Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did your DD tell you that she is not challenged and bored, or are you inferring that? The difference between P (38) and R (40) aren't huge, she might be bored and unchallenged in the R group too.

She was given an 80-page chapter book the first day their group met and was asked to read the first few chapters. She took the initiative to finish that day and complained to me that it was too easy and boring. She has been reading chapter books for almost a year in S-T range. Also, we'd hired a reading tutor over the summer who a resource teacher at a nearby school. She assessed her at S. Mostly trying to determine the best way to broach this with the teacher in a thoughtful and collaborative manner.

why a tutor over summer?

This started when DD's reading teacher was sick for a month last Spring. She was given a Chromebook and didn't have a reading class during that time. Even when the teacher wasn't absent it was common for her to only have a reading group once a week since she was in the highest group.

At that point, we felt a tutor was in her best interests since the school was dropping the ball. It ended up being 8 one hour sessions spread out over the summer. It probably wouldn't have been necessary if the school brought in a substitute when the teacher was absent or ensured every group met twice a week.

It is unfortunate when things like this happen. Our kids deserve better.

Disagree. OP's DC was fine before OP had a tutor for her and is fine now. It's unfortunate when life happens, but it doesn't harm kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did your DD tell you that she is not challenged and bored, or are you inferring that? The difference between P (38) and R (40) aren't huge, she might be bored and unchallenged in the R group too.

She was given an 80-page chapter book the first day their group met and was asked to read the first few chapters. She took the initiative to finish that day and complained to me that it was too easy and boring. She has been reading chapter books for almost a year in S-T range. Also, we'd hired a reading tutor over the summer who a resource teacher at a nearby school. She assessed her at S. Mostly trying to determine the best way to broach this with the teacher in a thoughtful and collaborative manner.

why a tutor over summer?

This started when DD's reading teacher was sick for a month last Spring. She was given a Chromebook and didn't have a reading class during that time. Even when the teacher wasn't absent it was common for her to only have a reading group once a week since she was in the highest group.

At that point, we felt a tutor was in her best interests since the school was dropping the ball. It ended up being 8 one hour sessions spread out over the summer. It probably wouldn't have been necessary if the school brought in a substitute when the teacher was absent or ensured every group met twice a week.

It is unfortunate when things like this happen. Our kids deserve better.

Anonymous wrote:Is she shy at all or struggle with expressing herself verbally?

She is quiet and a bit shy with peers not in class. She is articulate and loves to participate. The teacher says she's even a strong leader. She consistently has the highest dojo point total in her class as well.

Is she shy at all or struggle with expressing herself verbally?

Anonymous wrote:mClass only goes up to level P. That said, my child was assessed, and it stated on her report card, that she read at level S at end of second grade. Her MAP score is lower than OP's. Is it possible that writing is the issue? I thought they were trying to move away from that being a barrier this year with the move to Lexiles?

OP here. I'm no expert but I don't think writing is the issue. She gets A's and accolades on every paper she brings home. She has a solid working knowledge of grammar and punctuation that to me at least is remarkable for an 8-year-old.

mClass only goes up to level P. That said, my child was assessed, and it stated on her report card, that she read at level S at end of second grade. Her MAP score is lower than OP's. Is it possible that writing is the issue? I thought they were trying to move away from that being a barrier this year with the move to Lexiles?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did your DD tell you that she is not challenged and bored, or are you inferring that? The difference between P (38) and R (40) aren't huge, she might be bored and unchallenged in the R group too.

She was given an 80-page chapter book the first day their group met and was asked to read the first few chapters. She took the initiative to finish that day and complained to me that it was too easy and boring. She has been reading chapter books for almost a year in S-T range. Also, we'd hired a reading tutor over the summer who a resource teacher at a nearby school. She assessed her at S. Mostly trying to determine the best way to broach this with the teacher in a thoughtful and collaborative manner.

why a tutor over summer?

This started when DD reading teacher was sick for a month last Spring. She was given a Chromebook and didn't have a reading class during that time. Even when the teacher wasn't absent it was common for her to only have a reading group once a week since she was in the highest group.

At that point, we felt a tutor was in her best interests since the school was dropping the ball. It ended up being 8 one hour sessions spread out over the summer. It probably wouldn't have been necessary if the school brought in a substitute when the teacher was absent or ensured every group met twice a week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this OP illustrates a lot of the challenges MCPS is dealing with:

1. The danger of a little bit of knowledge - Mclass and MAP are not measuring exactly the same skill set, and Mclass is arguably a more nuanced tool than MAP for determining reading group.

2. Parents overly invested in student ranking

3. Parent using private tutors to push a pretty normal kid ahead, and then complaining that they weren't able to buy their way into the desired ranking

4. Using private tutors and then complaining that MCPS isn't willing to teach beyond the curriculum just because parents moved their child more quickly by paying for that curriculum to be delivered on an expedited basis

You must be fun at parties!

Many busy parents don't have time to read with their kids every night and might outsource that to reduce the effects of summer slide.

I worked as a reading specialist for the county before retiring. The OP's concerns about Mclass aren't unfounded. It is often not administered correctly or thoroughly. Most often it involves a student reading a single short story and answering one or two questions. This is not exactly a thorough or reliable assessment.

It doesn't sound like OP's kid has any problem reading on her own though - why would they need to micro-manage it? Just make sure books are available.

Anonymous wrote:I think this OP illustrates a lot of the challenges MCPS is dealing with:

1. The danger of a little bit of knowledge - Mclass and MAP are not measuring exactly the same skill set, and Mclass is arguably a more nuanced tool than MAP for determining reading group.

2. Parents overly invested in student ranking

3. Parent using private tutors to push a pretty normal kid ahead, and then complaining that they weren't able to buy their way into the desired ranking

4. Using private tutors and then complaining that MCPS isn't willing to teach beyond the curriculum just because parents moved their child more quickly by paying for that curriculum to be delivered on an expedited basis

You must be fun at parties!

Many busy parents don't have time to read with their kids every night and might outsource that to reduce the effects of summer slide.

I worked as a reading specialist for the county before retiring. The OP's concerns about Mclass aren't unfounded. It is often not administered correctly or thoroughly. Most often it involves a student reading a single short story and answering one or two questions. This is not exactly a thorough or reliable assessment.

No harm in requesting your child be moved to the highest reading group. The teacher probably has to balance group sizes, etc and needs a little prodding to stick to academic priorities

My children always read at a much higher level than anyone in their class. Their school does not let students go to a different grade for that, because the principal, a former math teacher, said that children should only read grade-appropriate texts (she wasn't happy that my kids and others were reading Harry Potter in Kindergarten and first grade). However, she lets students go to different grades for advanced math...

Anyway. It doesn't really matter, OP. My middle schooler is very appreciated by his teachers now for his wide culture and knowledge, all because of his omnivorous reading. Elementary school is not the end-all, be-all, and intellectuals will be recognized better the further up the grades they go.

More and more, I see the value of not reporting reading levels in grades 3-5.

I also see the value of having no leveled reading groups, as some teachers/schools do.

I think this OP illustrates a lot of the challenges MCPS is dealing with:

1. The danger of a little bit of knowledge - Mclass and MAP are not measuring exactly the same skill set, and Mclass is arguably a more nuanced tool than MAP for determining reading group.

2. Parents overly invested in student ranking

3. Parent using private tutors to push a pretty normal kid ahead, and then complaining that they weren't able to buy their way into the desired ranking

4. Using private tutors and then complaining that MCPS isn't willing to teach beyond the curriculum just because parents moved their child more quickly by paying for that curriculum to be delivered on an expedited basis

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did your DD tell you that she is not challenged and bored, or are you inferring that? The difference between P (38) and R (40) aren't huge, she might be bored and unchallenged in the R group too.

She was given an 80-page chapter book the first day their group met and was asked to read the first few chapters. She took the initiative to finish that day and complained to me that it was too easy and boring. She has been reading chapter books for almost a year in S-T range. Also, we'd hired a reading tutor over the summer who a resource teacher at a nearby school. She assessed her at S. Mostly trying to determine the best way to broach this with the teacher in a thoughtful and collaborative manner.

why a tutor over summer?

prepping for magnet, obviously.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did your DD tell you that she is not challenged and bored, or are you inferring that? The difference between P (38) and R (40) aren't huge, she might be bored and unchallenged in the R group too.

She was given an 80-page chapter book the first day their group met and was asked to read the first few chapters. She took the initiative to finish that day and complained to me that it was too easy and boring. She has been reading chapter books for almost a year in S-T range. Also, we'd hired a reading tutor over the summer who a resource teacher at a nearby school. She assessed her at S. Mostly trying to determine the best way to broach this with the teacher in a thoughtful and collaborative manner.

why a tutor over summer?

Anonymous wrote:Did your DD tell you that she is not challenged and bored, or are you inferring that? The difference between P (38) and R (40) aren't huge, she might be bored and unchallenged in the R group too.

She was given an 80-page chapter book the first day their group met and was asked to read the first few chapters. She took the initiative to finish that day and complained to me that it was too easy and boring. She has been reading chapter books for almost a year in S-T range. Also, we'd hired a reading tutor over the summer who a resource teacher at a nearby school. She assessed her at S. Mostly trying to determine the best way to broach this with the teacher in a thoughtful and collaborative manner.