Communicating with Parents About Student Achievement

Darlene Gibbons

Darlene Gibbons called on the experience of three generations of Inuit women
– her mother, herself and her daughter – to formulate her research question: “How can teachers communicate successfully with parents?” Her daughter’s report card (from Arviat Middle School) was the immediate prompt. “Her report card was only one page and had no comments from her teachers. I had a hard time understanding it. I started to think about all the parents who are not educators.”

Interviews with parents and teachers revealed some common suggestions for
improvement: more space for comments, more information about what the marks
mean, more parent contact throughout the year, use of both Inuit Uqausinga and
English. Both parents and teachers expressed the need for more comments in the two languages. Parents commented that they are open and would help with their child’s progress throughout the year.