She would like to use those stories when she speaks to ministry officials to show more research needs to be done before outcomes-based reporting is fully implemented.

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