Still Receiving Interim Reports Despite BCPSone
March 6, 2017
Despite the fact that each student in Baltimore County has a BCPSone account, each quarter we still continue to receive interim reports.
BCPSone is an online site which allows students and parents to check their grades for all of their classes whenever they want to. This system has been in place or years now within the Baltimore County Public Schools system, but for some reason students still get interim reports at the half-way mark of each quarter. This is seriously just a waste of paper, and time.
What is the point of printing nearly 1,000 sheets of paper, four times a year when parents and students can simply log in to their account in about 30 seconds and see their grades? I understand that the point is make sure that parents are aware of their child’s progress, but the waste of paper is unnecessary when the same information is easily accessible online.
What the administration should do is send out interims only to those students who are failing a class or not performing well in the classroom. Each teacher could be responsible for giving a list of students to the administration that they think need to receive an interim based on their classroom achievement. This way it can be assured that parents are aware of their child’s lack of progress in school.
This would be a much more effective system than printing and handing out interims each quarter. It would save hundreds of sheets of paper and save the environment. It will save the administration time and supplies. And it will directly address the students who actually need to make improvements.
I know that there are a lot of parents, and even students who do not check their grades online very often – or at all. But, one thing the administration could also do is promote students to check their BCPSone account at least once a week in order to keep up with their progress in each class.
Casey Michealle • Oct 11, 2018 at 8:50 pm
The interims waste paper and if someone does not have access to a computer or electronic device or Wi-Fi that permits the use of these at home, etc… anything under those circumstances, then they should be given or request for an interim. However, for the majority of the students, this is not the case. We are given devices to reduce usage of paper (as one reason) so why not easily check your grades in these devices the schools provided. Or your own device if they haven’t been provided. Instead we are wasting paper and half of the students will throw it away rather than recycle it, so it is unavoidable that a tremendous amount of paper is being wasted. This single piece of paper can be disregarded by the students and not shown to the parents. If the parents ask where it is, a simple excuse can be made explaining why they don’t have it. They also don’t need their parents to sign and return it so their is no grantee they will see it. Even if a signature was required, they could still get it to you with a signature, just not from them. Not all families are alike and not all of these scenarios are going to happen, but it adds to the point that this one fronted side paper is really unnecessary. They are also out dated and by the time they get to you, your grades may have already changed. Teachers constantly put in grades allowing an inaccurate interim. Additionally many parents already know their child’s grades. Simply send an email and phone call to the parents telling them to check their grades online! Students cannot hide their piece of paper then, since it will be online and already at the hands of their parents before the student even gets home from school. This allows parents to check their child’s grades on their own time. The teachers also don’t have to shorten their class so kids can receive them and nor do they have to pass them out. Printing these interims also cost money. Overall, checking your grades online is much more affective for the students, schools, teachers, and most importantly our environment.