Controversial report card changes postponed by CBE

The Calgary public school board is postponing some controversial changes to report cards.

It had proposed trying a pilot project in some kindergarten to Grade 9 schools this year but now the board says the schools will keep their current grading systems with a few changes.

We will be having our schools issue written report cards at a minimum twice a year, said Naomi Johnson, chief superintendent of the Calgary public school board. The number of face-to-face encounters with parents will continue as always and we will require fewer written comments.

The changes would have seen traditional marks replaced with a new range of learning outcome ratings and report cards sent out twice instead of three times a year.

Students would have been assessed as exemplary, evident, emerging or needs support.

The board also said at the time it would consider dropping the personalized comment section of report cards.

That had many parents worried about the quality of information they would get about their childrens progress.

We have concerns about the removal of comments from report cards, said Jeff Bowes, head of the Associated of Parent and School Councils. Personally, I find the comments often have the most valuable information on the report card.

However, Johnson says all schools from kindergarten to Grade 9 will talk to parents about what changes if any should be made to how students are graded.