In the 2018/19 school year, the Ministry launched a K-9 Student Reporting Policy Pilot, informed by research on effective practices and developed following extensive engagement with parents and educators. A DRAFT K-9 Student Reporting Policy was created to support new approaches to reporting, which included a move from event-style report cards to more timely and flexible communication with parents; a replacement of letter grades with a strength-based four-point provincial proficiency scale and descriptive feedback; and greater emphasis on student reflection and self-assessment of the Core Competencies to increase student engagement and ownership. The first pilot year included 15 formal participants who piloted all aspects of the DRAFT policy. Many other School Districts participated informally to try some elements included within the DRAFT policy.
The pilot is continuing in the 2019/20 school year and the work will inform a new K-9 reporting policy that aligns with and supports the implementation of the redesigned curriculum. This school year, formal pilot participation includes thirteen School Districts and two independent schools, who are continuing to trial all aspects of the DRAFT K-9 Student Reporting Policy (2019) as part of a comprehensive pilot evaluation. However, the DRAFT policy remains supported by current legislation, which means that any district or school in BC can informally try out elements of the DRAFT policy or other innovations that meet Option A of the Student Reporting Policy (2016), even if they are not formal pilot participants.
Over the 2019/20 school year, formal pilot sites will continue to trial the DRAFT K-9 Student Reporting Policy (2019) to test out the most effective strategies for shifting local reporting policies and practices. Their feedback, along with the quantitative and qualitative data they collect, will be used to inform the creation of a new K-9 Student Reporting Policy, fully supportive of the redesigned provincial curriculum.
Aligned with the DRAFT K-9 Student Reporting Policy (2019), several documents were developed to support formal pilot sites with the local implementation of the reporting pilot. Schools and districts interested in exploring innovative reporting practices may find these documents helpful within their local contexts.