Date of Award:

5-1957

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

School of Teacher Education and Leadership

Department name when degree awarded

Education

Committee

Not specified

Abstract

There are numerous ways, both written and oral, in which the schools can report pupil progress to parents. Promising practices include parent-teacher conferences, notes to parents, combination of narrative reports and parent-teacher conferences, and progress check sheets indicating, among other things, attitudes and behavior.

Educators have long recognized the inadequacy of the report card and the traditional marking system. Studies show that no two teachers mark just alike, even with a common set of standards to follow. Children work for marks rather than self-improvement. Marks, alone, cannot and do not tell a complete story.

Elsbree (4) points out that many thoughtful educators believe that the whole philosophy underlying the assignment of marks in the elementary school is unsound. This practice promotes superficial and insincere scholarship. The student loves the mark and not the wisdom which it presumably symbolizes. The motivation is false and is comparable in nature to rewards and wages.

He further states that grades encourages poor teaching. As long as teachers can badger pupils into studying their lessons and performing their tasks by threatening them with poor marks, there will be a strong temptation to substitute this control over marks for good teaching.

Elsbree also feels that the traditional marking schemes produce barriers between teachers and pupils and interfere with the establishment of rapport. It places them in a dual role as counselor and judge. Many teachers are not able to serve successfully in these two roles.

The following section contains the ideas of a few of the leading authorities, principals, and teachers as to why we should have parent-teacher conferences, how to conduct the conference interview, and what should be discussed.

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