Once upon a time, report cards were a big deal—and, often, a big mystery…But these days, the waiting game for grades is over. Online portals, part of learning management systems where all student data live, allow parents and often students, especially middle and high schoolers, to access grades and attendance data in real time—as soon as a teacher records them.
These systems, like Canvas and Moodle, began cropping up around a decade ago. Since then, they have become as routine in most districts as the once-a-semester report card once was. But their usage is not without controversy.
