Another Parent Concerned about Third-Quarter Report Cards

Recently, a parent expressed concern about the quality of third-quarter report cards at Crestwood Elementary School.
Can We Talk 3: Third-Quarter Report Cards

Today a parent of students at Elvejhem Elementary asked Madison School Board members why the teachers only reported on 10% of content areas. I have asked Superintendent Art Rainwater for a response to the parent's concerns.

From the Elvejhem Parent:

Have you seen this quarter's elementary grade reports? The teachers at Elvejhem Elementary only reported on about 10% of the evaluated areas. A letter accompanying the report card stated that the students were only being ranked on areas that related to standardized testing. I don't recall whether the letter stated this to be a district wide policy nor was the letter clear as to why this approach was being taken. I hope that this is not some political point that teachers are making, because that would be a wholly inappropriate way to treat our kids.

In any event, I find that this grade reporting was totally inadequate and does not justify the day off that they took to prepare these reports. The ambiguous standards employed on these report cards provides little clear guidance when all of the areas are completed. But if all they can complete is 10% of that, well then, if this is all they can tell me about the progress of my children, they could have saved their ink.

Finally, the combined grades classes that the Elvejhem Elementary School forced upon us (they provided no option for single grade classes) have been a combined disaster. Parents at the soccer fields talk openly about the failure of this approach to adequately challenge the upper grade students. In fact, it has begun having an effect on Sennett M.S. as students leave elementary wholly unprepared for middle school challenges by their 4/5 grade experience at Elvejhem.

I hope that you will look into whether this quarter's grade reporting was some sort of political stunt to make a statement about standardized testing. For the rest of the district, I hope that this practice was limited to this school. This is certainly being perceived as a political stunt by a large number of parents that I have spoken with.

Posted by Ruth Robarts at April 20, 2006 12:15 PM
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