Dear Imagine Families,

In 2016 the Ministry of Education and Child Care began implementing a redesigned provincial curriculum that is flexible, focuses on literacy, numeracy, and the First Peoples Principles of Learning, and supports deeper learning through concept-based and competency-driven education. This educational shift to how and what students learn in the classroom requires a corresponding change to student reporting policies and practices. Please visit the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care website for more details, and see below for information around how reporting looks different in our province this year.

What is student reporting?

Student reporting is the way your child's teacher shares information about their progress with you. The way in which this information is shared with you is evolving.

Throughout the school year, you should expect to receive at least five updates about your child's learning. You will get 3 written Learning Updates that are like report cards, and 2 informal Learning Updates, like conferences, e-mails, or calls from the teacher.

• For students in grades K-9, the Provincial Proficiency Scale and descriptive feedback will now be used to explain where a child is at in their learning and how they can improve. This approach focuses on students' strengths and views learning as ongoing. In high school, letter grades and percentages will still be used to ensure successful transition to post-secondary.
• Students in 10-12 will now also receive descriptive feedback on their report cards to clearly explain where they are at in their learning, and how they can move forward. They will also receive a graduation status update on the last report of every school year in grades 10, 11, and 12. 
• In all grades, students will self-reflect on the Core Competencies and set goals for themselves. This gives them control over their learning and helps them keep growing throughout their lives.
• Letter grades and percentages will remain for Grades 10 to 12.
• There will be five (minimum) communications of student learning to families: three report cards at the end of terms 1-3 and two communications of flexible format – such as, for example, parent-teacher conferences. There will be one summary of learning at the end of the school year.
• There will be no work habits assigned at any grade. Instead, this will be incorporated into the descriptive feedback.

Further information about the Ministry of Education and Child Care’s changes to reporting and assessment can be found on the Ministry of Education and Childcare website. The links below will help you access some information documents. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/reporting/resources-for-parents-and-caregivers https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/english- communicating-student-learning-information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package.pdf

Why do report cards look different than they did when I went to school?

When you were in school, learning likely involved being asked to memorize information and repeat it on a test, only to forget it soon after. We now know good learning is not just memorizing – it’s being able to use what we know in real-world settings. Universities, colleges, and employers now care more about how students think than how many facts they can memorize and recall. This is why BC has changed what students are taught and is changing how they’re assessed. 

Parents and caregivers expect their child to learn the basics at school – reading, writing, and math. In the redesigned curriculum, these subjects remain important, but they aren’t the only vital part of students’ learning. BC’s curriculum will continue to give your child a strong foundation in these important skills. It will also teach your child how to think, communicate, solve problems, and use their knowledge in ways that both matter in school and will matter in a rapidly changing future.

The way teachers tell parents about their child's progress is changing to match new ways of teaching and learning. From 1994 to 2016, K-12 Student Reporting Policy in B.C. remained largely unchanged, even as BC’s curriculum transformed. The shifts in student reporting aligns with the redesigned curriculum, unifies existing policy options, and creates consistency across the province.

Resources for Parents and Caregivers

During the summer of 2022, a development team of teachers, school leaders and district leaders supported the Ministry in developing materials to support teachers, school leaders, parents and caregivers in the upcoming shifts to student reporting. Additional materials have been created throughout the 2022/23 school year to further support parents and caregivers and educators as they prepare for the implementation of the new policy. These materials are available here.

To discuss your child’s learning, please reach out to your child’s teacher. Our staff contact list can be found here.

Take care,

Team Imagine