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K-12 Independent Schools Student Progress Reporting Policy

Last updated on August 20, 2025

Date came into force or revised

September 1, 2025

Status

Current

Policy statement

Meaningful and flexible communication of student learning in British Columbia’s K-12 independent schools ensures parents/guardians and students are informed about student learning. Reporting must ensure students and families understand where the student is at in their learning and areas for growth. Student self-reflection of core competencies and student goal setting engages students in the assessment process while encouraging personal responsibility for learning. 

The K-12 Independent Schools Student Progress Reporting Policy (the “policy”) outlines the requirements for communicating student learning in independent schools. 

The policy pertains to all learners in Group 1, 2, and 4 independent schools. All learners benefit from individualized feedback and personal involvement in the assessment process.

Communication of student learning should be ongoing throughout the year. Teachers should provide timely feedback to parents/guardians and students that is responsive to student needs.

Rationale or purpose of policy

The communication between home and school can take many forms. This policy is designed to ensure independent schools have the freedom and flexibility to communicate about student learning in a way that best meets the needs of students, while ensuring parents receive regular updates on student progress. Communication with students and parents/guardians should be inclusive, accessible, and culturally responsive. 

Regular and meaningful communication regarding student progress enables parents/guardians, students, teachers, and administrators to proactively work together to enhance student learning. This policy ensures the student and parents/guardians are partners in the dialogue about the student’s learning and the best ways to support and further learning. Students benefit when they and their parents/guardians are made aware of their strengths and areas of needed growth and are provided support and early intervention.

Authority

See the following Legislation and associated Ministerial Orders:

Definitions

Course – An organized set of learning activities in an area of learning that meet the learning outcomes set out in the applicable educational program guide listed in the Educational Program Guide Order (PDF) and the Ministerial Order 41/91, the Educational Standards Order (PDF). This includes a board authorized course, a local program and independent directed studies.

Core competencies – Sets of intellectual, personal, social and emotional proficiencies all students need in order to engage in deep, lifelong learning. The core competencies on B.C. Curriculum are communication, thinking, and personal and social.

Descriptive feedback – Descriptive feedback is concise written comments about a student that:

  • Describe the student’s learning in relation to the applicable standard of assessment
  • Focus on the student’s strengths
  • Support specific goals for the student’s further development
  • Use language that is clear and accessible to the student and the student’s parent

ELL student – A student who is receiving services to assist the student in becoming proficient in English, or a student of a francophone school who is receiving services to assist the student in becoming proficient in French.

Graduation program – Refers to an educational program, after the successful completion of which a student is entitled to one of the following diplomas as set out by Ministerial Order 164/96, the Student Credentials Order:

  • British Columbia Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma)
  • British Columbia Adult Graduation Diploma (Adult Dogwood Diploma)
  • Diplôme de fin d’études secondaires en Colombie-Britannique (French immersion version)
  • Diplôme de fin d’études secondaires en Colombie-Britannique (francophone version)

Graduation requirements – Means the requirements set out in:

  • Ministerial Order 302/04, the Graduation Program Order
  • Ministerial Order 320/04, the British Columbia Adult Graduation Requirements Order

Graduation status update – On the summary of learning in Grades 10-12, the graduation status update provides parents/guardians, and students the information they need to ensure a student is progressing towards meeting all graduation requirements.

Individual Education Plan (IEP) – Has the same meaning as in section 1 of Individual Education Plan Order M638/95 (PDF).

Informal learning update – Meaningful and flexible communications to students and parents/guardians about student growth in relation to the Learning Standards of the provincial curriculum. At least 2 informal learning updates are required and may include: telephone calls, conferences, e-mails, and other means.

Learning standards – A learning outcome or learning standard applicable to a course, as set out in the applicable educational program guide established in Ministerial Order 231/19 (the Educational Program Guide Order), the local program developed and offered by an independent school authority; or in a Board Authorized Course authorized under Ministerial Order 285/04 (the Board Authorized Course Order).

Learning standards include both the curricular competencies (the skills, strategies and processes that students develop over time) and the content learning standards (the essential topics and knowledge at each grade level), as set out in the provincial curriculum.

Students with disabilities and diverse abilities – Students with disabilities or diverse abilities, as defined in Students with Disabilities or Diverse Abilities Order M150/89 (PDF), who have a disability of an intellectual, physical, sensory, emotional or behavioural nature, have a learning disability, or have exceptional gifts or talents.

Student self-reflection of core competencies – Student reflection on their personal progress in developing the core competencies and their engagement in learning and sense of responsibility. Refer to Developing and Supporting K-12 Student Reflection and Self-Assessment of Core Competencies (PDF).

Summary of learning – A written learning update that describes a student’s learning in relation to the learning outcomes at the end of a school year or semester.

Policy

1. Required areas of study

The Educational Standards Order (Grades K-9) and Graduation Program Order (Grades 10-12), outline the required areas of study that must be provided by an independent school authority that operates a school holding a Group 1, 2, or 4 certificate of classification. The authority must ensure the educational program meets the learning outcomes set out in the applicable educational program guide for that subject and grade and must provide student progress reports that include these areas. Additional subjects/courses that are used to meet a school’s instructional hours under Section 3 of the Ministerial Order 41/91, the Educational Standards Order (PDF) must be included on student progress reports. 

Student progress reports will report on student learning in relation to the learning standards of the curriculum. Independent School Authorities can devise reporting practices that best reflect their local communities and aligns with this policy.

2. Frequency and format

Regular progress reporting ensures all parents/guardians and students in the province receive regular, informative updates on where the child is at in their learning, and areas of further growth/development. 

  • During the school year, students and parents/guardians must receive at least five communications of student learning
  • Two of the five communications may be in the form of an informal learning update
  • At least three of the five communications will be written in the form of a written learning update, including the year-end summary of learning
  • Written learning updates provided during the school year must include:
    • Reporting on student learning in relation to the learning standards of the curriculum and identification of potential areas for future growth
    • Information about student attendance
    • Student self-reflection of the core competencies and student goal setting
  • Learning updates may include:
    • Description of student behavior including information on attitudes, work habits, effort and social responsibility
  • At the end of a school year, independent school authorities must provide a written Summary of Learning to parents/guardians
  • The summary of learning will use clear and accessible language to provide information about student learning in relation to the learning standards of the provincial curriculum
  • All written learning updates must include:

a) The school’s name, address and telephone number

b) The student’s name

c) A definition of any indicators used in reporting

d) The number of days a student was absent in the reporting period

e) The number of days the student was late in a reporting period

f) An assessment of student learning for each course or subject offered in the reporting period

g) Descriptive feedback for each course or subject offered during the reporting period

h) Student-generated content, including the student’s reflections on the Core Competencies identified by the Ministry of Education and Child Care

i) The name of the teacher who prepared the report

j) The signature of the principal or vice-principal

k) For students in K-7 only, a place for the signature of a parent or guardian to acknowledge receipt of the written learning update

3. Graduation years reporting – graduation status update

For Grades 10-12 a graduation status update is required as part of the Summary of Learning at the end of the year. A graduation status update indicates student progress in relation to graduation program requirements. The provision of a graduation status update in Grades 10-12 ensures parents/guardians, and students have the information they need to ensure graduation requirements are being met.

The graduation status update must include:

  • The graduation program in which the student is enrolled
  • The graduation program requirements as outlined in the Graduation Program Order
  • The graduation requirements completed
  • An indication of a student’s progress toward meeting requirements
  • A student’s completion of any provincial assessments

For students who are working on a School Completion Certificate Program, their graduation status update needs to indicate that the student is working towards a British Columbia School Completion Certificate (Evergreen Certificate) and list the courses and programs in which the student is participating.

Requirements for BC Graduation are further described in Ministerial Order 302/2004. Schools should reference the B.C. Graduation Program Policy Guide (PDF, 5.7MB) and the Handbook of Procedures (PDF, 8.8MB).

Inclusive Education

This policy applies to all students, including students with disabilities and diverse abilities, English language Learners, and French language Learners. All students, including those who may also have individual learning goals identified in a document such as an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or an Annual Instruction Plan (AIP), will receive communications of their learning in the same format, and on the same schedule as their peers. 

Where a student with a disability or diverse ability is following the learning standards the provincial curriculum or a local program, regular reporting procedures are used to communicate student learning. There will be rare occasions where students with significant cognitive disabilities and diverse abilities are assessed and evaluated only on individualized learning goals as outlined in their IEP, and not the learning standards of the curriculum for the course or grade they are enrolled. In these instances where schools are providing letter grades or may have adopted a proficiency scale, written learning updates and the summary of learning for these students do not need to include a scale indicator or letter grade and percentage. Written feedback is required that clearly explains the student’s progress made towards their individualized learning goals and areas for further growth. If a scale indicator or a letter grade and percentage are used on written learning updates and the summary of learning, it must be noted that the student is being evaluated in relation to their individualized learning goals as outlined in their IEP and not the Learning Standards of the curriculum for the course or grade for which they are enrolled. 

Where an English language learner, or a French language learner in a Francophone program, is following the learning standards of the provincial curriculum or a local program, regular reporting procedures are used to communicate student learning. Where the student’s language proficiency is impeding a student from demonstrating their learning in relation to the learning standards of the curriculum, the written learning update and summary of learning must contain descriptive feedback describing what the student can do, areas for further growth, and ways of supporting their learning. A scale indicator or letter grade and percentage are not required until such a time as the student’s language abilities allow them to demonstrate their learning in relation to the learning standards of the curriculum. If a scale indicator or a letter grade and percentage are used on written learning updates and the summary of learning, it must be noted that the student is being assessed in relation to the student’s goals for language proficiency, and not the learning standards of the curriculum.

Procedures related to policy

For more information, consult the