Mid-Year Check-In: What Your Child’s School Assessments Can Tell You
The holidays are over, and winter has fully set in. For most elementary schools, this time of year also marks the administration of a variety of assessments that measure student progress since the beginning of the school year. These mid-year assessments provide teachers and school administrators with valuable data to evaluate how students are progressing academically.
As a parent or caregiver, the key questions you should be asking are: How did my child score on these assessments? and How do these scores compare to my child’s assessment results from the start of the school year?
At this point in the school year, you should be familiar with the assessments administered at your child’s grade level. Names such as MAP Growth, DIBELS, and i-Ready may sound familiar. Most assessments given to students include home reports that are provided to parents by the assessment vendor after administration. Parents and caregivers—this is your time to ASK QUESTIONS. If you have not received information about mid-year assessments, reach out to your child’s teacher. You can also request a conference. This does not need to be formal; a brief check-in over the phone or via Zoom can be an effective way to discuss your child’s progress and obtain resources to support learning at home.
This point in the school year is pivotal. It helps ensure that your child is meeting grade-level standards—or, if not, that you have the information needed to support your child in making meaningful growth toward those standards.
Lastly, be sure to check in on your child’s progress toward grade-level expectations. The Common Core Standards may be familiar to you. These are high-quality academic benchmarks for students in K-12, and ideally, when students master these standards, they are considered college and career ready. They are designed to align with the skills necessary for post-secondary success, focusing on critical thinking and the application of knowledge. Ensure that your child’s report card grades accurately reflect their progress and that you understand the standards being assessed. This knowledge will help you determine how close your child is to mastering each standard.
You want to avoid surprises at the end of the school year or realizing too late that your child has significant learning gaps. According to licensed psychologist Dr. Rebecca Resnick, founder of Rebecca Resnick Associates and Psychological Care, delaying intervention can have serious consequences for a student’s academic success and long-term trajectory. In her article Why Wait? The Benefits of Early Intervention, Dr. Resnick explains:
“The research shows us that waiting too long to intervene increases the risk of underachievement, low literacy, and significant harm to a student’s self-concept. Once students fall behind, the gap between their achievement and that of peers receiving effective instruction widens greatly during the ‘acquisition’ years of early elementary school. We also know that students who don’t get what they need in time face an uphill battle trying to catch up with their peers, who are sometimes literally years ahead of them in reading and writing. Some students simply never really catch up” (Resnick, 2026).
Teachers and schools are working hard every day to support students using the resources and time available to them. However, meaningful academic growth happens most effectively when schools and families work together. Parent and caregiver involvement at home—through reading, practicing skills, and reinforcing learning routines—plays a critical role in helping students make progress and close learning gaps. When families and educators partner, students benefit the most.
🔗 Want to Learn More?
Read the full article: [Why Wait? The Benefits of Early Intervention]
Explore the Common Core Standards: [Read the Standards]