I don't think the report card can answer this question.

How old is your child? Do they like school? Do they talk about what they're learning?

DCPS ES teacher and parent here.

What grade is your child in? Why do you think your child is not being challenged? What evidence do you have? What do you think the teacher should be doing?

Many children are above grade level in elementary school. A 4 on the report card means whatever the teacher decides it to mean. It should be something like the student went above and beyond grade level, scoring 90% or more on all assessments.

I think you should go talk to the teacher.

Anonymous wrote:Grades in DCPS ES are generally not very helpful unless your kid is really struggling in something. Just go meet with the teacher- its afar more helpful.

I'd take DCPS ES grades with a grain of salt, or a bag of salt. I'd also think twice about what teachers are telling you post Covid.

Our kid got all 4s in 3rd and 4th grade math at a DCPS ES where 5% of the students are at-risk. Same with ELA.

When we took our kid to our local Mathnasium for an assessment at the start of 5th grade we were told and shown, that she hadn't learned 4th grade math, along with some 3rd grade concepts. She's had intensive math tutoring to catch up for the entire school year. She's not only caught up now, she's ahead.

We've also hired a retired parochial school ELA teacher to tutor for ELA weekly this school year. The tutor showed us that our kid hadn't been taught to write grammatically or spell and punctuate anywhere near grade level. The tutor is expensive but worth every penny. We're done with DCPS as of June.

Anonymous wrote:DH has two teachers for parents, both public school. He says that he thinks DC has been well above grade level all year but that teachers default to "leaving room" for improvement on early year report cards so that they can show improvement at the end of the year, even for kids who are just well above grade level.

DH thinks the school could be doing a lot more to challenge DC

Both of these could be true. What grade is your child?

I have a child who has consistently performed well above grade level. In elementary school, I wasn't too worried about this -- he was fine academically, and more importantly, he was learning key social skills, and was happy and confident.

He didn't start to hit academic challenges until middle school accelerated programs -- and now is definitely being challenged, especially in math.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rather than the report card numbers you should look at the iReady data, Dibles score, reading level improvement, things like that. That is a more accurate measure of on grade/above grade.

Ok, thanks. Looking at the report card, DC's Dibels score moved from "on grade level" to "above grade level" from beginning to middle of year. According to the I-Ready math data, DC has been above grade level since the beginning of the year. So I guess that tracks a bit more with what my DH is saying (his primary concern is math, because he feels the school math is really remedial and DC should be doing a lot more).

Thank you for explaining that!

Honestly, and I'm not trying to be your typical DCUM obnoxious poster here, but that she is "above grade level" is really, really common. In fact, that she was ever "on grade level" would be below the average at least at our school. All of it is to say, your kid sounds like a totally normal, typically developing bright kid. Do not move her because your DH thinks he knows better.

Grades in DC elementaries mean almost nothing. Some teachers start everyone at all 3's in quarter one. Some don't.
Some get most kids to all 4s by the end of the year.
Some never give 4's at all.
It's completely and utterly random.

Yes - I 100% think the report cards are designed to show improvement throughout the year not actually where the student is. They are a major waste of time.

Anonymous wrote:Rather than the report card numbers you should look at the iReady data, Dibles score, reading level improvement, things like that. That is a more accurate measure of on grade/above grade.

Ok, thanks. Looking at the report card, DC's Dibels score moved from "on grade level" to "above grade level" from beginning to middle of year. According to the I-Ready math data, DC has been above grade level since the beginning of the year. So I guess that tracks a bit more with what my DH is saying (his primary concern is math, because he feels the school math is really remedial and DC should be doing a lot more).

Thank you for explaining that!

Rather than the report card numbers you should look at the iReady data, Dibles score, reading level improvement, things like that. That is a more accurate measure of on grade/above grade.

Our DCPS teachers definitely did this, going from 3s to 4s during the year, for both kids, even though one was ahead and one was behind. YMMV.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grades in DCPS ES are generally not very helpful unless your kid is really struggling in something. Just go meet with the teacher- its afar more helpful.

Makes sense but since my DH's position is that DC is just treading water and not really being challenged, I'm not sure how receptive the teacher will be to his framing

In the same position, what would you be looking for from the teacher or school? I guess what I'm really asking is if I'm being too relaxed about this, because I've been impressed with DC's progress this year but DH doesn't think the school is doing anything at all. I will agree that the school is a little worksheet-heavy, but otherwise have been happy. I feel like I could be naive though. I have one child and no background in education so I am probably a bit more reliant on the things the school tells me for context.

Ok, well I'd still go talk to the teacher and find out what they are learning. I obviously don't know your DH, but a lot of parents seem to measure growth the way you might do in the corporate world- looking at measurable KPI etc. That's now how it works for kids. They are growing in academics, yes, but also in small and gross motor function, increasing their social growth and empathy, learning how to navigate relationships, learning how to share, sing, paint, tie shoes, etc. Your DH sounds like he wants to see that she has learned X words, or has moved from an B to a G in the reading scale. That's one part of learning, but only a part.

I think looking at the test scores they share are a better guide. Grades will vary widely by school since principals often push teachers to give (or not give) certain grades.

Anonymous wrote:Grades in DCPS ES are generally not very helpful unless your kid is really struggling in something. Just go meet with the teacher- its afar more helpful.

Makes sense but since my DH's position is that DC is just treading water and not really being challenged, I'm not sure how receptive the teacher will be to his framing

In the same position, what would you be looking for from the teacher or school? I guess what I'm really asking is if I'm being too relaxed about this, because I've been impressed with DC's progress this year but DH doesn't think the school is doing anything at all. I will agree that the school is a little worksheet-heavy, but otherwise have been happy. I feel like I could be naive though. I have one child and no background in education so I am probably a bit more reliant on the things the school tells me for context.

Grades in DCPS ES are generally not very helpful unless your kid is really struggling in something. Just go meet with the teacher- its afar more helpful.

My spouse and I are having a debate. First year in DCPS elementary school.

We just got DC's Term 3 report card. For Terms 1 and 2, DC received 3s almost across the board, with a couple 4s in areas we know are strengths.

For Term 3, DC got 4s across the board.

I think this is an accurate reflection of DC's performance -- they started out the year on grade level but have absolutely soared academically in the last few months. Reading and math through the roof, real advancement in understand complex concepts, etc. I think this is partly due to a very experienced veteran teacher (who DC doesn't even like that much, but I think is very effective and really knows what she is doing) and partly just a timing thing, especially with reading, I think it just kind of started to click in March and there was a big jump.

DH has two teachers for parents, both public school. He says that he thinks DC has been well above grade level all year but that teachers default to "leaving room" for improvement on early year report cards so that they can show improvement at the end of the year, even for kids who are just well above grade level.

DH thinks the school could be doing a lot more to challenge DC and that we need to explore other options, including private, whereas I feel like DC is doing great and this school is more than meeting academic needs.

If you've had a child in DCPS for multiple years (and especially if you've had multiple kids for a larger sample size) what's your read on this?