Does it mean anything with 3's or 4's in the progress card?

[Anonymous]

We've moved to Fairfax County this school year. My DD is a 6th grader. We just got her progress card with a mixed bag of 3's and 4's. Does it mean anything? Compare to the previous one, she got a few more 3's this time.

[Anonymous]

The number system in elementwry doesn't really mean anything unless your kid is making 1-2s. It is a shame because teachers are wasting their time on those stupid report cards.

In middle school the kids get real grades. That is when grades start to matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've moved to Fairfax County this school year. My DD is a 6th grader. We just got her progress card with a mixed bag of 3's and 4's. Does it mean anything? Compare to the previous one, she got a few more 3's this time.

There are actual descriptions for these. This is how I interpret them.
1. Not getting it. Needs a lot of help.
2. Starting to get it or gets it some of the time. Progressing.
3. Gets it most of the time but still needs a little help.
4. Gets it almost all of the time independently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've moved to Fairfax County this school year. My DD is a 6th grader. We just got her progress card with a mixed bag of 3's and 4's. Does it mean anything? Compare to the previous one, she got a few more 3's this time.

There are actual descriptions for these. This is how I interpret them.
1. Not getting it. Needs a lot of help.
2. Starting to get it or gets it some of the time. Progressing.
3. Gets it most of the time but still needs a little help.
4. Gets it almost all of the time independently.

Nobody understands the grading system, not even the teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've moved to Fairfax County this school year. My DD is a 6th grader. We just got her progress card with a mixed bag of 3's and 4's. Does it mean anything? Compare to the previous one, she got a few more 3's this time.

There are actual descriptions for these. This is how I interpret them.
1. Not getting it. Needs a lot of help.
2. Starting to get it or gets it some of the time. Progressing.
3. Gets it most of the time but still needs a little help.
4. Gets it almost all of the time independently.

Nobody understands the grading system, not even the teachers.

I think the PP pretty much nailed it. What is wrong with this system anyway? I have posted this before, but when I was in elementary we had G, VG, S, and U. And this was in the late 70s-and 80s. I just equate each of the numbers to that rubric.

[Anonymous]

If there were more 3's in the second quarter it could be due to new topics being introduced. 3 means progressing, it's not bad at all. 1 or 2 would mean not on grade level.

[Anonymous]

How concerned do I need to be about 3s and 2s in the citizenship portion of the report card?

[Anonymous]

IMO, it really depends on teacher, kid and specific issue. When my DS was 7, I wasn't as concerned as I'd be today now that he's 10. He got 2's in second grade from a teacher who yelled, didn't set lists, commanded no respect and gave all boys 2's so I didn't think much of it. He got 3 & 4 in 3rd grade with a quiet respected teacher. Had he received 2 from her, I would have been concerned. It all depends.

[Anonymous]

It all is pretty meaningless. If the teacher is concerned they will contact you or it will come up at the parent teacher conference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How concerned do I need to be about 3s and 2s in the citizenship portion of the report card?

My kid got 2's in citizenship in second grade and it was a ticket right into the AAP program. Where she now gets 3's and 4's in citizenship/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IMO, it really depends on teacher, kid and specific issue. When my DS was 7, I wasn't as concerned as I'd be today now that he's 10. He got 2's in second grade from a teacher who yelled, didn't set lists, commanded no respect and gave all boys 2's so I didn't think much of it. He got 3 & 4 in 3rd grade with a quiet respected teacher. Had he received 2 from her, I would have been concerned. It all depends.

Totally agree. My DS's teacher is described as a funny teacher but if you do something he does't like, he will give you a hard time. From daily conversation with my DS, I can guess that his teacher isn't really fond of him but surely won't hate him. I figure out that even though most of the time my DS scored perfect score on the tests, somehow he only got 3s in that subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there were more 3's in the second quarter it could be due to new topics being introduced. 3 means progressing, it's not bad at all. 1 or 2 would mean not on grade level.

Interesting. In Loudoun, 3 means "meets the standard", 4 is "exceeds the standard" and 2 means "progressing". In fact work is graded with the numbers (1-4) but report cards use letters, E, M, P. (Exceeds, meets, progressing.)

[Anonymous]

A=4
B=3
C=2
D/F=1

Most teachers will admit it. Some have some sort of alternative reality.

[Anonymous]

I'm an FCPS teacher and I'm not a fan of the grading system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there were more 3's in the second quarter it could be due to new topics being introduced. 3 means progressing, it's not bad at all. 1 or 2 would mean not on grade level.

Interesting. In Loudoun, 3 means "meets the standard", 4 is "exceeds the standard" and 2 means "progressing". In fact work is graded with the numbers (1-4) but report cards use letters, E, M, P. (Exceeds, meets, progressing.)

There is no exceeds the standard in Fairfax.