K-12 Reporting on Student Learning

Embrace the Ongoing Journey of Learning

Students come into every learning situation with their own experiences and background knowledge. A student does not necessarily begin at Emerging or Developing at the beginning of each school year. Similarly, students do not only reach Proficient at the end of the school year. Reaching proficiency is not the end of learning; if a student enters a learning experience with Proficient understanding or achieves proficiency during the school year, the goal becomes to further enhance their learning.

Letter Grades and Percentages for Grades 10-12

Most universities and colleges currently use letter grades and percentages as part of the admissions process. To continue the successful transition of B.C. students to post-secondary learning, letter grades and percentages will remain in the graduation years. However, the Ministry of Education and Child Care will work with post-secondary institutions in the coming years to explore the use of the Provincial Proficiency Scale at Grades 10-12.

What is Student Reporting

Student reporting is the assessment and communication of student learning, often thought of as report cards. Every student in B.C. receives communications from the school throughout the school year that provide parents, caregivers, and students with information about student learning.

The way teachers and schools communicate student learning, and the format of traditional report cards is shifting.

Upcoming Changes to Student Reporting

The K-12 Student Reporting Policy Framework (“the framework”) is the result of many years of consultation and engagement with rightsholders, education partners, teachers, families, students, and the public.

The framework provides an overview of the upcoming changes to the K-12 Student Reporting Policy, set to be implemented in the 2023/24 school year.

Student Information

• Shifts in reporting are being made to ensure each student experiences success within the education system
• Student self-assessment of Core Competencies and goal setting gives every student input into their learning, including where they go next
• Graduation status update in Grades 10-12 ensures students know they are on track to graduate

What’s New

• Student reporting practices that align with B.C.’s curriculum and provincial assessment system
• Provincial Proficiency Scale at Grades K-9
• Changing the “I” reporting symbol to “IE” to indicate “insufficient evidence” of learning instead of “incomplete” learning
• Student self-assessment of Core Competencies and goal setting, in all grades in the 3 written reports
• Graduation status updates at Grades 10-12
• All learners, including students with a disability or diverse ability, will receive regular communications of student learning in the same way as their peers in any other program

What’s the Same

• Timely and responsive feedback to families throughout the school year
• 5 communications of student learning; 3 written and 2 of flexible format
• Letter grades and percentages at Grades 10-12
• Written descriptive feedback to accompany scale or letter grade and percentage

The Provincial Proficiency Scale

The use of the Provincial Proficiency Scale gives students, parents and caregivers a clear understanding of what students can do now and areas for future growth.

Reporting scales are already being used by all districts in the province. There are currently 17 or more known reporting scales in use. The introduction of the Provincial Proficiency Scale will provide consistency and alignment across B.C. schools.

Benefits of the Provincial Proficiency Scale and Descriptive Feedback

• Views learning as ongoing, rather than signaling learning is done
• Provides feedback, to both families and students, on where the student is at and how to help them move forward in their learning
• Supports lifelong learning by shifting the focus to developing competencies rather than the achievement of marks
• Maintains high provincial standards by focusing on helping all students attain proficiency in their learning