grades at the beginning of 9th grade
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Anonymous
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my DS is a 9th grader at a local MCPS high school. I just noticed that his grades thus far are really bad two Ds and 3 Bs and an A in Art (he doesn't have grades in all classes yet) but I'm wondering do you think there is still time to get As and Bs if he starts working? I'm hoping he just didn't realize how much harder high school is. We have a tutor starting this week and he will see about making up some quizzes and talking with one teacher about some classwork grades where he thought he turned in the work on time, but she marked it as late. I will help him study as much as I can, but he has to figure out when the tests are in order to begin preparing.
He is concerned but I'm not sure he really knows how to study, I do think he will start working harder though. I'm a little bit at a loss and of course worried that he is doing so badly. Thanks |
Anonymous
| Good for you and your student for getting on this right away. Yes, there is time to fix this, especially if the D's are on assignments that are not worth a lot of points. Getting 5 out of 10 on some assignment is not nearly as bad as getting 30 out of 60 on another assignment. And remember, with MCPS's easy grading system, a B this quarter and an A next quarter will average to an A. This is a good wake up call for him, if he cares. Good luck! |
Anonymous
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You should be able to tell by looking at the myMCPS portal to see if it's possible to get his grades to As. But, you also might find that he is not an A student.
One thing that some of the HSs offer is the equivalent of a Resource class for kids who do not have an IEP or 504. It's basically an elective class where kids get assistance in classes that are difficult for them. Also, on about a weekly basis, the teacher pulls the grades and reviews with the students what assignments are outstanding and need to be taken care of. Lots of kids struggle with this at the start of 9th grade. |
Anonymous
| I would suggest being more hands on re: studying so that he can learn how to study and eventually do it himself. These skills are not taught in MCPS. |
Anonymous
Yup! Just like handwriting, multiplication tables and grammar, MCPS has not taught students how to study, be organized and prioritize work. Also, many 9th graders do not know how to take effective and efficient notes. |
Anonymous
Remember also that grades this early are based on very few assignments, so doing badly on one can really tank a grade when there aren't a lot of other scores to counterbalance. While it's good to be on top of this, I'd wait to see what the grades look like once more scores come in. We've only had 14 actual days of school. |
Anonymous
I’m not sure which MCPS schools you’re attending but my child was taught handwriting K-2. My current third grader is learning cursive and according to the back to school night multiplication is around the corner. As far as study habits are concerned BE.A.PARENT. All learning does not happen at school. School is not the end all be all. You need to give your child study habits and teach them how to take notes in a way that best works for them. Study habits are things that are very personalized. |
Anonymous
This. At this point in the year, Ds are most likely because he is missing an assignment (look for Z - which means it can still be turned in) or because there was one poor quiz (which most likely can be retaken). Go over all of the assignments carefully to understand why the grade is what it is. There will still be plenty of other assignments in the quarter which he can raise his grade with. |
Anonymous
| Why didn't he learn this in middle school? I thought that was what middle school was all about- learning how to study and balance daily homework with long term projects and studying for tests. |
Anonymous
| I'd be most concerned about the D's. Are they in a subject in which he previously did well? I've heard of 9th graders bombing the first few quizzes in APUSH. I've also heard of some students experiencing Spanish 3 as a big step up (although not all experience it this way). Is he in Algebra II? You have to give us some context. |
Anonymous
My middle schooler has almost zero homework. Does not need to study for any tests. |
Anonymous
What school system is this? My DS is in a Catholic middle school and he regularly has 1-2 hours of HW per night and on the weekends. He has tests in every subject area as well as midterms and finals. |
Anonymous
I think you got lost on the way to the DCUM parochial school forum... |
Anonymous
Exactly! Same experience here with homework in MS. I am fretting HS next year. |
Anonymous
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Thanks, this is OP. We are getting a handle on things I think. I just wasn't expecting that he would need so much guidance from me. He is in geometry and for some reason had difficulties turning in assignments on-line although after talking to the teacher now has a B in that class and he has done well on tests so hopefully that will continue. He is going to re-take something in Spanish and Biology so hopefully those grades will improve as well. He is doing great in English and hopefully will do well on an upcoming history test.
It turns out he wasn't really studying for tests - thinking classwork is sufficient to learn the material so now I'm working with him on being sure that he studies for every single test. I really didn't think I would have to do this. But hopefully he will learn to study and do ok. I don't expect straight As but I do think more As than Bs is a reasonable outcome at this point. Well see |