Reply to The new lower grade report cards -- what does it take to get an ES instead of a P?

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Reply to "The new lower grade report cards -- what does it take to get an ES instead of a P?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Teacher here.  I rarely give "I" for independent the first quarter unless it is completely earned.  There would be nothing to work for if they are independent in every skill.[/quote]

Unfortunately, I think too many teachers do this.  As a parent, I think you should be consistent throughout the year.  Either they deserve and "I" or not.  If the kid has "nothing to work for" then maybe you need to give the kid harder work or accelerate the child to the next grade level.

Also, for ES kids, I think the grades should be for the parents, not the kids.  My kids don't care whether the card has an "I " or an "L", so the grades don't motivate them.  What matters is that I take the report card and craft a response, either for the teacher/school to provide more challenge or for the child to work on certain competencies.    The report card is also making a record of a child's progress across many years, so accurate readings are important for future educators.  In short, I think the report card should communicate the child's educational status and not be used as a motivational tool.

[/quote]

I'm a teacher and a parent.  I would prefer to see middle of the road grades early on.  (Our system uses P - progressing and M - mastery.)  Too often parents think their children are often advanced, which isn't necessarily the case.  There is always something to learn, to perfect.

Furthermore, if a child is placed in advanced math, for example, perhaps s/he still deserves a mediocre grade.  Being pushed to the next level doesn't automatically translate into mastery.

Sadly, when I read about parents complaining about grades, I recognize that these grades are MORE for the parent than for the student.  You had your chance in the spotlight.  Now back away and let litttle Lulu do her best.[/quote]

I guess we disagree on many levels.  I do think that the grades in first grade are for the parent.  As the kids get older, I want them to gradually take ownership of their own education, but not in early education when parents need to be on the lookout for problem areas where the child cannot self-correct and could quickly fall behind.  In fact, I go so far as to not show my younger kids their report card (and some teachers have agreed with this approach).  To me, the card is a communication tool between the teacher and the parents in these early grades.  I also don't lobby or argue against teachers to change their grade.  I assume they made their choice honestly and objectively without any kind of bias (hence my comment above).  The grade does open up a conversation, though.   Like the OP, one of my kids has an advanced score in a standardized test (well above grade-level), yet the teacher listed DC as an 'S' and needing more work.   I am not saying the teacher is wrong, but I do need to understand how to interpret a high test score and an average class evaluation.   As for whether I overestimate the abilities of my gifted kid, I am aware that many teachers think this.  That is why I strictly discuss progress in terms of standardized test scores and the lack of errors in any take home work that I see for this one child.  I ask for more challenging work until I start seeing wrong answers.   Seems fair to me.

I also disagree that parents should just leave the schools alone to educate their kids.   Study after study shows the positive impact of parent involvement.  Perhaps some parents go overboard, but to use those extreme cases of  parenting to argue your point does not convince me.  [/quote]

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