Organizing School Records

Do you remember what your child’s teacher did last year that helped them engage in the classroom? Does your child have certain needs that affect their learning or behavior in school? How did your child’s Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee decide on the exact accommodations in your child’s latest Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan?

If you can put records of all that you’ve learned about your child’s education into one organized place, it can help you work with the school district to make sure your child gets the services they need, help you monitor your child’s progress, and be an informed partner in developing an IEP or 504 plan.

Many people find it helpful to create a notebook that is a one-stop-shop for everything related to their children’s education needs. This can be a 3-ring binder or stored on a tablet, computer, or phone.

What Is an Education Notebook?

This is a lot like the care notebook you might keep for your child’s medical care. Learn more about care notebooks on our Organizing Medical Records page.

The education notebook is a place to keep:

• A 1-page summary of your child. Learn more on our Transitioning Between Schools page.
• Notes from your child’s teacher or details of any time you’ve talked to, emailed, or met with someone in the school district about your child.
• IEPs, 504 plans, or Behavior Intervention Plans.
• Progress reports, report cards, and test scores.
• The reports of any educational evaluations.
• Vaccination records, medication schedules, or copies of doctors’ notes that would affect school.
• Important phone numbers.

Many teachers also use communication notebooks to tell you how your child does in school each day. This is a book that comes home with your child, and you must read and sign it. It is different from your education notebook, but it might be helpful to include copies of some of the pages from this notebook with your child’s education records.

Keeping all of this in one notebook is helpful for everyone. As your child grows and changes, you will have a clear record of what has been helpful for them and what hasn’t worked.

How Do You Get Started?

• You might have many copies of the documents listed above, so get them together first.
• If you don’t have them or don’t keep copies, ask the school for copies of your child’s most recent evaluations, IEP, ARD, or 504 reports. You can also ask for copies of any of your child’s past report cards or assessment test scores.
• You can start writing notes to keep track of conversations, phone calls, emails, or other meetings that you have with the school.

When Do I Share Things in My Child’s Notebook?

• When you meet a new teacher, therapist, or educational professional who will be working with your child.
• When you are preparing for your child’s ARD team meeting or 504 plan meeting.
• If your child begins having trouble in school.
• When you want to talk with your child about how they are doing in school.