These may include classroom tests, essays, interviews, journals, oral exams and informal teacher observations. Teachers use this information continually to adjust instruction to meet student needs and to ensure that students are making continual progress. Schools provide parents many options for learning about their child's progress. Starting this year, all parents who have children in grades 5-9 will receive a report on their child's progress toward meeting CIM standards. Many teachers also collect a portfolio of each student's work, which parents are welcome to review upon request.
Parents also can always call their child's teacher to check on progress.
Beginning in the 1998-99 school year, high school sophomores will have the opportunity to tear a Certificate of Initial Mastery, or CIM, which demonstrates through classroom assignments and state tests that they have met or exceeded state standards for learning. Benchmarks describe the smaller steps students work on all through their school years to reach the standards. These benchmarks provide a clear progression of what students should know and be able to do from kindergarten through graduation. Elementary students begin work to meet benchmarks in kindergarten. Parents play an important role in supporting children to meet the CIM standards.