First grade report cards

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 1-4 system is a mastery-based grading system, not curve based. So in theory everyone might start the year at a 1, move up to 2, then 3, as they all gain skills. (In my experience some specials teachers do this pretty nakedly.) A kid with all 4s at the beginning of the year would be way ahead of the class. All 1s and 2s by the end of the year, they’re not learning everything they need to. 3s and a few 4s means your kid is on track or better. It’s an inexact system not meant to convey how your kid is doing relative to others. For that you have to wait for 6th grade, when DCPS switches over to the more familiar A-F letter grades, or look to the regular standardized assessments your kid will start taking over the next few years.

I work in a DCPS and this is not how we use the 1-4 system at my school. First of all, we never give 1's. 2's are pretty rare and mean your child is well below grade level. 3 is grade level, 4 is above. In the beginning of the year everyone is basically a 3 unless they come in well below. For example, we hope a child comes in reading at a D, but sometimes we get A and pre A (doesn't know all letters and sounds) and that would be a 2. By the end of the year we hope a kid gets to J, so that is a 3. 2 levels below that gets you a 2.

I teach 1st grade in DCPS and frequently give 1's. 2's are most common though. 3's are rare.

Just goes to show how inconsistent things are in the district.

Do you teach at a school where most kids are very behind? My DD is in 1st grade and has never gotten anything below a 3. Mostly 4s to start the years and all 4s to end it. She’s ahead of grade level, but not exceptionally so. I sort of assumed 2s were reserved for kids who were way behind? My impression was that they’re rare for UMC kids.

Wow, is this common at your kid's school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 1-4 system is a mastery-based grading system, not curve based. So in theory everyone might start the year at a 1, move up to 2, then 3, as they all gain skills. (In my experience some specials teachers do this pretty nakedly.) A kid with all 4s at the beginning of the year would be way ahead of the class. All 1s and 2s by the end of the year, they’re not learning everything they need to. 3s and a few 4s means your kid is on track or better. It’s an inexact system not meant to convey how your kid is doing relative to others. For that you have to wait for 6th grade, when DCPS switches over to the more familiar A-F letter grades, or look to the regular standardized assessments your kid will start taking over the next few years.

I work in a DCPS and this is not how we use the 1-4 system at my school. First of all, we never give 1's. 2's are pretty rare and mean your child is well below grade level. 3 is grade level, 4 is above. In the beginning of the year everyone is basically a 3 unless they come in well below. For example, we hope a child comes in reading at a D, but sometimes we get A and pre A (doesn't know all letters and sounds) and that would be a 2. By the end of the year we hope a kid gets to J, so that is a 3. 2 levels below that gets you a 2.

I teach 1st grade in DCPS and frequently give 1's. 2's are most common though. 3's are rare.

Just goes to show how inconsistent things are in the district.

Do you teach at a school where most kids are very behind? My DD is in 1st grade and has never gotten anything below a 3. Mostly 4s to start the years and all 4s to end it. She’s ahead of grade level, but not exceptionally so. I sort of assumed 2s were reserved for kids who were way behind? My impression was that they’re rare for UMC kids.

Wow, is this common at your kid's school?

PP here. And yes, at least among my DD’s friends. That’s why I’m asking. My kid is a good student who will almost certainly get a 4 or 5 on PARRC some day, but she’s not an outlier superstar. Some of her friends are equivalent some have a few less 4s to start the year (but still 3s); nearly all of her friends ended with all 4s give or take a special or two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 1-4 system is a mastery-based grading system, not curve based. So in theory everyone might start the year at a 1, move up to 2, then 3, as they all gain skills. (In my experience some specials teachers do this pretty nakedly.) A kid with all 4s at the beginning of the year would be way ahead of the class. All 1s and 2s by the end of the year, they’re not learning everything they need to. 3s and a few 4s means your kid is on track or better. It’s an inexact system not meant to convey how your kid is doing relative to others. For that you have to wait for 6th grade, when DCPS switches over to the more familiar A-F letter grades, or look to the regular standardized assessments your kid will start taking over the next few years.

I work in a DCPS and this is not how we use the 1-4 system at my school. First of all, we never give 1's. 2's are pretty rare and mean your child is well below grade level. 3 is grade level, 4 is above. In the beginning of the year everyone is basically a 3 unless they come in well below. For example, we hope a child comes in reading at a D, but sometimes we get A and pre A (doesn't know all letters and sounds) and that would be a 2. By the end of the year we hope a kid gets to J, so that is a 3. 2 levels below that gets you a 2.

I teach 1st grade in DCPS and frequently give 1's. 2's are most common though. 3's are rare.

Just goes to show how inconsistent things are in the district.

Do you teach at a school where most kids are very behind? My DD is in 1st grade and has never gotten anything below a 3. Mostly 4s to start the years and all 4s to end it. She’s ahead of grade level, but not exceptionally so. I sort of assumed 2s were reserved for kids who were way behind? My impression was that they’re rare for UMC kids.

Wow, is this common at your kid's school?

PP here. And yes, at least among my DD’s friends. That’s why I’m asking. My kid is a good student who will almost certainly get a 4 or 5 on PARRC some day, but she’s not an outlier superstar. Some of her friends are equivalent some have a few less 4s to start the year (but still 3s); nearly all of her friends ended with all 4s give or take a special or two.

How do you even know this about all her friends?

[Anonymous]

Strive for your DC to get 3’s and 4’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 1-4 system is a mastery-based grading system, not curve based. So in theory everyone might start the year at a 1, move up to 2, then 3, as they all gain skills. (In my experience some specials teachers do this pretty nakedly.) A kid with all 4s at the beginning of the year would be way ahead of the class. All 1s and 2s by the end of the year, they’re not learning everything they need to. 3s and a few 4s means your kid is on track or better. It’s an inexact system not meant to convey how your kid is doing relative to others. For that you have to wait for 6th grade, when DCPS switches over to the more familiar A-F letter grades, or look to the regular standardized assessments your kid will start taking over the next few years.

I work in a DCPS and this is not how we use the 1-4 system at my school. First of all, we never give 1's. 2's are pretty rare and mean your child is well below grade level. 3 is grade level, 4 is above. In the beginning of the year everyone is basically a 3 unless they come in well below. For example, we hope a child comes in reading at a D, but sometimes we get A and pre A (doesn't know all letters and sounds) and that would be a 2. By the end of the year we hope a kid gets to J, so that is a 3. 2 levels below that gets you a 2.

I teach 1st grade in DCPS and frequently give 1's. 2's are most common though. 3's are rare.

Just goes to show how inconsistent things are in the district.

Do you teach at a school where most kids are very behind? My DD is in 1st grade and has never gotten anything below a 3. Mostly 4s to start the years and all 4s to end it. She’s ahead of grade level, but not exceptionally so. I sort of assumed 2s were reserved for kids who were way behind? My impression was that they’re rare for UMC kids.

Wow, is this common at your kid's school?

PP here. And yes, at least among my DD’s friends. That’s why I’m asking. My kid is a good student who will almost certainly get a 4 or 5 on PARRC some day, but she’s not an outlier superstar. Some of her friends are equivalent some have a few less 4s to start the year (but still 3s); nearly all of her friends ended with all 4s give or take a special or two.

How do you even know this about all her friends?

Seriously? Do people really talk about their first graders' report cards with other parents? This is weird and sad. My kid just finished first grade and we've never talked about report cards with other parents. And we've never told our kid her grades - just discussed the teacher comments with her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 1-4 system is a mastery-based grading system, not curve based. So in theory everyone might start the year at a 1, move up to 2, then 3, as they all gain skills. (In my experience some specials teachers do this pretty nakedly.) A kid with all 4s at the beginning of the year would be way ahead of the class. All 1s and 2s by the end of the year, they’re not learning everything they need to. 3s and a few 4s means your kid is on track or better. It’s an inexact system not meant to convey how your kid is doing relative to others. For that you have to wait for 6th grade, when DCPS switches over to the more familiar A-F letter grades, or look to the regular standardized assessments your kid will start taking over the next few years.

I work in a DCPS and this is not how we use the 1-4 system at my school. First of all, we never give 1's. 2's are pretty rare and mean your child is well below grade level. 3 is grade level, 4 is above. In the beginning of the year everyone is basically a 3 unless they come in well below. For example, we hope a child comes in reading at a D, but sometimes we get A and pre A (doesn't know all letters and sounds) and that would be a 2. By the end of the year we hope a kid gets to J, so that is a 3. 2 levels below that gets you a 2.

I teach 1st grade in DCPS and frequently give 1's. 2's are most common though. 3's are rare.

Just goes to show how inconsistent things are in the district.

Do you teach at a school where most kids are very behind? My DD is in 1st grade and has never gotten anything below a 3. Mostly 4s to start the years and all 4s to end it. She’s ahead of grade level, but not exceptionally so. I sort of assumed 2s were reserved for kids who were way behind? My impression was that they’re rare for UMC kids.

Wow, is this common at your kid's school?

PP here. And yes, at least among my DD’s friends. That’s why I’m asking. My kid is a good student who will almost certainly get a 4 or 5 on PARRC some day, but she’s not an outlier superstar. Some of her friends are equivalent some have a few less 4s to start the year (but still 3s); nearly all of her friends ended with all 4s give or take a special or two.

How do you even know this about all her friends?

Seriously? Do people really talk about their first graders' report cards with other parents? This is weird and sad. My kid just finished first grade and we've never talked about report cards with other parents. And we've never told our kid her grades - just discussed the teacher comments with her.

Yes, we have a parent text chain for DD and 4 of her friends since PK. One parent asked a question much like OP and we all tried to figure out what the report card grades meant. It was not like bragging… It was more like a parent whose kid was one letter behind benchmark for reading asking how she could be getting a 4.

[Anonymous]

I find it strange that people think asking about report cards on DCUM is more normal than in real life. Some people have actual friends they can ask these questions to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it strange that people think asking about report cards on DCUM is more normal than in real life. Some people have actual friends they can ask these questions to.

Yet here you are, responding...

[Anonymous]

What about if you want to apply to private schools at some point? Do they just know that DCPS grading is arbitrary and inconsistent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it strange that people think asking about report cards on DCUM is more normal than in real life. Some people have actual friends they can ask these questions to.

Yet here you are, responding...

PP here. I don't think it's weird to ask about it on DCUM. I was responding to the poster who was like "how could you possibly have talked to your friends about this?" I do think it's weird to think it's normal to discuss a topic on DCUM but weird to discuss it in real life. In any case, DCPS' bizarro ES grading scheme has long been a conversation point for my parent friends & I, so yes I do know generally what sorts of numbers my kids' friends get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about if you want to apply to private schools at some point? Do they just know that DCPS grading is arbitrary and inconsistent?

I think they rely heavily on the standardized testing for DCPS students & probably look mostly at EOY grades, since all schemes agree that if you're not getting all 3+s then (and really mostly 4s for those seeking exclusive privates admission), there's an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about if you want to apply to private schools at some point? Do they just know that DCPS grading is arbitrary and inconsistent?

I think they rely heavily on the standardized testing for DCPS students & probably look mostly at EOY grades, since all schemes agree that if you're not getting all 3+s then (and really mostly 4s for those seeking exclusive privates admission), there's an issue.

I believe some request your kid’s PARCC report. And of course the DCPS grading system is completely different for 6th and up, so if you’re applying to high school this is not an issue at all.

[Anonymous]

Too much variation by teachers and different standards for different teachers and in different schools.

We look at the MAP scores and find them more informative. It’s a standardized test across the country and you have an idea where your DC really stands.

Of course if DC gets a low mark liKe a 2 on report cards, we find that is of value to evaluate weaknesses but DC typically does well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too much variation by teachers and different standards for different teachers and in different schools.

We look at the MAP scores and find them more informative. It’s a standardized test across the country and you have an idea where your DC really stands.

Of course if DC gets a low mark liKe a 2 on report cards, we find that is of value to evaluate weaknesses but DC typically does well.

Dcps first grade teacher here. We don’t administer MAP (I have no idea what that is). Can you explain more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too much variation by teachers and different standards for different teachers and in different schools.

We look at the MAP scores and find them more informative. It’s a standardized test across the country and you have an idea where your DC really stands.

Of course if DC gets a low mark liKe a 2 on report cards, we find that is of value to evaluate weaknesses but DC typically does well.

Dcps first grade teacher here. We don’t administer MAP (I have no idea what that is). Can you explain more?

Here you go. See link below. I really like it because it’s adaptive. There is not the same set of questions for every kid. If the kid gets the right answer, then the next question is harder. It keeps getting harder until the kid gets the wrong answer. You are given a raw school, a percent improvement score (kids usually take it beginning of year and then again mid and end of year), and overall percentage in regards to where your child stands nationwide.

https://www.theclassroom.com/map-testing-5063650.html