Did you get a report card for your MCPS Elementary School kid yet?

[Anonymous]

I think the new report cards explain more about how our kids are doing than the old ones did. How is it more meaningful to get a "B" in math than to get a "P"? At least now they break it down into subject and skill areas and tell you whether your child can actually do these things.

We introduced a very similar rubric in my office two years ago to evaluate our employees and it has leveled the playing field to make sure everyone is evaluated using the same criteria. Before we introduced the new system, annual reviews were much more qualitative and employees who were more extroverted or with more collaborative personalities would get higher rankings, more bonus money and higher raises. With these metrics, the teachers can't just give a student a good grade for effort, they actually have to evaluate whether a child has mastered a certain skill.

One final point: at our ES the teachers are very willing to meet for P/T conferences, even though the only official ones are supposed to happen in November. I recommend requesting a Spring conference to get an update on progress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a PP whose child got all Ps. I have a good idea of what that means, because I saw lots of graded work brought home. I saw that getting only a couple of questions wrong out of ten or leaving out a couple of details meant an I on any given assignment. So, the grades were not a surprise to me, and I do have a good idea of the material covered this year. I still don't like the report cards though because I think the amount of information parents receive is totally dependent on the teacher. I know other families in our same school who never saw their children's graded work during the school year.
Did other posters receive a good amount of graded work throughout the year, or was our teacher a renegade?

My child just finished second grade. I did not get one piece of graded work in the entire school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the new report cards explain more about how our kids are doing than the old ones did. How is it more meaningful to get a "B" in math than to get a "P"? At least now they break it down into subject and skill areas and tell you whether your child can actually do these things.

A B is more meaningful because it correlates with an actual numerical score, usually in the 80s, depending whether plus/minus grades are given. So, there was a difference between getting an 88 (B or B+) or a 98 (A or A+ in terms of knowing how well your child was doing. But now, some teachers seem to give P for both 88 and 98, while others give 88 and I, and 98 a P. In some schools, there is no difference between what would formerly have been B work and A work, while at other schools P is the old B, and ES is given out to many high achieving students, and yet other schools,like ours I is more like the old B, and P is A.

[Anonymous]

A B is more meaningful because it correlates with an actual numerical score, usually in the 80s, depending whether plus/minus grades are given. So, there was a difference between getting an 88 (B or B+) or a 98 (A or A+ in terms of knowing how well your child was doing. But now, some teachers seem to give P for both 88 and 98, while others give 88 and I, and 98 a P. In some schools, there is no difference between what would formerly have been B work and A work, while at other schools P is the old B, and ES is given out to many high achieving students, and yet other schools,like ours I is more like the old B, and P is A.
Not PP, but they don't correlate at all. One could fail a concept in the ABC system and still get an A because areas are not looked at individually on tests.
Perhaps a better way would be to keep the detailed system with the ES, P, I's, etc. Then give an overall grade in line with old system (ABCD) for each broad category (Math, Science, English, etc...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My child just finished second grade. I did not get one piece of graded work in the entire school year.

Not one piece? That's terrible! We got lots home every week.

[Anonymous]

I don't care much what grade my child gets in elementary school. I know her strengths and weaknesses better than what the report card can tell.

My main problem is that even though there exists N, I, P and ES, the grade ES is rarely or never given. The only reason it bothers me, is because it confuses my child. She is way above grade, with already several national awards. When she gets P on one of her strengths, I find it difficult to explain her why she didn't get ES. It is highly demotivating. I wish ES grade would be removed altogether. Better yet, I wish elementary school report cards were just specific comments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
A B is more meaningful because it correlates with an actual numerical score, usually in the 80s, depending whether plus/minus grades are given. So, there was a difference between getting an 88 (B or B+) or a 98 (A or A+ in terms of knowing how well your child was doing. But now, some teachers seem to give P for both 88 and 98, while others give 88 and I, and 98 a P. In some schools, there is no difference between what would formerly have been B work and A work, while at other schools P is the old B, and ES is given out to many high achieving students, and yet other schools,like ours I is more like the old B, and P is A.

But the numerical score also isn't necessarily meaningful. And the work that gets you an 88% at School A is not necessarily the same as the work that gets you an 88% at School B. So while I agree that the ES/P/I/N grading system, by itself, is inadequate, I don't think it's any more inadequate than the A/B/C/D/F grading system, or the O/S/N grading system.

[Anonymous]

My child got an I in physical education... How in the world do you get an I in gym? Why wasn't I notified that my child isn't on progress with gym until the report cards came out? I had no idea he wasn't doing well, although he said he loves gym and always participates. I'm not understanding this at all. Should I contact someone or just suck it up?

On a side note, is this really what report cards will be like from here on out?

[Anonymous]

I think you get an "I" in gym if you are disruptive or not paying attention. My daughter got one in K and now, in second grade, she got an "ES". She definitely has improved!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child got an I in physical education... How in the world do you get an I in gym? Why wasn't I notified that my child isn't on progress with gym until the report cards came out? I had no idea he wasn't doing well, although he said he loves gym and always participates. I'm not understanding this at all. Should I contact someone or just suck it up?

My child also got an I in something, one quarter, in physical education. Why? I don't know. I didn't worry about it much. Actually I didn't worry about it at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better yet, I wish elementary school report cards were just specific comments.

That would be fine with me. I cared more about the comments section than anything else, and now it's gone.

[Anonymous]

MY kid got an I in Music!?! But I totally get it...he is 5 and absolutely refuses to sing. He doesn't get into trouble....rather, he sits in music class quietly and observes.

And my older kid got an I in something related to algebraic something or other. Whatever. Other than that, straight Ps for both. No comments. In fact, my third graders report card didn't even include the reading level chart. Whatever.

2.0 super sucks. We have already begun summer reading and math workbooks....not packets, bc our school didn't send home packets this summer.

[Anonymous]

One child's report card included this note:
Your child was consistently instructed on the content and processes of the grade level with enrichment/acceleration.

The other child got this note:
Your child was consistently instructed on the content and processes of the grade level.

Knowing how my children performed throughout the year, this makes total sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MY kid got an I in Music!?! But I totally get it...he is 5 and absolutely refuses to sing. He doesn't get into trouble....rather, he sits in music class quietly and observes.

And my older kid got an I in something related to algebraic something or other. Whatever. Other than that, straight Ps for both. No comments. In fact, my third graders report card didn't even include the reading level chart. Whatever.

2.0 super sucks. We have already begun summer reading and math workbooks....not packets, bc our school didn't send home packets this summer.

I wish my school didn't send home summer packets. My school's summer packet is INSANE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MY kid got an I in Music!?! But I totally get it...he is 5 and absolutely refuses to sing. He doesn't get into trouble....rather, he sits in music class quietly and observes.

And my older kid got an I in something related to algebraic something or other. Whatever. Other than that, straight Ps for both. No comments. In fact, my third graders report card didn't even include the reading level chart. Whatever.

2.0 super sucks. We have already begun summer reading and math workbooks....not packets, bc our school didn't send home packets this summer.

I wish my school didn't send home summer packets. My school's summer packet is INSANE.

It seems to vary by year. Last year going into 4th it was a TON of work. This summer it's something that can be knocked out in a few hours. Something in the middle would be nice.