End-of-Year Check-In: Gathering Data to Set Your Child Up for Success

It's that time of year and there are a hundred things to do. But I'd like to ask you to put this one near the top of your list: take a moment to check in with your child and their teachers. Over the past year, you've all learned a lot about what works. Now is the perfect time to capture that knowledge before summer slips by, so you can carry it into the new school year.

Where Do We Begin?

Let's start by talking about what helped your child in the classroom this year. Wouldn't it be wonderful to begin next fall already knowing which accommodations made a real difference, and to have your child feeling confident and prepared to share that with a new teacher? The goal right now is simply to gather data. Data that will be valuable later.

The first thing I'd recommend is locating the list of accommodations that were requested for your child's classroom this year, or a copy of their IEP. This list will serve as your jumping-off point for conversations with both your child and their teachers.

If you don't have that list handy, you may need to search back through emails from teachers. One habit I've found helpful is creating a dedicated folder in my email labeled "Classroom Accommodations.", any time accommodations are discussed, that communication goes straight into that folder. It's useful not only for this end-of-year exercise, but throughout the school year as well. Whenever you can record it, do. Once you have the list, copy and paste it into a document and you're ready to begin.

Talking with Your Child

I recommend keeping this conversation low-stakes, maybe over dinner or while helping with homework one evening after school. Here's how I typically approach it:

"It's the end of the school year, and I want to gather some information about what worked for you, as far as your accommodations go. At the beginning of the year, we asked for [A, B, C], and then remember in the middle of the year we thought [X] might help too. Did you find any of these helpful?"

Then listen. This is truly an information-gathering exercise, not a moment for judgment. The end of the year is stressful for everyone, and the goal here is clarity, not pressure.

You might want to go through the list one by one. For example: "At the beginning of the year, we requested extra time on tasks. Did your teachers use that this year? Which classes? Which teachers? Did you find it helpful?"

You may get some interesting data. For instance, your child might share that they really needed and used extra time on English exams, but felt completely fine without it in math. You don't have to do anything with that information right now. Just take notes as you chat.

Here are a few more guiding questions to help your child reflect on their accommodations from this past year:

• Which accommodations did you actually use, and which ones didn't come up?

• Were there any times you needed support but didn't have it?

• Was there anything a teacher did that really helped, even if it wasn't officially on the list?

Reaching Out to Teachers

Now let's do something similar with teachers. Email is probably your best option, since it's nearly impossible to catch a teacher one-on-one during these busy final weeks.

The approach is the same: share the list of accommodations that were requested this year and ask the teacher which ones they felt were helpful for your child's success. Also ask if there's anything not on the list that they feel made a positive difference.

I'll share a personal example: one year when I asked a teacher this question, she mentioned that she and my high schooler had set up a weekly check-in during a shared open period. It started as a way to catch missing assignments or flag anything my child needed help with, but what struck me was how much more comfortable and confident my child seemed in that subject by the end of the year. That check-in wasn't on any formal accommodation list, but it was gold. It was an absolutely helpful idea worth carrying forward as a possibility to use for more challenging upcoming classes.

Email Template

Here's a starting point you can adapt for each teacher:

Dear Mr./Ms. [Teacher's Name],

I hope you're doing well as the school year wraps up. I want to sincerely thank you for your time and dedication this year. [Child's Name] was in your [Class Name], and we truly appreciate everything you put into teaching and supporting your students.

As we head into summer, I'd love to take a few minutes to gather some feedback that will help us prepare for next year. At the start of this school year, we had a list of accommodations in place to help [Child's Name] be successful in your class. Would you be willing to take a quick look at the list below and share whether you felt each accommodation was helpful, and whether [Child's Name] used it or not? All of this is valuable information, and there are no wrong answers.

(Examples) Accommodations used this year:

• Whenever possible, all written content, reading assignments, etc. provided as a digital copy; when a digital copy was unavailable, the student can use an alternative (such as using their digital reading pen)

• Extra time, or time outside of class, to read non-digital content

• Permission to use headphones during work time to listen to digital text or content being covered in class

Is there anything else you can think of, any strategies or adjustments you made, that you felt helped [Child's Name] thrive? I would truly appreciate your thoughts, and I hope you have a wonderful summer break.

Warm regards, [Your Name]

Feel free to tailor each email to the specific teacher and subject, or copy and paste the template and simply ask the teacher to comment on the accommodations that applied to their class.

What to Do with All of This

All of this information, including your notes from the conversation with your child and the responses from teachers, will be incredibly useful when you sit down before the new school year to think about what your child needs to thrive.

Save everything in one folder and go enjoy your summer.

Because next fall, you'll be able to walk into that first conversation with a new teacher and say: "My child found A, B, and C to be really helpful accommodations, and they do well when they're able to do X, Y, and Z." Or better yet, your child will have the data they need to self-advocate. Imagine them sending an email at the start of the school year that says:

"Hi [Teacher], I'm looking forward to your class. I wanted to introduce myself and share a couple of accommodations that have made a real difference in my learning. In past classes, I've found it really helpful when I'm able to [X and Y], and I do my best work when [Z]."

But that's a conversation for another day. For now, drop everything in a folder, take a breath, and feel good knowing you're just a little more prepared for next year. Enjoy your summer, you've earned it.