Quarterly Reports Revisited: simplifying the process

Almost 2 years ago, I began posting about how to homeschool in New York State, from submitting your Letter of Intent (LOI) to completing your Annual Assessment.  

This week, my own 3rd quarter report was due, but my family and I have been sick, and I just didn't have the energy to deal with it.  In my Quarterly Reports post, I shared a lengthy sample of how to write a quarterly report.  It's the way I've done it every year since we started homeschooling in 2011.  Until today.

In the name of expedience and stress reduction, I decided to simplify my quarterly report process this time around, so I revisited a sample provided by Angela of Cityschooling.

I like how short and simple it is, but I also felt the subject areas needed more detail in order to properly align with state regulations.  So I took the beginning of my lengthy reports and combined it with Cityschooling's shortened version, with just a little bit of added detail.  

It took all of 30 minutes to complete, compared to my usual several hours of going back through papers and textbook table of contents to figure out what we covered during the quarter.  I also decided to forgo the report card that I usually include with my quarterlies, since it is not required and just adds more work for me.

Below is what the end result looks like.  You're welcome to model your quarterlies after this, if you'd like, or stick with the longer report form I shared in my previous post.  Either way, I hope this helps you out.

QUARTERLY REPORT

Date:  April 10^th, 2015

Student’s name:  Joe Smith

Quarter beginning and ending dates:  1/10/15 – 4/06/15

Hours of instruction this quarter:  250+

Joe is progressing at a satisfactory level or above in all subject matter.

We have had instruction in all the following areas, as per Section 100.10 of the Regulations of the New York State Commissioner of Education and Joe’s Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP): Arithmetic – long division, order of operations, writing fractions in higher terms and lowest terms, proper and improper fractions, equivalent fractions; Language Arts - spelling, penmanship, and reading; Social Studies – U.S. History and Geography, a study of the history of Sumo wrestling, and a study of the Louvre Art Museum; Science – mechanical advantage, load force and effort force, pulleys, a study of Geodes; Health/Safety – the ear, the eye, oral health, effects of drugs and alcohol; Music – weekly piano lessons including music history and theory; Visual Arts – line design, creativity prompts, introduction of grid drawing; Practical Arts – cooking and baking, household maintenance, introduction to building construction and electrical work; Physical Education, and Bible.

We have covered at least 80% of the planned material for this quarter.

Joe had ONE absence from instruction this quarter due to illness.

Mrs. Josephine Smith

Which method do you prefer?  Long or short?  Do you have a different method you like better?