Does almost everyone at your K-8 get A's ?Are ERB's the only way to differentiate between kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take ISEE/SSAT. That will tell you what schools to look at for HS.

This does not address OPs current problem, situation or question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is at a K-8 and has been consistently getting A's. Report card grades vary between 93-98. He's a good student, but I would not say he's super advanced academically from what I see when I help him with his homework. He's also not on the advanced Math track.

His ERB scores though are usually within the 50th-75th percentile when compared to other kids in private schools.
I have asked the school multiple times about the discrepancy but I was never given a straight answer. Other parents at our school have also shared similar experiences.
Are grades that inflated in all private schools now? Do they even matter? I do worry about outplacement when the time comes to move schools in 9th.

Here is a candid opinion. Yes, it does tell you that your child is not on the grade level. some private schools are watering down their curriculum and are just doing the very basic grade level work. ERBs at grade 4,5,7 6 and still ranging between 50-70% is telling your that your child is under performing.

Or it could also be that he's a smart, conscientious student with good executive function skills who doesn't test well. Later on in high school he might be the kid who has straight As in advanced classes but can't break a 1400 on the SATs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is at a K-8 and has been consistently getting A's. Report card grades vary between 93-98. He's a good student, but I would not say he's super advanced academically from what I see when I help him with his homework. He's also not on the advanced Math track.

His ERB scores though are usually within the 50th-75th percentile when compared to other kids in private schools.
I have asked the school multiple times about the discrepancy but I was never given a straight answer. Other parents at our school have also shared similar experiences.
Are grades that inflated in all private schools now? Do they even matter? I do worry about outplacement when the time comes to move schools in 9th.

Here is a candid opinion. Yes, it does tell you that your child is not on the grade level. some private schools are watering down their curriculum and are just doing the very basic grade level work. ERBs at grade 4,5,7 6 and still ranging between 50-70% is telling your that your child is under performing.

Or it could also be that he's a smart, conscientious student with good executive function skills who doesn't test well. Later on in high school he might be the kid who has straight As in advanced classes but can't break a 1400 on the SATs.

If this were the case OP would already see signs of it. Did you even read her initial post? She said that he doesn’t seem advanced academically when she helps with homework. The signs are already there. Kids don’t change that much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is at a K-8 and has been consistently getting A's. Report card grades vary between 93-98. He's a good student, but I would not say he's super advanced academically from what I see when I help him with his homework. He's also not on the advanced Math track.

His ERB scores though are usually within the 50th-75th percentile when compared to other kids in private schools.
I have asked the school multiple times about the discrepancy but I was never given a straight answer. Other parents at our school have also shared similar experiences.
Are grades that inflated in all private schools now? Do they even matter? I do worry about outplacement when the time comes to move schools in 9th.

Here is a candid opinion. Yes, it does tell you that your child is not on the grade level. some private schools are watering down their curriculum and are just doing the very basic grade level work. ERBs at grade 4,5,7 6 and still ranging between 50-70% is telling your that your child is under performing.

Or it could also be that he's a smart, conscientious student with good executive function skills who doesn't test well. Later on in high school he might be the kid who has straight As in advanced classes but can't break a 1400 on the SATs.

If this were the case OP would already see signs of it. Did you even read her initial post? She said that he doesn’t seem advanced academically when she helps with homework. The signs are already there. Kids don’t change that much.

NP - the student is not in advanced classes. It can be perfectly appropriate to earn an A in a regular class, and still test significantly below the school population which includes advanced-track kids. Not everybody can or should be "advanced" and a student who is earning an A with the assignments given to him is doing the most he can.

OP's questions should be whether her kid can do more than is being asked (i.e., whether school should step it up) and whether her kid will be prepared for HS on a regular track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is at a K-8 and has been consistently getting A's. Report card grades vary between 93-98. He's a good student, but I would not say he's super advanced academically from what I see when I help him with his homework. He's also not on the advanced Math track.

His ERB scores though are usually within the 50th-75th percentile when compared to other kids in private schools.
I have asked the school multiple times about the discrepancy but I was never given a straight answer. Other parents at our school have also shared similar experiences.
Are grades that inflated in all private schools now? Do they even matter? I do worry about outplacement when the time comes to move schools in 9th.

Here is a candid opinion. Yes, it does tell you that your child is not on the grade level. some private schools are watering down their curriculum and are just doing the very basic grade level work. ERBs at grade 4,5,7 6 and still ranging between 50-70% is telling your that your child is under performing.

Or it could also be that he's a smart, conscientious student with good executive function skills who doesn't test well. Later on in high school he might be the kid who has straight As in advanced classes but can't break a 1400 on the SATs.

If this were the case OP would already see signs of it. Did you even read her initial post? She said that he doesn’t seem advanced academically when she helps with homework. The signs are already there. Kids don’t change that much.

NP - the student is not in advanced classes. It can be perfectly appropriate to earn an A in a regular class, and still test significantly below the school population which includes advanced-track kids. Not everybody can or should be "advanced" and a student who is earning an A with the assignments given to him is doing the most he can.

OP's questions should be whether her kid can do more than is being asked (i.e., whether school should step it up) and whether her kid will be prepared for HS on a regular track.

Do any private elementary schools in this area even have advanced classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is at a K-8 and has been consistently getting A's. Report card grades vary between 93-98. He's a good student, but I would not say he's super advanced academically from what I see when I help him with his homework. He's also not on the advanced Math track.

His ERB scores though are usually within the 50th-75th percentile when compared to other kids in private schools.
I have asked the school multiple times about the discrepancy but I was never given a straight answer. Other parents at our school have also shared similar experiences.
Are grades that inflated in all private schools now? Do they even matter? I do worry about outplacement when the time comes to move schools in 9th.

Here is a candid opinion. Yes, it does tell you that your child is not on the grade level. some private schools are watering down their curriculum and are just doing the very basic grade level work. ERBs at grade 4,5,7 6 and still ranging between 50-70% is telling your that your child is under performing.

... no? Remember is that the 50-70% range the OP was talking about was for *private* schools, probably, given this board, independent ones. One of my children was only in the 25th percentile on math, by independent norms, while nevertheless being in the 70th percentile by national norms. 65th percentile quantitative reasoning, by independent norms, was 92nd percentile, nationally.

Second thing to consider is that maybe this is approximately where the kid *is*. Can't tell, from the outside, how well the school is doing with the raw material it has, though the all-As would make me feel a bit wary, unless he had really high executive function.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is at a K-8 and has been consistently getting A's. Report card grades vary between 93-98. He's a good student, but I would not say he's super advanced academically from what I see when I help him with his homework. He's also not on the advanced Math track.

His ERB scores though are usually within the 50th-75th percentile when compared to other kids in private schools.
I have asked the school multiple times about the discrepancy but I was never given a straight answer. Other parents at our school have also shared similar experiences.
Are grades that inflated in all private schools now? Do they even matter? I do worry about outplacement when the time comes to move schools in 9th.

Here is a candid opinion. Yes, it does tell you that your child is not on the grade level. some private schools are watering down their curriculum and are just doing the very basic grade level work. ERBs at grade 4,5,7 6 and still ranging between 50-70% is telling your that your child is under performing.

Or it could also be that he's a smart, conscientious student with good executive function skills who doesn't test well. Later on in high school he might be the kid who has straight As in advanced classes but can't break a 1400 on the SATs.

If this were the case OP would already see signs of it. Did you even read her initial post? She said that he doesn’t seem advanced academically when she helps with homework. The signs are already there. Kids don’t change that much.

NP - the student is not in advanced classes. It can be perfectly appropriate to earn an A in a regular class, and still test significantly below the school population which includes advanced-track kids. Not everybody can or should be "advanced" and a student who is earning an A with the assignments given to him is doing the most he can.

OP's questions should be whether her kid can do more than is being asked (i.e., whether school should step it up) and whether her kid will be prepared for HS on a regular track.

Do any private elementary schools in this area even have advanced classes?

Advanced math, yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is at a K-8 and has been consistently getting A's. Report card grades vary between 93-98. He's a good student, but I would not say he's super advanced academically from what I see when I help him with his homework. He's also not on the advanced Math track.

His ERB scores though are usually within the 50th-75th percentile when compared to other kids in private schools.
I have asked the school multiple times about the discrepancy but I was never given a straight answer. Other parents at our school have also shared similar experiences.
Are grades that inflated in all private schools now? Do they even matter? I do worry about outplacement when the time comes to move schools in 9th.

Here is a candid opinion. Yes, it does tell you that your child is not on the grade level. some private schools are watering down their curriculum and are just doing the very basic grade level work. ERBs at grade 4,5,7 6 and still ranging between 50-70% is telling your that your child is under performing.

... no? Remember is that the 50-70% range the OP was talking about was for *private* schools, probably, given this board, independent ones. One of my children was only in the 25th percentile on math, by independent norms, while nevertheless being in the 70th percentile by national norms. 65th percentile quantitative reasoning, by independent norms, was 92nd percentile, nationally.

Second thing to consider is that maybe this is approximately where the kid *is*. Can't tell, from the outside, how well the school is doing with the raw material it has, though the all-As would make me feel a bit wary, unless he had really high executive function.

PP we are talking about an elementary school age child who is at a k-8. OP is concerned about placement for 9th grade, not college. National norms and statistics are not relevant. The group you dismiss- local independents - is exactly the peer group her child will be competing against for 9th grade admission

Do you understand the context at all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation has absolutely hit private schools.

However, my kids' school has announcements at the end of year for the A and the separate A/B honor rolls, and, with the exception of one class run by a very laid back teacher in grade school, there are very few all As and a substantial number of kids also did not make it to A/B.

I'd love to see how my kids placed in terms of their ERB scores, relatively speaking, but the numbers are under lock and key. Never heard of a school willing to share them, except in exceedingly vague terms.

The ERB and the grades are unlikely to match up. Grades have many elements unrelated to knowledge of the subject matter. Your straight A student may ro may not have the highest ERB and your B student might just be the brainiest, but still immature, kid in the room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Truly at this age you should not be trying compare kids like this. Focus on the growth of the student in front of you. I know we do it anyway, and I realize that for those seeking admission to competitive private high schools it may be an issue, but truly, these kids are still developing, still at their own paces and going though puberty. Who they are today may have little resemblance to who they become, especially relative to each other.

Why I appreciate the general sentiment here, I am one of the previous posters whose kid is finishing up 6th grade. We are talking about visiting some schools in the fall of 7th and don’t know yet what would be good targets.

Do not fall into the trap of believing that admissions teams simply line up grades and ERB scores and choose students from the top down. It does not work that way. Apply to any school where you think your kid will thrive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is at a K-8 and has been consistently getting A's. Report card grades vary between 93-98. He's a good student, but I would not say he's super advanced academically from what I see when I help him with his homework. He's also not on the advanced Math track.

His ERB scores though are usually within the 50th-75th percentile when compared to other kids in private schools.
I have asked the school multiple times about the discrepancy but I was never given a straight answer. Other parents at our school have also shared similar experiences.
Are grades that inflated in all private schools now? Do they even matter? I do worry about outplacement when the time comes to move schools in 9th.

Here is a candid opinion. Yes, it does tell you that your child is not on the grade level. some private schools are watering down their curriculum and are just doing the very basic grade level work. ERBs at grade 4,5,7 6 and still ranging between 50-70% is telling your that your child is under performing.

... no? Remember is that the 50-70% range the OP was talking about was for *private* schools, probably, given this board, independent ones. One of my children was only in the 25th percentile on math, by independent norms, while nevertheless being in the 70th percentile by national norms. 65th percentile quantitative reasoning, by independent norms, was 92nd percentile, nationally.

Second thing to consider is that maybe this is approximately where the kid *is*. Can't tell, from the outside, how well the school is doing with the raw material it has, though the all-As would make me feel a bit wary, unless he had really high executive function.

PP we are talking about an elementary school age child who is at a k-8. OP is concerned about placement for 9th grade, not college. National norms and statistics are not relevant. The group you dismiss- local independents - is exactly the peer group her child will be competing against for 9th grade admission

Do you understand the context at all?

DP, but I think PP was responding to the assertion kid isn't on grade level. A kid who is scoring well against the national norm and better than 50 to 75 percent of independent school students is ON grade level. Just not above it.

Grade inflation worries are about whether the student is getting an A for subpar work or too-easy assignments - basically, whether the student is learning enough. Competition for 9th grade admission is a different question.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you all for your thoughtful responses.

To clarify, as the PP stated, I am not worried about my son not being on grade level. He is a good student, who is also scoring above average on the ERBs when compared to other kids in independent schools.

It's the grades that I am questioning. For me, getting a 97 or a 98 in a subject should indicate exceptional mastery of that subject, which, as his ERBs reflect, and from what I see when I help him with his homework, is not there.

What grades are the kids who are truly exceptional getting? and at this point, do the grades mean anything?

[Anonymous]

I would recommend talking to your kids teacher and asking them directly. For example, maybe your kid is really good at corrections or something that is boosting their grade. Or maybe they are very good at the long-term projects which are a large part of their grade. Or maybe classroom participation. I don't think grades only reflect mastery of a subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your thoughtful responses.

To clarify, as the PP stated, I am not worried about my son not being on grade level. He is a good student, who is also scoring above average on the ERBs when compared to other kids in independent schools.

It's the grades that I am questioning. For me, getting a 97 or a 98 in a subject should indicate exceptional mastery of that subject, which, as his ERBs reflect, and from what I see when I help him with his homework, is not there.

What grades are the kids who are truly exceptional getting? and at this point, do the grades mean anything?

I dont think that grades mean what you assume, no. Exceptional mastery of the subject is not something most ES kids achieve: an A means they completed all work correctly (or got extra credit) and thus have met the higher end of expectations for that grade level / have a solid understanding. If your kid doesn't have a solid understanding, then I do think you should talk to the teacher.

You asked about other kids - I have a MS kid who scores high on ERBs. She is in advanced classes where available, or in one case the teacher writes harder tests for certain kids. That differentiation is going to come out in teacher comments and recommendations, not grades.