Teacher is failing 33% of the class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then she is not teaching material that is presented on the exams AND she is giving out homework and quizzes that are too easy, don't really offer any review, and don't adequately prepare the student for the test. It might be that the biology test is standard across all APS schools. You have to ask the teacher about it.

I saw this with my kid many times. The teacher dumbed down the classwork and homework so much that when the test was given students did poorly bc they weren't adequately prepared.

This happened to our son. He earned an A in biology. He completed all of the assignments and tests. He has an A on his report card. Everyone in the class got an A or B. The entire class failed the PA state test. The school blamed it on Covid and says as long as the students take an SAT/ACT or ASVAB test and are excepted into either a college or the military then the state will waive the failed test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she grading on a curve? That's common in the sciences.

No it's not. It hasn't been common for 50 years.

It is extremely common in math and science at the university level. Some teachers bring that with them when they teach high school.

Not IME.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I happened upon your title in Recent Topics, despite not having a kid in VA (we're in MD), but this resonated. Last year in 11th grade, DS had an AP teacher who must have failed about half the class. It was rough. DS worked day and night and clawed his way to an A, and a 5 at the exam, but it took way too much out of him and I nearly complained to the Principal.

AP classes are college level courses that are supposed to expect college-level work. It's not appropriate for an 11th grader (or their parent) to complain that it was a lot of work and very challenging. Not every good high school student is already prepared for college work. That's one reason to challenge one's self by taking an AP class. Now, before you say your son has taken other AP classes that weren't as rough as this one, maybe this is the one AP teacher/class that had the expectations and challenge it's supposed to have. Maybe the teacher wasn't good; but consider that maybe the teacher was treating it like a college class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I happened upon your title in Recent Topics, despite not having a kid in VA (we're in MD), but this resonated. Last year in 11th grade, DS had an AP teacher who must have failed about half the class. It was rough. DS worked day and night and clawed his way to an A, and a 5 at the exam, but it took way too much out of him and I nearly complained to the Principal.

AP classes are college level courses that are supposed to expect college-level work. It's not appropriate for an 11th grader (or their parent) to complain that it was a lot of work and very challenging. Not every good high school student is already prepared for college work. That's one reason to challenge one's self by taking an AP class. Now, before you say your son has taken other AP classes that weren't as rough as this one, maybe this is the one AP teacher/class that had the expectations and challenge it's supposed to have. Maybe the teacher wasn't good; but consider that maybe the teacher was treating it like a college class.

I teach college, and if my more than half my class was legit failing, I would have to look at my pedagogy. College is supposed to be rigorous, not (nearly) impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she grading on a curve? That's common in the sciences.

No it's not. It hasn't been common for 50 years.

It is extremely common in math and science at the university level. Some teachers bring that with them when they teach high school.

+1

Many of my STEM classes in college. And Chemistry in HS.

[Anonymous]

Why wouldn’t you work harder and tutor your kid yourself instead of being upset at the teacher?

[Anonymous]

If that many people are failing then the school shouldn’t be offering this rigor of a course. And the students should go back to regular or remedial classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If that many people are failing then the school shouldn’t be offering this rigor of a course. And the students should go back to regular or remedial classes.

I agree. It might be the teacher but it probably is more likely the students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then she is not teaching material that is presented on the exams AND she is giving out homework and quizzes that are too easy, don't really offer any review, and don't adequately prepare the student for the test. It might be that the biology test is standard across all APS schools. You have to ask the teacher about it.

I saw this with my kid many times. The teacher dumbed down the classwork and homework so much that when the test was given students did poorly bc they weren't adequately prepared.

Ha! Sounds like a certain AP chem teacher at a nova high school. She does this, acts like she’s so nice to the kids but is the worst teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I happened upon your title in Recent Topics, despite not having a kid in VA (we're in MD), but this resonated. Last year in 11th grade, DS had an AP teacher who must have failed about half the class. It was rough. DS worked day and night and clawed his way to an A, and a 5 at the exam, but it took way too much out of him and I nearly complained to the Principal.

AP classes are college level courses that are supposed to expect college-level work. It's not appropriate for an 11th grader (or their parent) to complain that it was a lot of work and very challenging. Not every good high school student is already prepared for college work. That's one reason to challenge one's self by taking an AP class. Now, before you say your son has taken other AP classes that weren't as rough as this one, maybe this is the one AP teacher/class that had the expectations and challenge it's supposed to have. Maybe the teacher wasn't good; but consider that maybe the teacher was treating it like a college class.

I teach college, and if my more than half my class was legit failing, I would have to look at my pedagogy. College is supposed to be rigorous, not (nearly) impossible.

Yes - if half of your college class was failing. But this is high school. Either expectations need to be adjusted, or students need to be at the top of the game. I'm just suggesting that there are two possibilities here, not just a bad teacher. It can be ineffective teaching, OR it's the students. Personally, I'm betting it's a bit of both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why in the world would there be a limit? You have no idea if the kids failing aren't turning in homework and/or not studying at all. Worry about your kid and why she's failing, make an appointment and don't mention a word about other students.

This. 33% of the class may have turned in no assignments and done terribly on tests.

[Anonymous]

Kids are doing terribly all around. Nearly all of my youngest’s first grade class cannot read or write. Covid wasn’t good to kids whose parents weren’t constantly tutoring them.

[Anonymous]

True story:

I was recently accused of “failing half the kids in AP Lang.”

In reality, there was only one F out of three class sections, and the majority of kids had As and Bs. The angry mom had gotten her facts from her child, who insisted that half of the class was failing. (He himself was failing because he didn’t read or submit anything).

Could it be possible that…your daughter might have messed up and you are looking for someone else to blame?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she grading on a curve? That's common in the sciences.

No it's not. It hasn't been common for 50 years.

It is extremely common in math and science at the university level. Some teachers bring that with them when they teach high school.

+1

Many of my STEM classes in college. And Chemistry in HS.

Yes, but you’re old. We’re talking about college in 2022.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:True story:

I was recently accused of “failing half the kids in AP Lang.”

In reality, there was only one F out of three class sections, and the majority of kids had As and Bs. The angry mom had gotten her facts from her child, who insisted that half of the class was failing. (He himself was failing because he didn’t read or submit anything).

Could it be possible that…your daughter might have messed up and you are looking for someone else to blame?

Yes, well her friend is also failing but in that case only 2 kids are failing out of 30