New or Just our ES? Language Arts not Marked Above Grade Level on Report Cards for AAP students

[Anonymous]

My child is advanced reader and writer. Consistently, until this year on the child’s report card, it was always marked “material above grade level” for both math and language arts. This year it wasn’t for language arts areas and it wasn’t on anyone in her AAP class as parents have been asking each other.

Did other elementary schools have this as well? Our ES is watering down language arts in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade AAP program and offered same curriculum to the entire grade with no differentiation. The writing program was minimal.

Wasn’t sure if this was an intentional county wide decision or just led by our principal.

[Anonymous]

Same at our center, but the academics
There are poor.

[Anonymous]

Which centers?

[Anonymous]

I don't know about county-wide but I've seen it at our elementary school watered down and no note on the report card. LLIV programs are notorious for this. Even our center was more watered down. Have done both. The center was better but both of them didn't note advanced language arts and it showed with the work that came home.

[Anonymous]

At our center, the AAP teacher and the regular teachers all chipped in to buy an entire year of language arts from some teacher pay teachers creator who uses completely ridiculous font. "Glitter in Third Grade" or some BS. No LA outside of these worksheets was done, not even leveled book clubs.

[Anonymous]

In the past, the Above Grade Level designation had nothing whatsoever to do with AAP. It purely indicated whether or not your child was in a reading group using above grade level materials. A gen ed 3rd grader in a DRA 40 reading group would have above grade level marked. An AAP 3rd grader in a DRA 30 or 34 reading group would not be marked as above grade level.

Did you school get rid of reading groups altogether? If not, did they place all of the advanced readers into an on-grade level group?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the past, the Above Grade Level designation had nothing whatsoever to do with AAP. It purely indicated whether or not your child was in a reading group using above grade level materials. A gen ed 3rd grader in a DRA 40 reading group would have above grade level marked. An AAP 3rd grader in a DRA 30 or 34 reading group would not be marked as above grade level.

Did you school get rid of reading groups altogether? If not, did they place all of the advanced readers into an on-grade level group?

PP here, and I think I explained myself poorly. The Above Grade Level designation on the report card is not a commentary on whether they think your child is above grade level or not. It's a designation for the materials used to instruct the child and the grading standards used to grade the child. If a 3rd grader is reading at a 5th grade level, but the classroom teacher is using 3rd grade materials to teach and evaluate the child, the child will be listed as On Grade Level and not above.

I would definitely ask the school why they're not using above grade level instructional materials and standards for the kids who are testing above grade level.

[Anonymous]

I need to take a look at my kid’s report card now. Hmmm. I noticed a decline in their LA SOL score this year which is super weird for this kid.