We had parent teacher conference and our child is above math language arts etc. all glowing- report card? Mostly 3s.. isn't the conference to give us an idea of the quarter? Not if the teacher says it's all great and highest everything. DD has always had 4s so this was strange- also maxed out on DRA testing - but this very inexperienced teacher. Sigh- gonna be a tough year.

Anonymous wrote:So, is there a reason why a student would get a 3 in a subject if every paper that has come home in that subject (schoolwork and tests) have all been 4s? This happened to our DC and DC doesn't understand why a 3 was given when only 4s have been earned on all work that we've seen come home or that is remember by DC. This doesn't seem fair or reasonable.

The actual subject grade is an effort grade and the subsets are the mastery grades. Read the report card. So your kid could master the material, but isn't putting forth the perceived amount of effort to do so, and receive all 4s for the subsets and 3s on the actual subject grade. One of my kid's report cards always looks like that.

Strangely though, only the final subject effort grade is used to calculate the presidential certificate given at the end of sixth grade, not the subset grades that are reoated to mastery.

It is a stupid everyone's a winner type report card.

Anonymous wrote:So, is there a reason why a student would get a 3 in a subject if every paper that has come home in that subject (schoolwork and tests) have all been 4s? This happened to our DC and DC doesn't understand why a 3 was given when only 4s have been earned on all work that we've seen come home or that is remember by DC. This doesn't seem fair or reasonable.

Why not talk to the teacher?

So, is there a reason why a student would get a 3 in a subject if every paper that has come home in that subject (schoolwork and tests) have all been 4s? This happened to our DC and DC doesn't understand why a 3 was given when only 4s have been earned on all work that we've seen come home or that is remember by DC. This doesn't seem fair or reasonable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3 is "meets grade level expectations consistently." 4 is "consistently EXCEEDS grade level expectations." It's based on Common Core standards.

It's crazy... a student can get 100% on a test that measures standards for her grade, and get a 3. The only real way to get a 4 is to present the child with above-grade level material, and not all teachers do that.

This is not true in FCPS.
This outlines the markings in FCPS:
4-Consistently demonstrates concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter
3-Usually demonstrates concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter
2-Sometimes demonstrates concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter
1-Seldom demonstrates concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter

That makes more sense.

Anonymous wrote:3 is "meets grade level expectations consistently." 4 is "consistently EXCEEDS grade level expectations." It's based on Common Core standards.

It's crazy... a student can get 100% on a test that measures standards for her grade, and get a 3. The only real way to get a 4 is to present the child with above-grade level material, and not all teachers do that.

This is not true in FCPS.
This outlines the markings in FCPS:
4-Consistently demonstrates concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter
3-Usually demonstrates concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter
2-Sometimes demonstrates concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter
1-Seldom demonstrates concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter

Anonymous wrote:3 is "meets grade level expectations consistently." 4 is "consistently EXCEEDS grade level expectations." It's based on Common Core standards.

It's crazy... a student can get 100% on a test that measures standards for her grade, and get a 3. The only real way to get a 4 is to present the child with above-grade level material, and not all teachers do that.

Doesn't that assume that getting 100% is the grade level expectation. Perhaps it's not.

Anonymous wrote:3 is "meets grade level expectations consistently." 4 is "consistently EXCEEDS grade level expectations." It's based on Common Core standards.

It's crazy... a student can get 100% on a test that measures standards for her grade, and get a 3. The only real way to get a 4 is to present the child with above-grade level material, and not all teachers do that.

This is correct, although it seems some teachers are misapplying it.

It's called Standards Based Grading.

"Standards-based grading uses a 1-to-4 scale, which corresponds to the four outcomes on state tests: does not meet, partially meets, meets or exceeds standards."

As defined, the only way for a student to receive a 4 is to show he or she can exceed grade-level standards.

PP here ^ - my child is not gifted or advanced. Just a regular kid. Won't be in AAP, pretty sure. NNAT was not in pool. Again, 4's cannot be exceed grade level.

Anonymous wrote:3 is "meets grade level expectations consistently." 4 is "consistently EXCEEDS grade level expectations." It's based on Common Core standards.

It's crazy... a student can get 100% on a test that measures standards for her grade, and get a 3. The only real way to get a 4 is to present the child with above-grade level material, and not all teachers do that.

This can't be right. My child just got all 4s except for in art and I have not seen her do anything above grade level. In fact her brother who is in 1st can and does do her homework (I make a copy). I actually wanted to ask the teacher for harder work but didn't want to be that mom so I haven't. I'm actually disappointed in how easy the work is.

3 is "meets grade level expectations consistently." 4 is "consistently EXCEEDS grade level expectations." It's based on Common Core standards.

It's crazy... a student can get 100% on a test that measures standards for her grade, and get a 3. The only real way to get a 4 is to present the child with above-grade level material, and not all teachers do that.

I had a teacher tell me at a parent-teacher conference that everything was fine and DS was doing great. Then the following week, the report card turned up with 1s and 2s on it. Of course, that resulted in another conference. Now I always ask "Will there be anything less than 3 on the report card?". My impression is that most teachers give 3s in the first quarter unless the child is way ahead of the curve.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:and any parent who gets too wigged out about ELEMENTARY school grades needs to take a step back.

Not the OP, but I don't see wigged out. I see someone trying to make sense of the new report card format. Which is confusing at best.

It's not exactly a new format as it has been around for a few years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grades don't really matter for elementary school.

Unless they are telling you that you DC is falling behind or missing key concepts. That's something you probably want to address sooner, rather than later.

Yes, agreed, but the difference between a 3 and a 4 is not that important. To a certain extent, grades are somewhat subjective, simply because they are assigned by human beings. Generally, teachers will contact parents when kids are falling behind or seriously struggling.

Anonymous wrote:Grades don't really matter for elementary school.

Unless they are telling you that you DC is falling behind or missing key concepts. That's something you probably want to address sooner, rather than later.