My DCs don't earn straight As. They also don't test at levels that match their verbal/reading/writing skills (I suspect their math scores are roughly accurate, however) or their general intelligence. But they are near the top of their classes at our low-moderate FARMS ES and have been for years. I'm grateful that they're being graded accurately on assessments and being shown where there is room for improvement.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are new to MCPS and assuming everyone has all As in all subjects. Sucks the joy out of it.

Do you want a curve? Why?

I get that the assumption is grade inflation. But ES is not hard, and this is an educated area: at least in theory, everybody could have mastered the grade standards. Should they not then have As for hitting that mark?

If Meeting minimum standards for grade level proficiency is an A and a child who is regularly receiving enrichment two grade levels above current grade is also A, the A range is huge and it’s not particularly informative.

If a third grader is doing A-quality work in third grade, they should get an A. Performance in ES is measured against a standard, not against your peers.
If a classmate is working at a fifth grade level in some areas, that advanced kid's special recognition is that he gets (and can make use of) that special enrichment. His parents know about it, so there's no information issue. His classmates also know it, so he gets to feel like the smart kid. There's no need to devalue the A the other kids earned.

None of the above is about equity, tbc. We do not need to lower the standards for who gets an A. But if it's the case that every third grader in a class has mastered the material that third graders are supposed to master -- that is a success! It is not a cause for complaint.

Anonymous wrote:It's ES. Grades don't matter so long as the kids are trying. MAP testing will show you what's up.

People aren't asking about grades because they're worried about college admissions. They're just trying to understand if they're accurate.
And MAP shows you nothing about writing skills.

It's ES. Grades don't matter so long as the kids are trying. MAP testing will show you what's up.

My kid got straight D’s in second grade. 3rd and 4th grade they’ve been almost straight A’s. All the standardized tests demonstrate A level, so I’m not worried about grade inflation.

My older child is in private so I know most private elementary elems even give letter grades, just narrative reports