Most journeys begin with a map, which is consulted at various points along the route from here to there.

This is no less true for those on the path toward high school graduation. District leaders in Montgomery County, Maryland, therefore, wanted to make sure students and their parents could consult their educational maps at various points along their learning journey.

"Parents didn't want to wait until it's time to apply for college" to make sure that their children were going to fulfill graduation requirements, says Aggie Alvez, Director of Communications, for Montgomery County.

So the county created an informal transcript for high school students. The transcript lists the courses students have completed and the number of credits earned, along with a list of credits still required, including any requirements for service learning.

"Parents received the transcript two times a year," says Alvez. "It's available in six languages and mailed to 33-thousand high school students in the district.

The informal transcript is but one example of how the district "pushes out" communication to families, Alvez says. "We're working on better two-way communication because we want to know what parents think," she states.

Alvez has found that parents are more likely to respond to educators if the process is made simple for them. Want parents to comment on a particular program? Send out self-addressed and stamped feedback cards in district publications, Alvez advices. When she followed that approach, the district received more than 1,161 cards

"We are making a concerted effort to give parents the kind of information they need, along with a way for them to interact with us," says Alvez. She adds that the more data the district receives, the easier it becomes to "improve the messages we send parents."

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