Experienced Moms -- Do I need to say something about this report card?

[anonomom]

DD1's final kindergarten report card came home today, and it was...perplexing. She was graded at grade level for all subjects except reading and writing (where she was graded above grade level). When we had our teacher conference in April, she showed us the end-of-year expectations for the kids in Math, and DD exceeded all of them, by far. The kid can do division and multiplication in her head, for heaven's sake! To me, that means her report card should have reflected that she's above grade level.

On the one hand, I assume a kindergarten report card doesn't mean much, so it's tempting to keep my mouth shut. On the other hand, I want DD's records to reflect her abilities accurately, in case those kinds of things are considered for teacher placement, later chances at G&T programs, etc. But I'm the first to admit I know diddly squat about how these things work. Is it worth saying something?

[mom2binsd]

Do they get a number grade in K?

Here for the elementary grades there are given a

3 - Consistent mastery of standards
2 - Developing skills and concepts of the standards
1 - Needs continuous teacher support to meet standards


Within each subject area are + (consistently observed), / (sometimes observed), - (seldom observed).

She's doing great and it sounds like it said that, if it said above grade level. Most report cards just show whether they are meeting the standards and nobody other than parents really scrutinize it too much. For placement in the next grade they go on teacher comments to the administration not report cards.

I don't see anything out of the ordinary with what you received. My DS just finished K, he is reading at an early 2nd grade level, but his report card only said "3", meaning he's mastered the K standards.

Also for G&T programs they do their own testing...

[crl]

Here the assements that are reflected in the report card end at the grade level skill as I understand it. So even though the report card has a number (rather than a letter) assigned for above grade level, in practice that number is almost never used simply because the test the number is based on doesn't test for above grade level skills. Does that make sense? I think if you want to know, you should ask.

Catherine

[wellyes]

Is there a ranking above "at grade level" that she didn't achieve, or did she get the highest standard score?

[anonomom]

They're graded from 1-4, with 3 being "at grade level," 3* being "at grade level with evidence of application," and 4 being "exceeds grade level." She got a 3* in math, 3s in social studies and science, and 4s in reading and writing. The social studies and science grades don't bug me, but the math sure does. She started Kindergarten with all of the grade-level targets met, is well beyond them now, and the teacher knows it.

[Dcclerk]

It may be that she is capable of doing some things well above her grade level in math, but not all things. My DS was like your DD in Kinder and could multiply and divide. However, there were some concepts that we never thought to teach him that were considered part of the next grade level. He didn't qualify as above grade level because he didn't know these other aspects of math at the time they tested him.

For us, it was no big deal because our district is too small for GATE classes. It was just helpful for us to know why they didn't mark him as exceeding his grade level in a subject I know he naturally gets. Is that a possible explanation?

[KpbS]

Perhaps you had a similar experience as we did in kindy with DS1's report card. They were rated on a scaled that had 3 levels--exposed to a concept, working on a concept, or mastered a concept. DS1 had mastered many of the benchmark K skills before the middle of semester and certainly at the end but the teacher didn't mark all of these as mastered in part I feel b/c it would not have shown "progress", kwim? Frustrating, but in the end completely irrelevant IMO. DS1's standardized testing this year speaks for itself ;)

[KrisM]

It may be that she is capable of doing some things well above her grade level in math, but not all things. My DS was like your DD in Kinder and could multiply and divide. However, there were some concepts that we never thought to teach him that were considered part of the next grade level. He didn't qualify as above grade level because he didn't know these other aspects of math at the time they tested him.

For us, it was no big deal because our district is too small for GATE classes. It was just helpful for us to know why they didn't mark him as exceeding his grade level in a subject I know he naturally gets. Is that a possible explanation?

DS1 is very good in math. Until this fall, he always had a 4, on a similar scale as yours. This year, he had a 3 in the fall because part of it was being able to explain concepts to others and he was getting flustered doing that and making mistakes. Maybe there is another part that is not just the knowledge that is included in the grade.

[Katigre]

No, say nothing. Unless you are in an uber competitive school the K report card will not relate to tracking or G&T programs.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I wouldn't. Like others have said, math isn't just computation and maybe she is at grade level for things like time, shapes, money...

At our school, report cards really don;t weigh into g&t.

[anonomom]

Thanks, all. You guys were right -- I was just talking to some IRL moms at our school, and they said the report cards don't matter for anything later on. With that the case, I'm going to calm down, forget kindergarten and look forward to summer vacation!