Records

Testing Program / Conferences / Student Records An adequate program of testing is administered by the school. The end-of-grade tests for grades
three through five will be administered at the end of the school year. There will be multiple choice
questions on the test as well as open-ended questions. This will require students to apply information, to
draw conclusions, make inferences, and call on higher order thinking skills. The N.C. Tests of Science
and Social Studies will be administered as a local option and a writing assessment will be given to fourth
graders. All third graders will take a pretest during the first month of school. Second graders will have a
math assessment and a writing test. STUDENT TEACHER-PARENT CONFERENCES

    The Wilkes County School system is committed by philosophy and School Board Policy to have
regularly scheduled conferences. Conferences will be held near the end of the first and third nine-weeks
grading periods.
    The STP (student-teacher-parent) conference is a meeting among the child, the parents, and the
teacher(s) to help the child gain the most from educational experiences at home and at school. Support
teachers should participate with regular teachers to the maximum extent possible.
    The conference becomes an oral exchanging period which supplements the traditional report
card. The conference brings about better understanding because it is based on more than a letter grade
and because everyone shares in a common goal—helping the child.
    The STP conference is a valuable means of giving information, getting information, and finding
solutions to academic or behavioral problems. It can be a highly workable method of improving the
learning opportunities of the child by opening lines of continued communication between the parent and
school personnel.
    Regularly scheduled STP conferences should be conducted in a positive manner. Teachers can
convey information in a way that is not emotionally damaging, while being honest and straightforward at
the same time.
Other conferences are held as needed. If you feel the need for a conference, please feel free to
call the school for an appointment. This allows the teacher the opportunity to gather any needed materials
and be better prepared to offer suggestions. There is little time for teachers to attend a conference during
the instructional day. Again, your interest in your child is appreciated.

STUDENT RECORDS

The school maintains a cumulative education record on each student. This record contains important information such as personal data, a health record, attendance reports, standardized test results, and subject area grades. It is useful for many reasons: in case of emergency, to comply with the compulsory attendance law, and for grade placement. Under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("The Buckley Amendment"), the following is considered "directory information" and can be
made public unless a parent/guardian requests that any or all of the information not be released without prior consent: your child’s name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, dates of school attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent school attended. Your child's education record is confidential and only available to you and the school officials or other agencies, with legitimate educational interests. The Buckley Amendment
explains your rights regarding your child’s school record.

—The school is not allowed to disseminate data personally identifying your child without your consent.

—When officials of another school or school system in which your child intends to enroll request a record transfer, the school must make a reasonable attempt to notify you of the transfer. Upon request, the school must send you a copy of the forwarded information. Written permission from the parent is required for a release of records.

—The school must honor your request to review your child’s record within a reasonable time period, but in no case more than 45 days. If you believe the information in your child’s record is inaccurate or misleading, you may request it to be amended. The school’s refusal to amend the record entitles you to a hearing. If the school agrees with you as a result of the hearing, the school must amend the record accordingly and notify you in writing. However, if the school continues to disagree with you after the hearing, you may place a statement of disagreement in the education record. Access privileges accorded to you are transferred to the student when the student reaches 18 years
of age or is attending an institution of post-secondary education.

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