EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
KID
QUIPS
During last July’s 5.8 earthquake, 3-year-old Bronwyn told her 1-year-old sister, “We’re going for a wiggle.” READ MORE
Middle Years
|
||||
|
If your child attends a public school, you may have noticed something a little different about his report card. The new Standards Based Report Card that many public schools have adopted no longer uses just several letter grades for math, spelling, social studies and other subjects. In its place are numerical grades (with a 1 to 4 ranking) for areas such as "Literary Response and Analysis" or "Statistical, Data Analysis, and Probability." Third-graders are even graded on "Algebra and Function." While these new report cards provide valuable information, as a parent I wondered why the format was changed. Most principals and teachers agree that even though the new report cards may be confusing at first, they are an improvement over the old system. "Since the new grading system is tied to the California standards, we actually have a better method for measuring what children need to know - not what they don't know," says Kelly McAmis, principal of Marshall Elementary School in Garden Grove. The new report card not only gives a clear message to parents about what their children know, what they are able to do and what they need in relation to the standards, it also shows a higher level of consistency in scoring among teachers and across grade levels. California's academic standards in reading, math, English, science and history are among the most demanding in the nation. McAmis admits that these rigorous standards prompted her to make many changes at her school. "We have gotten rid of the fluff and now focus on the basics," she says. "We limit assemblies and in the kindergarten rooms you'll see spelling lists and word walls in place of paint and pictures with cotton balls." McAmis' efforts have paid off after her school went from being average two years ago to the top 40 percent of California's schools in last year's standardized testing. With a more difficult curriculum and report card grades covering approximately 50 different areas, it's easy to see how some kids become stressed. That's why parents should not overreact if a child brings home a report card with less-than-stellar grades. "When parents review their child's report card, they should always focus on the positive aspect of the report and should assure them of their support and love regardless of the grades," says Linda Burgos, a fourth/fifth grade teacher at John Peterson Elementary School in Huntington Beach. "After this type of discussion, it's then possible to start some meaningful dialogue with the child about reasons for the poor grades and methods for improving them." A mother from Newport Beach ran into this when her 11-year-old son brought home a report grade with three C's and two "1's," which according to the state's achievement rating means the student is not meeting particular standards. "What bothered me the most was that both my son and I thought he really put forth good effort, but he still received these low grades," she says. Most teachers stress that the grades in a report card should not come as a surprise to students and their parents. After all, if the child and parent see specific grades on tests and projects, it's usually fairly obvious what grade will appear on the report card. According to McAmis, since her school's new Standards Based Report Cards are directly correlated to the state standards, grading has become more objective and fair. "Since both the student and the parents are familiar with each of the standards, it's easier for them to set goals to achieve better grades." Three-way communication between the child, parent and teacher is the best way to prevent unpleasant surprises when report cards are handed out. The schools that succeed in improving test scores spend time teaching the parents about the standards and how the report cards reflect these standards. "A priority of ours was to educate parents in every way possible about the standards and our new report cards," says McAmis. "We knew that the only way our students would meet the standards was if their parents embraced the standards themselves." Carol Daus is a freelance writer who lives in Huntington Beach with her husband and three children. Report card tips • Talk with your child on a regular basis about her grades on tests, quizzes and homework. • Focus on the positive aspects of the report card, even if strong marks are in citizenship or physical education. • If grades decline, look at the child's extracurricular activities and consider cutting back to devote more time to schoolwork. • Encourage children to ask for help because even top students can improve. • If you are especially concerned, arrange a conference with the teacher. - For information on Content Standards for California's public schools, visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/standards/. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This ArticleSEARCH THE SITE
