MCPS Teachers: Why cling to grade inflation and disregard MAP?

[Anonymous]

Grade inflation means your kid gets all A's and doesn't deserve them. This post makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of older kid here. Of course not all teachers are like this but, I found that sometimes grades in ES can unfortunately be tied to kids behavior rather than performance. One of my kids has 504 for ADHD and had significant behavior challenges in ES. Grades not great despite high MAP-M scores. Grades improved in later grades when able to move between classes. MAP-M stayed high and not excelling in high school math.

It's great that OP used the data to take action when there were a few red flags.

That is an interesting observation about behavior being correlated with ES grades! Thank you for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation means your kid gets all A's and doesn't deserve them. This post makes no sense.

Grade inflation does not only mean all As. It can include As, Bs, or Cs. The inflation is relative to a student's performance. So if a student is really performing at a C-level, but the teacher is inflating it to a B, that is inflation.

I have no idea where you devised the definition that grade inflation is only inflation if it's all As. That's absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation means your kid gets all A's and doesn't deserve them. This post makes no sense.

Grade inflation does not only mean all As. It can include As, Bs, or Cs. The inflation is relative to a student's performance. So if a student is really performing at a C-level, but the teacher is inflating it to a B, that is inflation.

I have no idea where you devised the definition that grade inflation is only inflation if it's all As. That's absurd.

MCPS prohibits curving grades. It’s in the handbook. So no. That’s not true. The grade is the grade - especially in elementary where an A isn’t related as much to a numerical value but an overall understanding. A C actually considered satisfactory. Even if parents don’t like it - C’s mean she’s getting the basics at least so far. So if she’s actually getting higher grades more often, she’s doing ok with the teacher’s instruction. MAP they have to figure it all out on their own. No help. So big picture - Grading in elementary is not the same as secondary. That’s where the math becomes more individualized. So she might end up in a grade -level math and that’s ok. They have many more supports and kids can catch up very easily and move up - even within the school year. Secondary math teachers only focus on math - not math, reading, science, ect. They will be able to identify specific areas where they want to see growth and will help target those areas if needed. There are also tutors available and math-support classes as well as resource if needed. It’s not all doom and gloom in public but try and be a little patient if you can. It’s a journey, not a race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium has a strong financial incentive to tell you that your kid is behind at the beginning and then, after months of classes there, they will probably proudly announce that she is fixed, thanks to them!

I wouldn’t assume that the teacher is hiding something and mathnasium is the objective arbiter here.

This was my first thought.

NP. Mathnasium’s also matched my daughter’s MAPS score. As a result of going to Mathnasium for a year, my 5th grade daughter with multiple learning differences and an IEP, not only increased her MAPS score by 50% but her special education teacher also used her score to suggest suspending services. DD is thrilled not to be pulled out of class anymore.

OP here. This is encouraging. Thank you for sharing this. I hope my child sees a similar bump in her MAP score.

OP- you must take your daughter's education into your own hands. You cannot trust that your child will leave mcps with functional academics. I had to spend a summer teaching my advanced son how to write a decent paragraph and have spent thousands of hours working with my child with disabilities. Make sure you child knows the basics in every subject area and has a solid foundation. You are right to and know now that you must continue to ask questions and supplement.

-Mcps educator

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation means your kid gets all A's and doesn't deserve them. This post makes no sense.

Grade inflation does not only mean all As. It can include As, Bs, or Cs. The inflation is relative to a student's performance. So if a student is really performing at a C-level, but the teacher is inflating it to a B, that is inflation.

I have no idea where you devised the definition that grade inflation is only inflation if it's all As. That's absurd.

That would be socially passing a child, not necessarily grade inflation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium has a strong financial incentive to tell you that your kid is behind at the beginning and then, after months of classes there, they will probably proudly announce that she is fixed, thanks to them!

I wouldn’t assume that the teacher is hiding something and mathnasium is the objective arbiter here.

This was my first thought.

NP. Mathnasium’s also matched my daughter’s MAPS score. As a result of going to Mathnasium for a year, my 5th grade daughter with multiple learning differences and an IEP, not only increased her MAPS score by 50% but her special education teacher also used her score to suggest suspending services. DD is thrilled not to be pulled out of class anymore.

OP here. This is encouraging. Thank you for sharing this. I hope my child sees a similar bump in her MAP score.

OP- you must take your daughter's education into your own hands. You cannot trust that your child will leave mcps with functional academics. I had to spend a summer teaching my advanced son how to write a decent paragraph and have spent thousands of hours working with my child with disabilities. Make sure you child knows the basics in every subject area and has a solid foundation. You are right to and know now that you must continue to ask questions and supplement.

-Mcps educator

Exactly this. A lot of parents supplement in elementary school either themselves or via a tutor or outside program. You need to teach your kid the basics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation means your kid gets all A's and doesn't deserve them. This post makes no sense.

Grade inflation does not only mean all As. It can include As, Bs, or Cs. The inflation is relative to a student's performance. So if a student is really performing at a C-level, but the teacher is inflating it to a B, that is inflation.

I have no idea where you devised the definition that grade inflation is only inflation if it's all As. That's absurd.

MCPS prohibits curving grades. It’s in the handbook. So no. That’s not true. The grade is the grade - especially in elementary where an A isn’t related as much to a numerical value but an overall understanding. A C actually considered satisfactory. Even if parents don’t like it - C’s mean she’s getting the basics at least so far. So if she’s actually getting higher grades more often, she’s doing ok with the teacher’s instruction. MAP they have to figure it all out on their own. No help. So big picture - Grading in elementary is not the same as secondary. That’s where the math becomes more individualized. So she might end up in a grade -level math and that’s ok. They have many more supports and kids can catch up very easily and move up - even within the school year. Secondary math teachers only focus on math - not math, reading, science, ect. They will be able to identify specific areas where they want to see growth and will help target those areas if needed. There are also tutors available and math-support classes as well as resource if needed. It’s not all doom and gloom in public but try and be a little patient if you can. It’s a journey, not a race.

OP here. I think you’re misunderstanding me. I actually think, based on all the data I’ve gathered, that my daughter is closer to a C. But I also can see how she might be a B-, but MCPS doesn’t do plus or minus grading so it just ends up as a B.

For me, my frustration is that I want more nuanced feedback. Instead I was told my daughter was doing well and to ignore MAP, even though this latest MAP-M score was the lowest in a succession of MAP-M scores that had been steadily going down since her peak a year and a half ago.

Anyway, I appreciate that you were at least kind and somewhat sincere in your response to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium has a strong financial incentive to tell you that your kid is behind at the beginning and then, after months of classes there, they will probably proudly announce that she is fixed, thanks to them!

I wouldn’t assume that the teacher is hiding something and mathnasium is the objective arbiter here.

This was my first thought.

NP. Mathnasium’s also matched my daughter’s MAPS score. As a result of going to Mathnasium for a year, my 5th grade daughter with multiple learning differences and an IEP, not only increased her MAPS score by 50% but her special education teacher also used her score to suggest suspending services. DD is thrilled not to be pulled out of class anymore.

OP here. This is encouraging. Thank you for sharing this. I hope my child sees a similar bump in her MAP score.

OP- you must take your daughter's education into your own hands. You cannot trust that your child will leave mcps with functional academics. I had to spend a summer teaching my advanced son how to write a decent paragraph and have spent thousands of hours working with my child with disabilities. Make sure you child knows the basics in every subject area and has a solid foundation. You are right to and know now that you must continue to ask questions and supplement.

-Mcps educator

OP here, thank you for this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium has a strong financial incentive to tell you that your kid is behind at the beginning and then, after months of classes there, they will probably proudly announce that she is fixed, thanks to them!

I wouldn’t assume that the teacher is hiding something and mathnasium is the objective arbiter here.

This was my first thought.

NP. Mathnasium’s also matched my daughter’s MAPS score. As a result of going to Mathnasium for a year, my 5th grade daughter with multiple learning differences and an IEP, not only increased her MAPS score by 50% but her special education teacher also used her score to suggest suspending services. DD is thrilled not to be pulled out of class anymore.

OP here. This is encouraging. Thank you for sharing this. I hope my child sees a similar bump in her MAP score.

OP- you must take your daughter's education into your own hands. You cannot trust that your child will leave mcps with functional academics. I had to spend a summer teaching my advanced son how to write a decent paragraph and have spent thousands of hours working with my child with disabilities. Make sure you child knows the basics in every subject area and has a solid foundation. You are right to and know now that you must continue to ask questions and supplement.

-Mcps educator

Exactly this. A lot of parents supplement in elementary school either themselves or via a tutor or outside program. You need to teach your kid the basics.

As a nonwhite parent, I think most black and brown parents don’t realize this.

White and Asian parents have been either teaching their kids themselves or supplementing with tutors for much longer than in the black and brown community, which is a significant factor in why their kids have historically performed better on academic assessments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation means your kid gets all A's and doesn't deserve them. This post makes no sense.

Grade inflation does not only mean all As. It can include As, Bs, or Cs. The inflation is relative to a student's performance. So if a student is really performing at a C-level, but the teacher is inflating it to a B, that is inflation.

I have no idea where you devised the definition that grade inflation is only inflation if it's all As. That's absurd.

MCPS prohibits curving grades. It’s in the handbook. So no. That’s not true. The grade is the grade - especially in elementary where an A isn’t related as much to a numerical value but an overall understanding. A C actually considered satisfactory. Even if parents don’t like it - C’s mean she’s getting the basics at least so far. So if she’s actually getting higher grades more often, she’s doing ok with the teacher’s instruction. MAP they have to figure it all out on their own. No help. So big picture - Grading in elementary is not the same as secondary. That’s where the math becomes more individualized. So she might end up in a grade -level math and that’s ok. They have many more supports and kids can catch up very easily and move up - even within the school year. Secondary math teachers only focus on math - not math, reading, science, ect. They will be able to identify specific areas where they want to see growth and will help target those areas if needed. There are also tutors available and math-support classes as well as resource if needed. It’s not all doom and gloom in public but try and be a little patient if you can. It’s a journey, not a race.

OP here. I think you’re misunderstanding me. I actually think, based on all the data I’ve gathered, that my daughter is closer to a C. But I also can see how she might be a B-, but MCPS doesn’t do plus or minus grading so it just ends up as a B.

For me, my frustration is that I want more nuanced feedback. Instead I was told my daughter was doing well and to ignore MAP, even though this latest MAP-M score was the lowest in a succession of MAP-M scores that had been steadily going down since her peak a year and a half ago.

Anyway, I appreciate that you were at least kind and somewhat sincere in your response to me.

You most likely don't see all the classwork as they rarely send anything home. She probably isn't as behind as you think but either way its a good idea to supplement as the curriculum misses many things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium has a strong financial incentive to tell you that your kid is behind at the beginning and then, after months of classes there, they will probably proudly announce that she is fixed, thanks to them!

I wouldn’t assume that the teacher is hiding something and mathnasium is the objective arbiter here.

This was my first thought.

NP. Mathnasium’s also matched my daughter’s MAPS score. As a result of going to Mathnasium for a year, my 5th grade daughter with multiple learning differences and an IEP, not only increased her MAPS score by 50% but her special education teacher also used her score to suggest suspending services. DD is thrilled not to be pulled out of class anymore.

OP here. This is encouraging. Thank you for sharing this. I hope my child sees a similar bump in her MAP score.

OP- you must take your daughter's education into your own hands. You cannot trust that your child will leave mcps with functional academics. I had to spend a summer teaching my advanced son how to write a decent paragraph and have spent thousands of hours working with my child with disabilities. Make sure you child knows the basics in every subject area and has a solid foundation. You are right to and know now that you must continue to ask questions and supplement.

-Mcps educator

Exactly this. A lot of parents supplement in elementary school either themselves or via a tutor or outside program. You need to teach your kid the basics.

As a nonwhite parent, I think most black and brown parents don’t realize this.

White and Asian parents have been either teaching their kids themselves or supplementing with tutors for much longer than in the black and brown community, which is a significant factor in why their kids have historically performed better on academic assessments.

It entirely depends on the family. We know families of all different races who supplement. Others who are unable or unwilling. The past few years, MCPS had free tutoring and its too bad more families didn't use it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium has a strong financial incentive to tell you that your kid is behind at the beginning and then, after months of classes there, they will probably proudly announce that she is fixed, thanks to them!

I wouldn’t assume that the teacher is hiding something and mathnasium is the objective arbiter here.

+1 exactly. I wouldn’t trust their “expertise”

Your daughter is fine. Please I do hope you aren’t putting undue pressure on her- then she will absolutely learn to hate the subject. She will receive plenty of math support if needed in middle and high.

Oh, my God. People love to deny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come Middle School, except to get into the magnet and specialty programs for high school, it is meaningless. You are put on the math track in 6th.

OP isn’t interested in facts. Just micromanaging already overworked staff.

Your attitude, pp, is appalling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade inflation means your kid gets all A's and doesn't deserve them. This post makes no sense.

Grade inflation does not only mean all As. It can include As, Bs, or Cs. The inflation is relative to a student's performance. So if a student is really performing at a C-level, but the teacher is inflating it to a B, that is inflation.

I have no idea where you devised the definition that grade inflation is only inflation if it's all As. That's absurd.

That would be socially passing a child, not necessarily grade inflation.

No, PP is absolutely correct. It’s very bizarre that you think otherwise. Grade inflation is a very simple concept. It means giving kids grades higher than they would have in the past for similar work — that’s what inflation means. This can happen with As, Bs, Cs or Ds.