Often students will mimic teachers or administrators in a flip manner, “ Watch your behavior in school, you don’t want any blemishes on your permanent record!”. Parents and students alike don’t really ask what the permanent record contains and why it’s important.
Let me shed some light in this. The permanent record holds academic information about students. This usually includes, report cards, progress notes, standardize testing, and any disciplinary actions taken against the student for certain behaviors. If your child has been suspended for any reason, it will be recorded in the permanent record file.
So what’s the big deal about this permanent record? Once the student goes off to college, who really cares about it? Let’s back up a bit and look at the stage right before going to college- the college application process. Before the guidance counselor or dean of the school completes the high school portion of the college application, he /she will look into the student’s permanent record for more information about the student. What many parents do NOT know is that on all high school sections of the college applications, there is a statement requesting information about any disciplinary actions taken against the student. Yes…any disciplinary actions against the student while in high school. If the answer is yes, the colleges will ask for an explanation of the incident from the school and student. I don’t have to spell it out for you that this situation doesn’t make the student seem like an attractive candidate for a college. Some schools are very vague in their answers to the question while others will be very direct.
The lesson in all this…..do not dismiss the information in your permanent record. Suspension is a concern, even if it is for chronic tardiness. Colleges find this to be an apprehension when considering the student for admission into their institution. If a student has been suspended, they need to do some soul searching to explain their behavior and how they have rectified the situation. Showing a college that you have learned from your mistakes, will help prove that you are a worthy candidate to their school.