+ Why Should I Keep My Child’s Academic Records?

Any student keeping up with their personal educational record will grow up confident, and owning that story.

• Why should I keep my child’s educational records? Who Benefits?

The Parent Benefits

Sometimes, we don’t know where life will take us. An unexpected job offer in a new town! A chance to switch to a better school district! Often, these types of moves are not planned. The reality is that moving to a new town, transferring schools, applying to colleges – and the resulting paperwork trail – can be a nightmare even for the most organized parent. I recommend keeping a digital record system beyond paper stacks and complicated computer files.

I believe our school records become our Educational Story, and parents and students are traditionally at the mercy of others when they need to access their details. In today’s digital age, an easy-to-use, centralized location is vital for storing, sharing, and organizing school records, including: writing samples, reading lists, diplomas, transcripts, awards, community service details, etc. From preschool to post-grad and beyond, typical educational stories can take decades to build, span multiple schools and districts, and involve several academic institutions at various levels.

As a result, parents can and should take back the ability to have ownership over their child’s educational records. Personal record-keeping is essential for both college-bound and non-college bound students.

The Student Benefits

Any student keeping up with their personal record will grow up knowing they are building their Educational or Academic Story for themselves and owning that story. They are working toward something and will own a tangible, detailed account of their hard work over many years. This concept is often lost in traditional educational paths, where students merely follow directions instead of taking a leadership role in their education.

An informed student is a student who knows who they are and will be able to answer questions about themselves with confidence at any age or stage.

Record-Keeping Basics:

1. Start with (1) 3-ring binder per student, per grade.

2. Label it and create dividers for the following sections: Writing Samples, Awards, Activities List, Reading List, courses taken, teacher comments, Grades/Transcript or Report Cards. *If you are homeschooling, then add to this list: Attendance, Curriculum, Course descriptions, District Communications, and testing records.

3. During the school year, 3-hole punch any papers worth keeping and add to your lists and sections.

4. Start a file folder on your computer desktop for your student and sub-files for all the categories above as well. You will have a hard copy (in a binder) and a digital file (on a computer) for each student’s school information!

5. If you have additional school paperwork and are unsure if you need it, you can also keep a large, clear plastic bin. Label clearly the student year the bin will include. I have this entire system - 1 Digital file per child/grade, a 3-ring binder per child/grade, and one large plastic bin per child/grade, which I keep in our basement.