Also, I'll add that MCPS no longer reports your kids' reading level after 4th grade.

It just says At/Below/Above Reading level.

They stopped actually providing a letter this year (which our CES teacher thought was ridiculous, but you can guess how much weight MCPS gives to teacher opinions).

We are at a CES and I'll agree that there are no reading groups.

The teacher gives several book options, and your kid picks one to read/analyze.

Anonymous wrote:Do they rely on group editing to the extent they did in 2nd and 3rd?

I'm sure this varies from school to school, and also varies in terms of what your experience has been in 2nd and 3rd. I feel my DD has gotten a good amount of feedback from the teacher. They do use google classroom a lot and the teacher can provide comments electronically so I think that's how many of the drafts are done. We receive the final product home but not earlier drafts. We have received rubrics with grades for each of 4-5 goals/standards, and written comments. I have seen exercises where the kids have to correct the grammar of a sentence but not a whole lot of detailed editing. I really don't know what my kid was getting in 2nd and 3rd though. I never perceived a problem with it.

Do they rely on group editing to the extent they did in 2nd and 3rd?

Anonymous wrote:My DD also does not have reading groups. They choose between the books offered and whoever is reading the same book is in the same group for that period. They do give the kids the lexile levels of the books when choosing.

Same. Groups switch for each book based on who chooses to read what. Teachers sometimes suggest one to my DD saying they think she’ll like it. They do not seem to choose based on wanting to be in a group with a particular friend/other student.

My DD also does not have reading groups. They choose between the books offered and whoever is reading the same book is in the same group for that period. They do give the kids the lexile levels of the books when choosing.

Anonymous wrote:Our CES didn't't have groups, since the kids are all at the same (high) level.

That's true at ours as well.

For what it's worth, our non-CES school is doing the enriched language arts curriculum and they don't have reading groups.

The whole enriched class is one "reading group."

There is very little small group instruction and when there is the groups are really random. As an example, DD is working on biographies and the kids got to choose their authors. I don't how many choices there were but let's say 4. So the teacher would meet with each of those 4 groups separately. DD has said the groups form really organically, tend to be mixed by gender and it's really rare for friends to choose the same book. The kids select what interests them.

Everyone is in compacted math in DC's CES.

No reading or math groups at DC's CES. Reading level is not a thing in the program. They don't test for it. They just assume everyone is a top reader for the grade and assign the work accordingly.

I know there are a handful of kids have trouble keeping up, but I've never heard of anyone feeling under challenged.

Our CES does not have clear tracking. There are groups, but they switch up and do not appear to be based on ability but rather on getting kids to socialize outside their home school group and across gender lines.

We were told at the CES meeting that the teachers at the new school will use the 3rd grade teacher's recommendation for the math group (on-level 4th or compacted 4/5). They didn't discuss reading groups. It kind of sounded like everyone is going to be treated the same for reading.

Our CES didn't't have groups, since the kids are all at the same (high) level.

The 3rd grade report only indicates enrichment in math and above-grade level in reading. Does the 3rd grade teacher have information beyond that, such as a letter level for reading? Do they go by MAP score?

Thanks.