K report card is such BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And what I wish they would move back to. Letter grades seem easier to understand and easier for student/parents to interpret how the student is doing.

This doesn't apply yet in kindergarten, but in a system that uses letter grades it seems easier to give students a goal to work towards and parents more options for standards to hold their children to.

I wish letter grades would be brought back at least for 3rd grade and up, which is what our old school system did. I don't mind the fuzzy, looser standards and evaluations so much for K-2 but by 3rd grade I think there should be actual grades that actually mean something and everyone is clear on their meaning.

Letter grades seem easier to understand and easier for parents to interpret because that's what people are used to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many teachers are happy to sit down and explain the report card in depth - it's worth sending an email.

Why is it always the parent's job to hunt a teacher down in MCPS? How come the other 2 places my kids have gone to school have normal report cards and a place on the back for a paragraph the teacher writes strengths/weaknesses and/or what to work on? How is it that a 6 minute "conference" in November is the only communication you have with a teacher unless YOU, the parent requests something.

If you're having to "hunt down" your child's classroom teacher, then something is wrong. Do you have your child's teacher's e-mail address? If not, you should. If so, send an e-mail.

Also, does your child's school schedule the November conferences for 6 minutes? My child's school schedules for 15.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many teachers are happy to sit down and explain the report card in depth - it's worth sending an email.

Why is it always the parent's job to hunt a teacher down in MCPS? How come the other 2 places my kids have gone to school have normal report cards and a place on the back for a paragraph the teacher writes strengths/weaknesses and/or what to work on? How is it that a 6 minute "conference" in November is the only communication you have with a teacher unless YOU, the parent requests something.

If you're having to "hunt down" your child's classroom teacher, then something is wrong. Do you have your child's teacher's e-mail address? If not, you should. If so, send an e-mail.

Also, does your child's school schedule the November conferences for 6 minutes? My child's school schedules for 15.

scheduled 10 minutes each - ours started late because of previous families so we only had 6 minutes. If I didn't ask questions, I think she would have been done in 3 minutes. It was so rush rush.

And no I don't have the teacher's email. I have never received anything from her via email.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is killing it in PE - consistently gets ES.

Good for you. Redshirted kid? I'm sure the college athletic depts are tracking your kid.

Nope - just more athletic than your kid. Don't be a hater.

[Anonymous]

They are easier to understand not just because parents are used to them but because there's more of a gradient and there was usually some sort of mathematical formula for the grades based on achievement + effort and everyone knew that. If you didn't turn in your homework that counted X percent but if you aced the tests you might still be able to get an A or a B because it sounded Y percent.

These new report cards in K are supposed to be based on mastery but some teachers give Is even if a student has mastered the material due to lack of effort or whatever. So it is very confusing and very subjective.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And what I wish they would move back to. Letter grades seem easier to understand and easier for student/parents to interpret how the student is doing.

This doesn't apply yet in kindergarten, but in a system that uses letter grades it seems easier to give students a goal to work towards and parents more options for standards to hold their children to.

I wish letter grades would be brought back at least for 3rd grade and up, which is what our old school system did. I don't mind the fuzzy, looser standards and evaluations so much for K-2 but by 3rd grade I think there should be actual grades that actually mean something and everyone is clear on their meaning.

Letter grades seem easier to understand and easier for parents to interpret because that's what people are used to.

[Anonymous]

So I think it's really normal for there to be a huge range of abilities in Kindegarden. And I am not sure that my DD is gifted but I do know what she is an advanced reader. Her report card shows she's at the second grade target level, a K.

She has a great teacher and she loves school but does talk about how it's boring sometimes and how there are only picture books in the class and no chapter books and that the worksheets are so easy. I want her to keep her love of school and curiosity of learning but don't want to be *that* mom, thinking her kid is so special and demand that the teacher provide extra or special curriculum for her.

But now with the record card reader rating maybe I have something concrete to go off of? Should I talk to her teacher about it? What to say?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

scheduled 10 minutes each - ours started late because of previous families so we only had 6 minutes. If I didn't ask questions, I think she would have been done in 3 minutes. It was so rush rush.

And no I don't have the teacher's email. I have never received anything from her via email.

If you don't have the teacher's e-mail, and you don't know how to find it on the school website (or don't want to look for it?), then you have bigger problems than the report card format.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are easier to understand not just because parents are used to them but because there's more of a gradient and there was usually some sort of mathematical formula for the grades based on achievement + effort and everyone knew that. If you didn't turn in your homework that counted X percent but if you aced the tests you might still be able to get an A or a B because it sounded Y percent.

These new report cards in K are supposed to be based on mastery but some teachers give Is even if a student has mastered the material due to lack of effort or whatever. So it is very confusing and very subjective.

All report cards are very subjective. Letter grades are subjective too.

Also, if a teacher gives a student an I due to lack of effort, even though the student has mastered the material, that's a teacher problem, not a report-card format problem. The teacher is not supposed to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are easier to understand not just because parents are used to them but because there's more of a gradient and there was usually some sort of mathematical formula for the grades based on achievement + effort and everyone knew that. If you didn't turn in your homework that counted X percent but if you aced the tests you might still be able to get an A or a B because it sounded Y percent.

These new report cards in K are supposed to be based on mastery but some teachers give Is even if a student has mastered the material due to lack of effort or whatever. So it is very confusing and very subjective.

All report cards are very subjective. Letter grades are subjective too.

Also, if a teacher gives a student an I due to lack of effort, even though the student has mastered the material, that's a teacher problem, not a report-card format problem. The teacher is not supposed to do that.

Then how do you tell a family the student lacks effort. There are no comments on the report card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is killing it in PE - consistently gets ES.

Good for you. Redshirted kid? I'm sure the college athletic depts are tracking your kid.

Nope - just more athletic than your kid. Don't be a hater.

I'm not, truly. I don't care that much about athletics. I think this country glorifies athletes too much. How's your kid doing in reading/math, you know, the *really* important part of school?

If you'd like to play the "let's compare our kids" game, I'm sure there would be plenty of parents that could beat your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I think it's really normal for there to be a huge range of abilities in Kindegarden. And I am not sure that my DD is gifted but I do know what she is an advanced reader. Her report card shows she's at the second grade target level, a K.

She has a great teacher and she loves school but does talk about how it's boring sometimes and how there are only picture books in the class and no chapter books and that the worksheets are so easy. I want her to keep her love of school and curiosity of learning but don't want to be *that* mom, thinking her kid is so special and demand that the teacher provide extra or special curriculum for her.

But now with the record card reader rating maybe I have something concrete to go off of? Should I talk to her teacher about it? What to say?

No, you send them to Montessori or private school. Or they will be bored for the next 5 years too. They barely accelerate in math. We waited way to late and didn't move until 5th grade. Best decision we ever made. Our 2nd kid is in public K and it is the same thing. Lots of sitting around busy boring work for the kids that are above reading level. We are moving her at 3rd grade and only waiting because of financial purposes.

Kudos to your daughter. Mine is tracking at book level 12 (3rd quarter 1st grade.) She is early entrance K too. So happy I didn't wait to send her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is killing it in PE - consistently gets ES.

Good for you. Redshirted kid? I'm sure the college athletic depts are tracking your kid.

Nope - just more athletic than your kid. Don't be a hater.

I'm not, truly. I don't care that much about athletics. I think this country glorifies athletes too much. How's your kid doing in reading/math, you know, the *really* important part of school?

If you'd like to play the "let's compare our kids" game, I'm sure there would be plenty of parents that could beat your kid.

Do you really think this PP is serious. It is a joke. Calm down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is killing it in PE - consistently gets ES.

Good for you. Redshirted kid? I'm sure the college athletic depts are tracking your kid.

Nope - just more athletic than your kid. Don't be a hater.

I'm not, truly. I don't care that much about athletics. I think this country glorifies athletes too much. How's your kid doing in reading/math, you know, the *really* important part of school?

If you'd like to play the "let's compare our kids" game, I'm sure there would be plenty of parents that could beat your kid.

Now that is a bit harsh. No need for other parents to beat my kid.

Now that you ask he is in the gifted/talented program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are easier to understand not just because parents are used to them but because there's more of a gradient and there was usually some sort of mathematical formula for the grades based on achievement + effort and everyone knew that. If you didn't turn in your homework that counted X percent but if you aced the tests you might still be able to get an A or a B because it sounded Y percent.

These new report cards in K are supposed to be based on mastery but some teachers give Is even if a student has mastered the material due to lack of effort or whatever. So it is very confusing and very subjective.

All report cards are very subjective. Letter grades are subjective too.

Also, if a teacher gives a student an I due to lack of effort, even though the student has mastered the material, that's a teacher problem, not a report-card format problem. The teacher is not supposed to do that.

Then how do you tell a family the student lacks effort. There are no comments on the report card.

You look at the learning skills on the report card -- specifically the work habits (rules and procedures, task completion) and effort/motivation/persistence. These are assessed as demonstrating/progressing/not yet evident.

How would you tell from a letter-grade report card that the student lacks effort?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is killing it in PE - consistently gets ES.

Good for you. Redshirted kid? I'm sure the college athletic depts are tracking your kid.

Nope - just more athletic than your kid. Don't be a hater.

I'm not, truly. I don't care that much about athletics. I think this country glorifies athletes too much. How's your kid doing in reading/math, you know, the *really* important part of school?

If you'd like to play the "let's compare our kids" game, I'm sure there would be plenty of parents that could beat your kid.

Now that is a bit harsh. No need for other parents to beat my kid.

Now that you ask he is in the gifted/talented program.

Haha.. in K? I call BS. If your kid is not in K, then you are an idiot for posting this on a thread about K kids.