Teachers Communication to families about assessment results

Conveying assessment results to families can be one of the most difficult jobs for a teacher. The results themselves can be difficult to understand. It may be hard to decipher whether the results are passing or failing just by looking at the numbers. There is also the question of what the results mean to the student and parents. Teachers need to use enhanced communication skills with families to convey the results without causing any misunderstandings.

 

Proactive   

• Teachers and schools want families to understand assessment testing and the results. Being proactive is a good way for teachers to reach out to families. Instead of waiting for the families to read the scores or to contact them to find out results, teachers should proactively schedule conferences to discuss the results. As soon as the results are issued, teachers should send home a letter to families setting a date for a conference to discuss the results. Any delay can cause families to worry, which can lead to miscommunication. 

   Personal  

• Communication between the teacher and families regarding assessment results should be personal. The best form of communication is a face-to-face conference. Emails or written form letters can sound cold and uncaring. They can also lead to miscommunication because the families may not understand the substance of the letter. Written communication is also not a good format for being able to ask questions. Assessment results bring up a lot of questions that need answers including what the results mean, what it specifically means for the student and what should be done next. 

Explain 

• Explanations for families about assessment results should be short and concise. The communication should be solely about the assessment testing and how the student performed. Communication works best when it is structured to the appropriate audience. In this case, it would be to specific families. If English is the family's second language, a translator may be needed. The teacher should also speak in words that the family understands and not speak over their heads.

Sample  

• Due to the complex nature of assessment results, it can be helpful for a teacher to communicate the results by using sample tests as examples. Visual aids can be better forms of communication than simply using words. Showing sample questions and answers can help a teacher explain why the student performed well on a test or performed below average. The teacher can also show simple mistakes that the student made to explain why the results were lower than the parents might have expected.