Each day across the nation, sighs of relief are breathed by high school students who rejoice in the fact that they can delay the inevitable by conveniently forgetting to tell their parents that they’re failing in some class, or didn’t turn in an assignment in another, or that they just happened to be absent in one class but made it to all their others on time. None of these sighs, however, can be heard from students here at Varela, as the revolutionary Parent Link system takes on the role of a daily report card, giving parents access to virtually every aspect of their child’s academic endeavors.

Through Excelsior Software’s Pinnacle Internet Viewer, accessible from the Varela website, parents and students can now instantly acquire attendance summaries, grades, and assignment reports, bringing a swift end to the tension and suspense that so readily preceded the arrival of interim progress reports and report cards.

“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Mr. Dunn, the Network Administrator for Varela. The ability for students and parents to view the teacher’s grade book online has been there since Varela opened its doors, making its debut with Parlant’s Parent Link, which is still used for phone access. The new program, chosen by Mr. Dunn and the staff after several such programs were reviewed, allows the user to view individual assignments as opposed to class averages, basically giving them access to the teacher’s grade book, and a new email notification system allows the user to be notified each time there is a change in grades for any class. Students can also audit any absences that may’ve been recorded. “Human error,” he says, “is the only flaw” with the inputting of grades, but even that can be corrected with the software, if students make sure to keep up with their assignments.

“It’s about time,” says Mr. Dunn. He feels that new technology being used in school gives students the freedom to study with flexibility, and can bring greater accountability on the teacher, parent, and student.

“Ultimately, [responsibility for school] falls on the student, but the responsibility of a parent permeates everything.” Any prominent change in the student’s trend of grades and attendance, he believes, can reflect a possible change in the students overall well-being and behavior. The online grade viewing software allows parents to nip it in the bud, if the student is exhibiting signs of academic lethargy which could be associated with drugs, gangs, or any such problems. Good things to come as a result of the software are greatly appreciated by teachers, as well.

“I think it’s absolutely excellent,” says Ms. Laroche, who’s the teacher for the Cisco Networking Academy, and brandishes a master’s degree in computer science. “It offers students the chance to be more active in the whole grading process … and it allows them to evaluate their progress.” The idea of being able to view a student’s grades online is an advantage for the parents, but ultimately it’s most beneficial to the students themselves, in her opinion. To Ms. Laroche and to teachers like her, technology is a powerful tool for education when used correctly, and the innovations similar to online grades can do nothing but give students a greater opportunity to succeed in academics. The accountability on the teacher can also be helpful.

“It helps us stay on top of our grading,” she says, suggesting that teachers’ punctuality is greatly assisted by the fact that it would give the students motivation to work harder as they assess where they are in the class. While the lag between the turning in of the assignments and the grading of them will always be there, it’s often minimal, and it’s greatly preferred to the students not seeing their grades at all. Ms. Laroche’s only criticism is that the grade books to which the software gives access “could have a few more bells & whistles for the teacher,” but when the overall advantages are taken into consideration, it’s really a non-issue.