Reply to Ranking in everything but academics

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[quote=Anonymous]Schools could choose to reward kids for academics without using numeric rankings. Teachers for each grade could choose academic "most improved" awards, "best language arts student," and so on, if they wanted to make that effort. But ranking? Yikes! Elementary schools do not keep grade point averages, and GPAs are how high schools come up with those numeric ranks they give students, especially seniors. Don't pile on and ask elementary schools to start somehow compiling an elementary version of GPAs -- it would only worsen the already competitive atmosphere that sadly is present in elementary schools around here.

I do think that some form of recognition for academics would be good, and I do get tired of seeing sports in particular treated like it's the end-all and be-all of kids' achievement -- but usually those sports awards at elementary level are confined to the kids' sports teams and their events, not given AT school for athletic performance at school (at least, not at our school or any I've heard of).

But if any elementary school is handing out awards etc. at some year-end school event, that school also should recognize academics in some way. But ranks and points aren't going to work.

I suspect that elementary teachers usually don't want to "go there" and give academic awards based on the teachers' judgements, for fear that parents will start asking, "How did that kid get it? What were the criteria? My little Johnny had A's all year and he didn't get it. Why? Is this playing favorites?" Pitiful, but there you have it. When we were kids, there were academic awards at this level -- no big thing, just the teachers' decisions on "Best Math Student," "Best Art Student," "Best Overall Improvement" etc. at year's end -- but back then, and in that part of the country, parents weren't as competitive or demanding of teachers as they are here and now.[/quote]

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