“There’s Two Sides to Every Story”: How Parents Negotiate Report Card Discourse

Although report cards may seem to be a clear-cut means of communication between teachers and parents, on closer examination they reveal a more complicated interaction. Parents of fourth-graders are interviewed about their children’s report cards to learn their understandings of the language and discuss expectations for their children in school. A Critical Discourse Analysis lens was used to highlight the ways parents interpret the report card and what it says about their child. This study provides teachers and teacher educators an opportunity to gain insight into the valuable perspectives of their education partners.