Revere expanding use of academic program

REVERE – Lynsey Bradanese’s parents are generally pleased with the Revere High School freshman’s grades, but there was that one time her mother went online and saw a “zero” grade next to the most recent biology test Bradanese had taken.”She flipped out,” Bradanese said.The failing grade turned out to be a glitch in Parent Portal, the online grade and attendance tracking system introduced this year in the high school and poised for introduction in Revere’s three middle schools.Parents log on to the system using an access identification and password and then, for security purposes, type in another password to check on their child’s school performance. The system provides a continuously updated progress report, including attendance information, for parents who formerly relied on quarterly report cards and progress reports issued four times a year to gauge their child’s academic progress.School educators introduced Parent Portal to a pilot group of high school parents in 2009 and Deputy School Superintendent Dianne Kelly said the online system proved to be an eye opener.”Some said they had no idea how kids were doing until they got a progress report or a report card. They didn’t know about that missed homework assignment two weeks ago,” she said.The high school has 1,500 students and Kelly estimates one third of their parents regularly check Parent Portal to see how their son or daughter is doing in school. She speculated other parents do not use the online system because they have not heard about its benefits from other parents.”More and more parents find out about it from neighbors and friends. I think the participation rate will be even higher in the middle schools,” Kelly said.School officials will introduce Parent Portal to middle-school parents in March with an information session scheduled for Rumney Marsh Academy parents on March 3 from 6-7 p.m.; Anthony Middle School parents on March 7 from 6-7 p.m. and Garfield Middle School parents on March 14 from 6-7 p.m.Parent Portal will also be introduced to Seacoast High School parents on March 14 from 4:30-5:30 p.m.School officials will allow students to use Portal next year. Some students like Bradanese have permission to use their parents’ passwords to check their grades. Despite the biology test snafu, Kelly said Parent Portal has proven to be tamper proof. Bradanese’s biology teacher gave her a “100” on the biology test but her score initially registered “zero” because the teacher had not entered it into Parent Portal.Freshman Jason Seigal said his parents check his grades and test scores online “all the time.””If I miss one homework assignment, they mention it,” he said.Kelly said freshman and sophomore parents represent most of the mothers and fathers logging on to Parent Portal. She said the system increases communication between students and parents and eliminates nasty parental surprises at parent teacher conferences.”We used to hear more, ‘Well, you just don’t like Mary.’ Now we can say, ‘Well, did you see this homework grade or that test mark?'” Kelly said.Senior Lauren MacDonald’s Parent Portal web page includes a bar graph filled with dark green lines indicating she has almost completed all the work she needs to do before she graduates. She is focused on college selections but wishes Parent Portal was available when she was a freshman.”I really get anxious knowing about tests and what I got,” she said.