Thankful for Progress Reports

Knowing where you stand can provide clarity and offer a chance to improve. With this in mind, progress reports play a key role in supporting students as they strive to reach their goals. And, if you think creating and delivering these reports is too time consuming, think again! 

Providing feedback is important to all students, not just those facing academic challenges. Why not let the student who is a few points away from earning a higher grade know where they stand while there is still time to reach the next level? Sending progress reports opens communication channels and can relieve the stress of the unknown. NC State’s instructional tools can make this process efficient, and DELTA is here to help you learn tips and tricks when implementing valuable resources.

DELTA offers guidance on using instructional tools that are readily available in Moodle. One way  to support and improve your learning outcomes is to use the IntelliBoard tool. Using IntelliBoard, you can generate reports that:

• Predict outcomes
• Track student participation and engagement from day one in each course
• Monitor student progress throughout the term

For more information about accessing IntelliBoard, consult the DELTA News article IntelliBoard Encourages Faculty Intervention, written by Instructional Designer Jennifer Tagsold. You can learn about different reporting options for faculty use and also read quotes from DELTA Faculty Fellows who regularly use this tool.

NC State’s Progress Report Policy

Although progress reports are never required, they are expected if a student is on track to earn a D or F in the course. In addition, instructors are expected to send student athletes progress reports three times each semester.

Grades are not the only reason to consider sending a report. Consider contacting the student if you see a change in:

• Engagement or behavior
• Attendance or response to communication attempts
• Assignment submissions

Help Generating Progress Reports

If you need help creating progress reports, DELTA’s Instructional Support team (IST) operates the LearnTech Help Desk, and you can find assistance offered in several ways. The LearnTech help desk is available for faculty support Sunday through Friday by calling 919-513-7094, emailing learntech@ncsu.edu or submitting questions using this form. Remote support for learning technology needs is available. And, you can search the DELTA Knowledge Base at your convenience for solutions.

Last year, IST revamped their process of publishing articles within the DELTA Knowledge Base. When you face a technological challenge, these articles offer step-by-step solutions in an efficient, organized manner. For the specific steps involved in sending a progress report, see Generating Progress Reports via WolfWare to guide you through the process.

How to Address Non-Academic Concerns

You can address a general concern about a student using the progress report form by selecting “Other Concern.” You can enter your observation in the comment box that pops up and send it to the student that way. 

If you want to include the advisor, simply check “Notify Advisor.” This can provide additional support for the student. The student’s report appears in a different format than the advisor’s report.

NC State offers many resources as part of Prevention Services, and the CARES Team prepared information for Faculty and Staff who assist students exhibiting concerning behavior. After reviewing this information, you can decide if a progress report is appropriate or if it would better serve the student to submit a CARES Referral.

Need to talk to someone about your concerns? During business hours, you can reach Prevention Services at 919-515-4405. In an emergency situation that involves imminent risk of harm to self or others, please contact campus police at 919-515-3000 or by dialing 911.