Honor Roll VS Proficiency

What would you say if I told you that honor roll students can receive A's and B's on their report cards and still not be able to read on grade level? 

Yeah. You read that right. Each quarter and semester schools send progress reports and report cards home of students' academic performances, but this can sometimes be misleading to parents and students. 

Did you know that just because a child is in 8th grade, it does not mean the teacher is giving them 8th-grade work? Unfortunately, this is happening across all grade levels. Sadly, when students enter teachers' classrooms unable to read on grade level, teachers have to adjust the assignments to the student's level of understanding. For example, that may mean the teacher has to teach that entire 8th-grade class on a 5th-grade level. 😧

How does that affect report cards and progress reports given to parents? It means that if by the time report cards go home and that 8th-grade student has mastered the 5th-grade material given by the teacher, then he/she will receive an A or B on their report card or progress report. The problem here is those A's and B's are NOT based on the appropriate 8th material.

Confused yet? Well, don't be. Here is what that means.

In order for our children to be proficient, they must be able to perform at or above grade level. That means if your child is in 8th grade, he/she is proficient only when he/she receives grade-level work and scores at 70% or above without assistance.

So what should parents do? Ask these 3 questions to your child's teacher when report cards and progress reports come home.

#1. What was the grade level of the work that my child was given to receive this score?

#2. Was my child able to complete the work without assistance?

#3. What 30-day plan can I use at home to help bridge my child's learning gaps?

These 3 questions are POWERFUL. They're a great way to make sure your child is getting the education he/she deserves. These questions also allow parents to hold teachers and students accountable while bridging a positive parent-teacher relationship.