Anonymous
Post 03/28/2025 06:58     Subject: Re:Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:if you are talking about public school, yes, it's pretty easy to get As and Bs without much effort.


Yes public school. So you think something’s up if a kid can’t get those grades?


Can't or won't? There are a lot of kids who show up at school, wander the hallways, and sleep through classes. Technically they're in school but they aren't doing much work or putting in effort. How many unexcused tardies does this kid have? What's his daily average screen time number?


Nothing like that, as I said we discussed an average middle class kid.
We didn’t discuss screen time but let’s assume he has dedicated hw time?
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2025 06:31     Subject: Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
My kid is only in 8th in APS, but he’s never gotten a c, barely a b, and does what I’d consider almost no work.
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2025 06:30     Subject: Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
Anonymous wrote:Some kids dislike school and aren’t interested in the subject matter, thus get Cs. There’s no hidden issue.

This. Some stuff is just boring
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2025 06:29     Subject: Re:Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:if you are talking about public school, yes, it's pretty easy to get As and Bs without much effort.


Yes public school. So you think something’s up if a kid can’t get those grades?


Can't or won't? There are a lot of kids who show up at school, wander the hallways, and sleep through classes. Technically they're in school but they aren't doing much work or putting in effort. How many unexcused tardies does this kid have? What's his daily average screen time number?
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2025 06:06     Subject: Re:Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:if you are talking about public school, yes, it's pretty easy to get As and Bs without much effort.


Yes public school. So you think something’s up if a kid can’t get those grades?



Yes.
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2025 05:23     Subject: Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
Anonymous wrote:It’s not that simple. Some kids are smart and good grades came easily then high school ratcheted up and they don’t have good study skills. Some kids don’t turn their homework for whatever reason. Some kids have parents who have never instilled that their job is to study, pay attention in class and do their best. Finally, some kids have a leaning disability that no one has paid attention to.


Let’s take a typical middle class family for our purposes, where school is important and parents more or less make sure that the hw is turned in.
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2025 04:09     Subject: Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
It’s not that simple. Some kids are smart and good grades came easily then high school ratcheted up and they don’t have good study skills. Some kids don’t turn their homework for whatever reason. Some kids have parents who have never instilled that their job is to study, pay attention in class and do their best. Finally, some kids have a leaning disability that no one has paid attention to.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 23:38     Subject: Re:Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:if you are talking about public school, yes, it's pretty easy to get As and Bs without much effort.


Yes public school. So you think something’s up if a kid can’t get those grades?


I don’t know any public schools where they just give out As and Bs if the student doesn’t do the work. I would ask them to have him evaluated to see if anything is in his way and he could benefit from extra help.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 22:46     Subject: Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
Anonymous wrote:Apparent lack of motivation is often a sign of executive function issues (ADHD, often the inattentive kind), which makes students miss information, forget to hand in assignments, and which in turn triggers anxiety, depression and feelings of inadequacy. This makes *some* of them pretend they don't care, because everyone else thinks they don't care, and they can't figure out why they don't have their own act together.

All this to say... sometimes it's really tricky to assess what's actually "couldn't give a rat's ass" and what's ADHD that can be medicated and coached.

I have kids in college and high school. 100% of the kids we know who "didn't care" ended up being diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety, and for some of them, dyslexia or dyscalculia or other issues like low processing speed. My oldest being one of them.




Where would you start about being diagnosed? Pediatrician, school or specialized center?
Thanks
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 22:45     Subject: Re:Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
Anonymous wrote:if you are talking about public school, yes, it's pretty easy to get As and Bs without much effort.


Yes public school. So you think something’s up if a kid can’t get those grades?
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 22:39     Subject: Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
Some kids dislike school and aren’t interested in the subject matter, thus get Cs. There’s no hidden issue.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 20:51     Subject: Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
20:49 again. I agree that having anything less than Bs in an average American high school means there's some sort of problem. It's really easy to get As and Bs, even in advanced subjects.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 20:50     Subject: Re:Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
if you are talking about public school, yes, it's pretty easy to get As and Bs without much effort.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 20:49     Subject: Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
Apparent lack of motivation is often a sign of executive function issues (ADHD, often the inattentive kind), which makes students miss information, forget to hand in assignments, and which in turn triggers anxiety, depression and feelings of inadequacy. This makes *some* of them pretend they don't care, because everyone else thinks they don't care, and they can't figure out why they don't have their own act together.

All this to say... sometimes it's really tricky to assess what's actually "couldn't give a rat's ass" and what's ADHD that can be medicated and coached.

I have kids in college and high school. 100% of the kids we know who "didn't care" ended up being diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety, and for some of them, dyslexia or dyscalculia or other issues like low processing speed. My oldest being one of them.


Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 20:40     Subject: Is getting grades below B normal or is it a sign of something going on?
If a middle class student from a functional family with no apparent LDs and reasonably intelligent (say, IQ above 120) is getting Cs in HS in several subjects (including Gen Ed classes), would you think they are just not motivated or would you look for hidden LDs?

I’ve had a conversation with someone who said any reasonably intelligent kid will get As and Bs in HS, at least in regular classes, and there’s something going on if they don’t (like ADHD or dyslexia). My take, however, is that some kids just aren’t motivated enough to care.

What does everyone think?