Test for my 6th grader... highest class grade: 65%..WWYD? *UPDATE post 17*

[Mackenzie]

My daughter just had her first science test of the year... She comes to show it to me and prefaces with "you arent going to be too thrilled but it was the second highest grade in the class" (GirlChild knows I am all about perspective... )

She had a 60%. She tells me the main reason is that she didn't study the one page with the majority of the info on it... Was told to do the other pages in the packet.

I asked her what the highest grade achieved was and she tells me 65%.

They have the opportunity to earn 10 more points if they have a parent sign it, and add comments and return it. I feel like adding something to the effect of "while we feel that it is ultimately Xitlaly's responsibility to adequately study the material, we are a bit concerned that the highest grade earned was only a 65%"


IDK... we just moved in to this district...one of the reasons was for better schools but I'm not feeling it yet (my 1st graders teacher quit one week into school, the 1st and 4th graders were 35 mins late getting home on the bus because they (the school) didnt get their stuff right until after school, and other little things)

[aprons_and_acorns]

Yikes! That's not a very encouraging way to start the year.


Two thoughts came into mind when I read your post.

1) Some teachers are not good at writing/preparing kids for tests, and that is unfair to the students.

2) My freshman year of HS I had a similar start to biology. Our first test/lab report was a disaster for the whole class. The teacher had very high standards for her students and until her class science was not really very challenging so most of us coasted through. Once we figured out we weren't in Kansas anymore we worked smarter and the grades started to go up and up, and I ended up with A's and B's along with many of the other students. Looking back she was a GREAT teacher and I am so glad I had the chance to be really, thoroughly challenged so I was ready for advanced science classes and eventually college. And she was tough but always there for us, even on the night before midterms when we sat in a circle around the phone with her on speakerphone giving us a last-minute study session.



So I would say if at all possible it might be worthwhile to ask around (other parents or older students) about the particular teacher, whether your daughter's situation might be more likely to fall into the first or second catagory! Either way, I hope the next test will be better.

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

I'm guessing this is early in the year, yes? I would say that both students and teachers need to get used to each other early on. And teachers sometimes make mistakes in what they think the class should understand and they get a wake-up call from those first tests. If you are lucky, the teacher is now realiizing that she didn't teach this material as well as she thought and/or the class wasn't where she expected to begin with. A good teacher will take this information and revamp her lesson plans accordingly. Everyone, including teachers, deserve a second chance.

Or this could be the type of teacher who thinks that no one should ever get 100% but in the end will give high grades for lower percentages.

Of course, this could also be a bad teacher who delights in discouraging students and/or won't recognize that it was at least partially her fault the whole class did poorly.

And at the moment its probably pretty hard for you to tell what you have. I think you proposed note is just fine as a note of concern. Then I'd watch the homework and lessons that come home between now and the next test, and then see how the next test goes. If things seem to be changing, then you are good. If not, then you need to figure out the next step. But one test seems too early to do anything other than show some concern and wait to see what happens next.

[EFmom]

I wouldn't get into it with the teacher yet. As a pp mentioned, it may be the teacher's way of getting the students' attention, or emphasizing that they need to study a certain way or review.

I watch what goes on from here to see if it's ongoing.

[whatsnextmom]

I'd be more concerned if this was a pattern than if this were the first test.

It could be the teacher expected her new students to have more of a base knowledge in certain areas of science than they had... particularly if this is the 1st year in a middle school. The skipped page with most the info may have been a page she felt "should" be review. I know this happened when DD was in 8th grade and got a history teacher new to the school. The first test, all but DD bombed because they hadn't been given the history education he was used to in his other school. My DD did well on the test but only because she has done extensive research in history independantly over the years. This teacher ended up being awesome... tough, but the best teacher DD ever had. I wouldn't be surprised if the next test goes better (and the work load go up) in this class.

[tanyalynn]

I had a couple teachers, admittedly in high school, who deliberately wrote very challenging tests and then graded on a curve (I think modified curve sometimes). Once we understood that no one was actually going to get 100%, and often not 90% or 80%, we adjusted and it was fine.

[Mackenzie]

I know this isn't a curve situation.... She got all grading scale info at the start of school... I hope it's just a fluke...

[eepster]

Considering that september just started, could it be that this test was really about seeing where the students are at. The teacher may have deliberately set the ceiling of the test very high, so that she would see if any students were significantly beyond her normal curriculum.

[kathymuggle]

Originally Posted by Mackenzie

They have the opportunity to earn 10 more points if they have a parent sign it, and add comments and return it. I feel like adding something to the effect of "while we feel that it is ultimately Xitlaly's responsibility to adequately study the material, we are a bit concerned that the highest grade earned was only a 65%"

What if the parent does not sign it or write comment - for any variety of reasons? The kids are to lose marks because their parents do not feel the need to write comments? I do not think it is fair, at all, to penalise or reward kids for parental choices. That would be my comment.

I wouldn't comment on the 65% at all - it is only the first test after - see if there is a pattern worth commenting on. Some teachers are just hard markers as well - that is not entirely a bad thing.

[Mackenzie]

Originally Posted by kathymuggle

What if the parent does not sign it or write comment - for any variety of reasons? The kids are to lose marks because their parents do not feel the need to write comments? I do not think it is fair, at all, to penalise or reward kids for parental choices. That would be my comment.

I wouldn't comment on the 65% at all - it is only the first test after - see if there is a pattern worth commenting on. Some teachers are just hard markers as well - that is not entirely a bad thing.

OMG! I soooo agree. Their school last year did a lot of that and it made me crazy. Also, I do not agree with rewarding perfect attendance in Elementary school when kids have very little control on if they go to school or not..


It was my understanding from my daughter that if they do not have it signed and returned, then their grade stands as earned

[One_Girl]

I think you should just sign it and return it at this point. In our district teachers tend to look at low class grades as a sign that they need to cover the information again in a different way. I think you should wait and see what happens with the next test. If it seems to be a pattern then I think you should bring your concerns to the teacher.

[zinemama]

Originally Posted by Evan&Anna's_Mom

I'm guessing this is early in the year, yes? I would say that both students and teachers need to get used to each other early on. And teachers sometimes make mistakes in what they think the class should understand and they get a wake-up call from those first tests. If you are lucky, the teacher is now realiizing that she didn't teach this material as well as she thought and/or the class wasn't where she expected to begin with. A good teacher will take this information and revamp her lesson plans accordingly. Everyone, including teachers, deserve a second chance.

As a former teacher, I agree completely. I have made assumptions about where my students "should be" and once I got that reality check, I've adjusted expectations and methods accordingly. This really sounds like a similar situation.

ETA: I don't think you should do anything.

[Zoesmama]

Could be the teacher just didn't have the lesson plans as down as they should have? Maybe they made a last minute change. Or maybe this was a "test" to see where everyone was and what style of teaching is going to be most beneficial for the majority.

Its early and I wouldn't be too concerned just yet but if it continues into the 2nd quarter of school then questions should surely be flying.

DD had similar experience in her 2nd grade spelling test the 2nd week of school. I had no idea they would have a test. Never saw a spelling homework. DD had 100% she was the one and only. And apparently nobody else even passed it. yahy on her but I sure hope it was the teacher getting a feel of where they were all at. She did get put in the mix last minute. DD originally planned teacher did not even start at the school so at the last minute they hired another teacher. Ended up a big thing about the school supplies list too. So yeah sometimes schools rearrange teachers at the last week/day so maybe teacher wasn't as prepared.

Hope it resolves. I had many experiences like this myself when I was in school. Usually if I scored bad the curve dipped really low. I think teachers sometimes do this to see the top students then they can follow their scores to see if they are actually covering all the material well. That way they can feel assured they are doing their part and if people are failing its them not holding up their end. I found it was often all laid out in pretests. So many of my teachers used a copy of the test just mixed around the order. That for me makes 100% scores easy. Not always comprehended as well as I should have done.

[amcal]

Call me crazy but, I'd write a comment on the paper - my comment would be to ask the teacher what the heck happened. I'd want to know their thoughts on why the entire class failed the test. The teachers response to that would tell me a whole heck of a lot about the teacher. Does the teacher take responsibility or do they blame the students? I'd want the teacher's thoughts on the situation.

[Mackenzie]

Thats what I ended up doing, since I am assuming he put the comments section on the exam for a reason ;-)

I said something to the effect of "We have discussed with Xitlaly that the responsibility for adequately studying the material is ultimately hers, however I am slightly concerned that the highest grade in the class was a 65%"

There has been no response to that though.. which does not thrill me a whole lot.

[amcal]

That would concern me as well.

[Mackenzie]

Ugh... So today she gets back exam 2 (which I didn't know she had... She thought she had told me) and apparently this was an alternate exam for the same material as before... She had a 68% and the class average was 74%... there is no way the average should be so low when it was on essentially the same material. And now they have the opportunity to earn 10 more points if they have a field trip permission slip filled out and returned with the 20.00 of field trip money.... The field trip that states to return it to the MATH teacher, not the SCIENCE teacher btw... What about the kids who can't afford a bloody 20.00 field trip? Are they just assed out of the extra points? Which is not even to mention the disconnect between a science exam and returning a field trip form... Sigh...

[SunshineJ]

Wow. At this point I think I would be having a face to face with the teacher and expressing serious concerns as to why my child's grades are directly influenced by a parents willingness to write a comment or pay for a field trip when she is out of primary school. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other, especially in the second instance. I can see nothing good coming from this if this is allowed to continue. I'd also have to question why, if the 2nd test was over the EXACT same material, does he suppose the class still did so poorly. (Prior to this meeting I'd have DD show me the tests and the information they covered and review it myself.) Just wow. Good luck!

[Mackenzie]

Yep, I'm going to have to have a conversation with him. He also has not responded to my comments last time...

[eepster]

74% as the average wouldn't really worry me. 74% is a C, and C is supposed to be average.

I'm totally with you on the whole having parents sign stuff for extra points. I do understand why the teacher is doing it, but it really is unfair.