Though not new to the district, Parent Portal, an online tool that provides convenient access to students’ academic and personal information, was introduced to Diamond Bar High School three years ago. Parent Portal is directly linked to each teacher’s grade book so that students and parents can immediately see the changes teachers make and easily monitor grades. Though Parent Portal is intended to be convenient for everyone, several teachers have not taken full advantage of this tool and neglect to update grades until the end of a grading period nears.
Students and parents alike have voiced discontent because some teachers fail to consistently make sure that grades are up to date. The purpose of Parent Portal is to allow both parents and students to be aware of a student’s progress so that any problems can be addressed before grades are final and unchangeable. Many teachers update grades right before a grading period ends; however, this is much too late as a progress report is already being mailed home. Students will therefore already know their grades without needing to check Parent Portal. The purpose of having Parent Portal is to allow a student to be aware of his or her grades before each grading periods ends so that he or she can improve any areas of concern. When a teacher puts off updating grades, students cannot keep track of their status in the class and have a hard time determining what they need to improve. A teacher’s primary goal should be to help students improve and do well in school. However, neglecting the duty to enter in grades promptly hinders progress toward that goal.
Often times, students with borderline grades anxiously await modified grades after a significant test or project. Teachers should be aware of this and update grades consistently so that students are aware of the potential opportunity to raise their grade. Teachers who are inconsistent with updating grades tend to be slower at grading and returning work. In some cases, with an accumulated amount of work to grade, some teachers end up hastily skimming through or simply assigning credit for effort. This seems unfair to students who put in much more effort into the assignment than others.
Grading delays are sometimes understandable, considering that teachers have busy schedules outside of their teacher roles. Many teachers volunteer their personal time to help students, such as advising clubs or tutoring students outside of instructional time. They have personal responsibilities to their families and are already trying their best to dedicate themselves to all areas of involvement. But, again, it is a teacher’s job to help students improve performance by providing up-to-date grades for them.
Students and parents were given access to Parent Portal so that each student’s grades would be clearly displayed at all times. This allows parents to talk to the teachers about specific assignments instead of constantly asking about a student because they do not know his or her academic standing. DBHS teachers are hardworking, but posting grades in a timely manner is vital to their efficiency as teachers. Teachers should take advantage of the convenience Parent Portal provides and update student grades whenever they possibly can.
