How would I know if my kid is advanced?

[Anonymous]

My first grader just got all Ps on her report card and is reading at a third grade level. Should I take that to mean that she is "right where Ashe is supposed to be" or more? I've heard that some schools/teachers give ESs and others do not.frankly, I think her teacher is fine, but not inspiring. And I gather from my impressions and those from other parents that she favors the easier or quieter kids. I don't say that as judgement, but just to give a feel for the evaluator I am dealing with. I want to challenge my child within her capabilities, but I don't know how to determine what those are without the expertise of teachers, and frankly, a comparison to her peers.

I guess I should just ask for a conference, but in the past they have not been very productive. I get the impression the teacher feels somehow constrained not to say anything meaningfully positive or negative about my child. This system is frustrating.

[Anonymous]

I would not really put much stock in grades like this at 1st grade. There are a lot of huge gains happening around that age and by 3rd grade she may not be on a 5th grade level.

So as long as she's not struggling say nothing, no conference just keep chugging along.

[Anonymous]

The report cards under this new system make it virtually impossible to know if your child is advanced (and needs enrichment) or is falling behind (and needs help). This is the reason so many parents hate curriculum 2.0. It is a load of nonsense and the kids suffer.

[Anonymous]

I would not think a parent with a 1st grader reading at the 3rd grade level would have any reason to be concerned..unless you are seeing other red flags.

[Anonymous]

I think its on purpose that you can't tell whether your child is advanced or not. Its the 2.0 way. That way they don't have to do anything different for your kids. I don't think asking for a conference will help any. The teacher does not know since she can't give you kid advanced work.

The only true way to know where your kid stands is from the Inview test they give in 2nd grade and the MAP-R/MAP-M they start in 3rd grade. I always knew my kid was advanced but had no way to prove it until end of 2nd grade. Now I know but there is nothing different that happens at school as a result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The report cards under this new system make it virtually impossible to know if your child is advanced (and needs enrichment) or is falling behind (and needs help). This is the reason so many parents hate curriculum 2.0. It is a load of nonsense and the kids suffer.

First of all, how do YOU, the parent, not know you child's skill level.

Furthermore, there are differentiated groups. My daughter is in the highest math and reading groups, as they're constantly being assessed. Groups are flexible. So if little Bobby improves in reading, he'll move up.

How can so many of you be that clueless?

and these are forums for the so called "intelligent" city and suburban folks?

[Anonymous]

If your child is reading that far above grade level, you have to supplement at home. MCPS will let her just sit there doing busy work until she falls in line with their grade level low bar.

I had this problem with math. We came from a private school that actually taught math. I made the mistake not to supplement and she hasn't learned anything. His map-m score has been exactly the same since she entered. The teacher let it slip that this is fine and the actual goal. If he already knows it, he knows it and his scores will stay the same until they reach a grade when they begin to teach above this. In the meantime, DS has decided math is dumb and not an interesting subject. Great job MCPS, well done.

There's an MCPS poster on the board that always snubs her nose at parents who supplement and most of the staff at our school let on that they feel the same way. The alternative is for your child to lose out on actually learning anything and develop a general dislike for school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first grader just got all Ps on her report card and is reading at a third grade level. Should I take that to mean that she is "right where Ashe is supposed to be" or more? I've heard that some schools/teachers give ESs and others do not.frankly, I think her teacher is fine, but not inspiring. And I gather from my impressions and those from other parents that she favors the easier or quieter kids. I don't say that as judgement, but just to give a feel for the evaluator I am dealing with. I want to challenge my child within her capabilities, but I don't know how to determine what those are without the expertise of teachers, and frankly, a comparison to her peers.

I guess I should just ask for a conference, but in the past they have not been very productive. I get the impression the teacher feels somehow constrained not to say anything meaningfully positive or negative about my child. This system is frustrating.

Get her tested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first grader just got all Ps on her report card and is reading at a third grade level. Should I take that to mean that she is "right where Ashe is supposed to be" or more? I've heard that some schools/teachers give ESs and others do not.frankly, I think her teacher is fine, but not inspiring. And I gather from my impressions and those from other parents that she favors the easier or quieter kids. I don't say that as judgement, but just to give a feel for the evaluator I am dealing with. I want to challenge my child within her capabilities, but I don't know how to determine what those are without the expertise of teachers, and frankly, a comparison to her peers.

I guess I should just ask for a conference, but in the past they have not been very productive. I get the impression the teacher feels somehow constrained not to say anything meaningfully positive or negative about my child. This system is frustrating.

Go to a party full of Asians and ask them about their kids reading and math levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The report cards under this new system make it virtually impossible to know if your child is advanced (and needs enrichment) or is falling behind (and needs help). This is the reason so many parents hate curriculum 2.0. It is a load of nonsense and the kids suffer.

First of all, how do YOU, the parent, not know you child's skill level.

Furthermore, there are differentiated groups. My daughter is in the highest math and reading groups, as they're constantly being assessed. Groups are flexible. So if little Bobby improves in reading, he'll move up.

How can so many of you be that clueless?

and these are forums for the so called "intelligent" city and suburban folks?

Poster does know child's skill level... She's asking does reading 2 grade levels higher mean shes is advanced. Which I feel is a valid question. Maybe her child's cohort is behind and it's not out of the ordinary maybe it does point to advancement. She cannot know without looking beyond her classroom.

[Anonymous]

What does advanced mean? Clearly she is an advanced reader but many kids are. Op, does she have other kids in her reading group? Does she seem to be making progress? Does she say she is bored? Make sure she has plenty of access to books at home. Does she need extrodinary measures? Likely not...which is good cuz mcps won,t provide them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The report cards under this new system make it virtually impossible to know if your child is advanced (and needs enrichment) or is falling behind (and needs help). This is the reason so many parents hate curriculum 2.0. It is a load of nonsense and the kids suffer.

First of all, how do YOU, the parent, not know you child's skill level.

Furthermore, there are differentiated groups. My daughter is in the highest math and reading groups, as they're constantly being assessed. Groups are flexible. So if little Bobby improves in reading, he'll move up.

How can so many of you be that clueless?

and these are forums for the so called "intelligent" city and suburban folks?

What are you talking about? Do you have a kid at MCPS in 1st or 2nd grade. Differentiated math groups?? Not in our school. Yes, DD has reading groups, but since she's in the highest group, it only meets once every other week (if that). And, math has just been a huge waste of time for us in ES. No, my kid's not a math genius, but the stuff they do in the early grades has just been a joke.

Yes, I (and it sounds like the OP) know our kid's skill level. That is why we are so frustrated. We see that there is no improvement, and that our kids are just stagnating.

[Anonymous]

Why are parents here so obsessed with whether or not their kids are "advanced"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My first grader just got all Ps on her report card and is reading at a third grade level. Should I take that to mean that she is "right where Ashe is supposed to be" or more? I've heard that some schools/teachers give ESs and others do not.frankly, I think her teacher is fine, but not inspiring. And I gather from my impressions and those from other parents that she favors the easier or quieter kids. I don't say that as judgement, but just to give a feel for the evaluator I am dealing with. I want to challenge my child within her capabilities, but I don't know how to determine what those are without the expertise of teachers, and frankly, a comparison to her peers.

I guess I should just ask for a conference, but in the past they have not been very productive. I get the impression the teacher feels somehow constrained not to say anything meaningfully positive or negative about my child. This system is frustrating.

Go to a party full of Asians and ask them about their kids reading and math levels.

Hmm ... racist, anyone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are parents here so obsessed with whether or not their kids are "advanced"?

Because they make enough money so that they have lots of free time to obsess over that.