Having taught both primary and middle school classes I usually take this course of action:
- Note home the first time a child fails a test or if there are two or more missing assignments.
- If the note isn't returned within two days I phone the parent (I keep a set of phone numbers at home.)
I've found that contacting parents immediately in case of problems gets the parent on your side and helps avoid having them blame you for the problem. If a child is doing poorly in general I schedule a conference right away, I don't wait for the conference week which comes about three months into the school year.
Many of the families in the community where I work do not have computers and Internet access.