Happy Saturday! I just wanted to take a moment to touch base on a couple of relevant topics: grades and conferences! First, remember that conferences are this week, with Tuesday night being the late night and Wednesday and Thursday being early release. No school on Friday! We can't wait to see you and I hope you can stop in for a visit. I do have one little favor to ask, however. If you are bringing children with you to the conference, if you could please remind them to have a seat in the hallway and wait quietly, it would be much appreciated. They may bring books, homework, or even handheld electronics and games! Just no running, yelling, etc. It makes conferencing a bit challenging with those hallway distractions going on right outside the classroom doors.
On another note, the first quarter has come to a close and grades are posted. That said, I want to stress a significant point: We have very high academic expectations between state standards and the added rigor of Core Knowledge, however, it is important to understand that it is nearly impossible to intellectually challenge a child and not have him/her experience some form of a struggle along the way. Granted, many of our students amazingly "right" themselves with regularity. However, a B in 4th grade science, for example, will not haunt them for life. It simply tells us where a child is at that particular moment and that there is still room for potential improvement moving forward.
What will haunt them, though, is not being challenged. Or, being afraid to take an academic or intellectual risk along the pathway of learning.
These nine week benchmark reports (i.e. - report cards!) are simply arbitrarily determined checkpoints for how a child is doing at that point in time; there is no inherent value in an October grade, for example. Consistent with this, we are seeking a paradigm shift that focuses on learning outcomes, not an overly simplified and condensed symbol of performance (a letter). I wish it were that easy! This is why the standards scores are also very important.
As part of this shift in thinking, the best question to ask a child isn't what he or she "got' in a subject, it's what specifically was learned. And, make them explain in detail! Although similar, there is a profound difference in the substance of an appropriate answer. Gone are the days of extra credit and grade padding with homework; we want to challenge, disorient, assess growth, modify, reteach, disorient, re-assess....well, I think you get the picture! It is through that disorientation that students experience the most meaningful growth. Learning is a complicated process and it's acceptable to struggle at times. We want a focus on achievement and grades, but just not at the expense of a child taking a risk or a teacher lowering standards so that students can get higher scores. As a matter of fact, the easiest thing a teacher can do for themselves is dish out unwarranted "A's." They keep most everyone happy. But, this staff only gives grades that represent actual learning.
We believe in these students and you as their supports. There is no bar they can't get over; it may just take a little longer than the first nine weeks of a grading period to get there!
Don't forget, it's always in your best interest to come to conferences with specific questions. Even if the teacher doesn't have that particular information available at that moment, they will get back to you. Regular communication is always critical for student success!
Thank you for your ongoing support of PPES and have a wonderful rest of your weekend!
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