Robert Rubinstein´s Writings & Ideas

INDEXING STUDENT PROGRESS

by Robert Rubinstein

With increasing class sizes and with secondary school teachers meeting over 200 students each day, a classroom teacher has a very difficult time keeping track of individual student progress, and providing specific feed-back about student work to the student and to the parent.

Just maintaining a grade-book with a student´s assignment scores does not tell the teacher, the student, or the parent what specifically that student has done well, how he or she has improved, and what skills still need to be developed. The student and parent have a right to know this information. After all, learning and education is a process, not a test score. The student will proceed better and achieve more success if the student knows what he has achieved and the directions to take to improve.

The method I used and that kept me readily apprised of a student´s work and progress was to keep a five inch by eight inch lined index card for every student in every class. The first two lines of the card list basic contact information:

Last, First name Homeroom Teacher
Grade level Subject - period Home phone
Special Needs:

After this, assignments can be listed with a general grade or evaluation, and then specific detail of what the student did well and what needs improvement. So, for example, a paper about mountain men might be recorded on one line of the index card:

Mt.: VWD - vg. idea & det., v.g. eff., clear, SP, frag
(Mountain men Assign: Very Well-done - contains very good ideas and detail, very good effort, clearly written, spelling error, sentence fragment)

Each succeeding assignment would be recorded in a similar manner:

West: Re-do - needs org.- clear sent. & compar., not on subj., SP,

If the student asks why the paper should be re-written, then the card tells both of us - refreshing my memory - as to exactly why the assignment should be re-done: not organized well, confusing, lacked comparisons, not focused on the subject, several spelling errors. The student knows specifically how he can re-write the assignment with increased success.

Recording oral presentations gives a wealth of information:
"Birdman:" (Nat. Amer.) Well-done - clear, g. proj, g. pace, knew story, needs eye-dialog.-face-gest.
(This student told a Native American tale, "The Birdman." The telling over-all was well-done with clarity, good pacing, good vocal projection, and he knew the story well without stumbling. For the next oral presentation, this student should work on facial expression, eye contact with the audience, gestures, and include character dialogue.) The student is evaluated on how well he has learned and improved, not with comparisons to other students.

In a similar way, quiz or test scores are recorded with accompanying notes about specific areas that seem to be problems. This is a method to also record the details of major projects or papers. On the last two lines of the card, comment on class participation, general preparation, behavior, attitude, group cooperation, absences as well as any extra credit work or effort. I can also summarize the card with regard to specific needs:
Talking, 3/10 - sent out of rm.-beh., g. discussion, 4/16-helped stud., v. creat., needs SP-sent-writ. help.

At mid-term, I would have each student come up to look at his or her card with me. The information on the card helps eliminate power struggles or personality conflicts. The card specifically delineates what the student did or did not do. If the student wants to know "why you gave him this grade," the teacher´s reply is let´s look at the card and what you have accomplished during the term. The focus is on what the student has done, not on the teacher giving.

If a parent wants to know how a child is doing in class, there´s the card. In 32 years, I have had very little conflict with students or parents about grades because I could offer specific details about the student´s progress over the term as well as offer direction for student improvement.

When administrators or other teachers came to ask about a student, the index card contained information to share.

So, this index system provided an efficient, accurate method to record student work, behavior, progress, and needs as well as an effective communication tool for students, parents, and others.