Yuck!

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Home : 2001 : October : 13

Yuck!
By Susie

I was on the committee in my district to go to "Standards Based Report Cards." I wasn't opposed to the idea at first, but now I (and most of the teachers in the district) am opposed.

It comes down to "TMI" too much inforamtion.
Parents don't really want (or need) to know that their child can sound out "r-controlled vowels." It usually brings up more questions from parents about "what does this mean?" "Is this important?"
These minute skill all make up part of a teacher's grading system. We can all justify our grades, and hopefully we're all teaching to the standards. What purpose do these new report

cards really serve?

Our district has historically been one to jump on the hottest band wagon. This time they jumped in with no water in the pool! They implemented this, providing teachers with paper copies until they can implement a new computerized version. They didn't proof read the report cards, so we are sending them out with many spelling and grammar errors!

The report cards have grown to twice the size of our old ones, and it requires 2 pages of explanations of the standards (rewritten into "parent friendly" language).

Take my humble advice: Stay out of the pool on this one!!!! The tide will turn, and it WILL go back to a simpler report card.