First Report Card - Failing Citizenship?

[newbieoftwo]

My son came home with his first report card on Friday. The school uses a system of three letters on report cards for 1st grader. 

 

S= meets grade level expectation

P= approaching grade level expectation

N= below grade level expectation

 

The 1st grade teacher explained that if these were letter based grades then S= A/B, P= C/D, and an N=F. Academically wise my son achieved all S levels. However, when I turned to the citizenship side, he is struggling. He receieved two P's for working independently and organization; and he received two N's for following directions and listening attentively without interrupting.

 

Now my son is borderline ADHD so I am not surprised that he is struggling with these things. What I am surprised by is this is the first time I've heard that he is struggling!! We had a parent-teacher conference in October and his behavior was not a concern for the teacher. The classroom has a behavior chart and he has yet to get more than a warning within that system. I haven't received any notes home describing misbehavior of any kind!

 

Would this cause you to request a parent-teacher conference to discuss behavior problems?? 

[SKL]

I would probably send the teacher an email asking for specific examples of problematic behavior and then decide whether it's something a. developmentally appropriate so pooh, b. manageable by me coaching my kid, c. needing further discussion with the teacher re what I can do to improve his success.

 

I would be careful of making a big deal over it e.g. calling a special meeting barring an extreme need.  In my experience / observation, all too often the teacher jumps at the chance to recommend labeling and whatever that entails (e.g. meds).  While some teachers may make helpful accommodations, others (like my kids' 1st grade teacher) will just spend the rest of the year bashing the kid and not doing anything to address the specific issues.

[kiwik]

So citizenship is just what we call effort and attitude? It sounds an awful lot like my son's half year report (except he was below standard in writing too). This term (4 of 4) suddenly he is focussed, attentive and writing well. In his case I am inclined to put it down to his stomach/bowel issues.

 

All this to say it is not something to panic over. If you are in the northern hemisphere it is quite early in the year and he may not be comfortable with the teacher. Does he have allergies? Is he on ADHD meds or is it generally manageable using other methods? Otherwise do as SKL suggests. Also is it possible she did the report on a day he was having a really bad day?

[KathyBC]

My son came home with his first report card on Friday. The school uses a system of three letters on report cards for 1st grader. 

 

S= meets grade level expectation

P= approaching grade level expectation

N= below grade level expectation

 

The 1st grade teacher explained that if these were letter based grades then S= A/B, P= C/D, and an N=F. Academically wise my son achieved all S levels. However, when I turned to the citizenship side, he is struggling. He receieved two P's for working independently and organization; and he received two N's for following directions and listening attentively without interrupting.

 

Now my son is borderline ADHD so I am not surprised that he is struggling with these things. What I am surprised by is this is the first time I've heard that he is struggling!! We had a parent-teacher conference in October and his behavior was not a concern for the teacher. The classroom has a behavior chart and he has yet to get more than a warning within that system. I haven't received any notes home describing misbehavior of any kind!

 

Would this cause you to request a parent-teacher conference to discuss behavior problems?? 

It sounds like his report card is just giving you information you already know. Compared to what might be expected of an average 1st grader, your son does not follow directions as well, and listen attentively without interrupting. Not the same as misbehavior, just areas he's working on. If your school routinely hosts parent-teacher conferences after report cards, that might be worth attending. Personally? I wouldn't request a conference based on what you've said here. I'm sure you already work on those things at home. :-) Just my .02.

[OneStepAtATime]

I might request a phone conference couched as you wanting to brain storm with the teacher on some ways to positively address the areas he is struggling.  Keep it open and friendly.  The teacher may be much more willing to work WITH your son if she knows you are a caring parent that is wanting him to succeed and realizing that he needs some help and you are being proactive about it.  If these issues continue and she has no real feedback from you, she may start to think you don't care or are blaming her.  She may get frustrated and defensive which is not as helpful for actually addressing the trouble areas in a positive, systematic way.

 

Honestly, I found when I did keep lines of communication open, just in a very positive way, they were usually much more willing to actually work with my child (although there were times they were not trained on how to actually effectively deal with the issues at hand, at least mostly they weren't treating them poorly).

[Bootsie]

Good citizenship = following directions?  Yes, the ability to follow directions is an important skill, especially for academic success.  But, many good citizens were good citizens exactly because they did not follow directions.

[newbieoftwo]

So citizenship is just what we call effort and attitude? It sounds an awful lot like my son's half year report (except he was below standard in writing too). This term (4 of 4) suddenly he is focussed, attentive and writing well. In his case I am inclined to put it down to his stomach/bowel issues.

 

All this to say it is not something to panic over. If you are in the northern hemisphere it is quite early in the year and he may not be comfortable with the teacher. Does he have allergies? Is he on ADHD meds or is it generally manageable using other methods? Otherwise do as SKL suggests. Also is it possible she did the report on a day he was having a really bad day?

 

Yes it is basically that. We are down South so school is almost at the halfway point. He does not have allergies and is not on any medication. We limit his diet and keep him on a predictable routine. 

 

Thank you everyone for giving me some perspective. I think I was more blindsided than I expected and reacted harsher than I really should have. I predicted some behavioral issues and we work on the areas he struggles in. I'm going to send an email just to keep lines of communication open and friendly and see if his teacher can help me better pinpoint what to work on with him. 

[newbieoftwo]

Good citizenship = following directions?  Yes, the ability to follow directions is an important skill, especially for academic success.  But, many good citizens were good citizens exactly because they did not follow directions.

 

The terminology isn't the best, I agree. At his last school they had a citizenship grade as well (citizenship is a required subject in Texas), but it was based on how many times a child had to have their folder signed with an explanation of the issue that day. Parents could easily see where their children were struggling and how many days they had an issue at school. I loved this level of communication and am missing it this year with our new school. 

[kiwik]

OK maybe you need to find out whether he is being compared with the rest of the kids or whether he is worse than would be expected given known problems. If the former you already knew that.

[vonfirmath]

My son is 2nd grade this year. In K, he struggled a LOT with those issues. Less last year -- but still struggled. I NEVER saw the "N" as being equal to flunking. It was just truth -- he struggles with focusing and following directions, etc. He's getting better this year, but I have resigned myself to that he's always going to struggle these ways. Probably NEVER going to be the super behaved, always paying attention kid in class.

 

I've talked to teacher and no one has even suggested that he's needing medication or might have deeper issues. He's different, he's a young 2nd grader male (August birthday). But he's exactly where he needs to be, academically. And we work on the rest. I see improvement over time and I'm encouraged.

 

[Tsuga]

Good citizenship = following directions?  Yes, the ability to follow directions is an important skill, especially for academic success.  But, many good citizens were good citizens exactly because they did not follow directions.

 

Haha, yes, I hate it when these things are misnamed!

 

OP, it drives me crazy that we don't really hear about these things until the report cards. However, it's really two different things going on. One is classroom management and his learning. Is her classroom managed well? He's not preventing that? Is he learning? In that case, it's really not something to address with you since whatever you are both doing is working.

 

But the teacher has to fill in the report card based on a rubric, so even though she's thinking, "He's making progress, things are going well,  his mom is involved," she still cannot say, "He is at grade level."

 

They don't have a lot of room to explain that.

 

Good luck! My second is super distractible and I know this will be on her report card. :(

 

[sunnyday]

Definitely I'd ask to conference. My son was flabbergasted that he got two "2s" on his report card (both in writing), where 3 is meets grade expctations and 2 is still needs practice. I told him that grades are just feedback, it's the teacher letting us know what she is seeing and where her expectations are, and if we are surprised or don't fully understand that feedback, that's why we then go to conference and talk to the teacher and see exactly what's up.

 

The whole point of NOT giving letter grades to littles is that these skills they're working on are NOT cut-and-dried "you get an 85% on the test and you get a B" kinds of evaluations. Translating it to "N for needs improvement" = F is obnoxious, IMO, and makes me second guess that teacher's aptitude for teaching six year olds.  :mad:

[SKL]

My kids' report cards (or any other reports) do not grade conduct or that sort of thing.  This was also true in 1st grade.  Just academic grades - A-F, based on % scores.  This has its own downside, but at least the file isn't full of stuff about "6yo Johnny wiggles in his seat."

 

If there are behavioral issues the parent needs to know about, it is handled via private notes etc.

 

ETA:  actually they do add a short statement at the end of the report card summarizing stuff verbally, and that can include stuff about behavior.  For example, "she has more potential than this, she needs to pay attention more."  It's kind of unfair because a kid who scores well and doesn't disrupt gets a glowing report, even if she daydreams and reads her own books all day.  I have 2 kids together in school, and I guarantee the one who gets the "bad" comments is the more diligent one.  :(

[KathyBC]

 However, it's really two different things going on. One is classroom management and his learning. Is her classroom managed well? He's not preventing that? Is he learning? In that case, it's really not something to address with you since whatever you are both doing is working.

 

But the teacher has to fill in the report card based on a rubric, so even though she's thinking, "He's making progress, things are going well,  his mom is involved," she still cannot say, "He is at grade level."

:iagree:

[kiwik]

Definitely I'd ask to conference. My son was flabbergasted that he got two "2s" on his report card (both in writing), where 3 is meets grade expctations and 2 is still needs practice. I told him that grades are just feedback, it's the teacher letting us know what she is seeing and where her expectations are, and if we are surprised or don't fully understand that feedback, that's why we then go to conference and talk to the teacher and see exactly what's up.

 

The whole point of NOT giving letter grades to littles is that these skills they're working on are NOT cut-and-dried "you get an 85% on the test and you get a B" kinds of evaluations. Translating it to "N for needs improvement" = F is obnoxious, IMO, and makes me second guess that teacher's aptitude for teaching six year olds. :mad:

I agree.

[Lecka]

Sometimes these are the only way the teacher has to let you know what is a weaker/stronger area.  If everything is a 2 or 3, you don't know that the 3 is a strong area or the 1 is a weaker area.  

 

I have just gotten some advice, to ask the teacher if a 1 (ours are 1,2,3) is an area that really concerns the teacher, or if it is just my daughter's weaker area.  

 

I do want to know what the teacher sees as her strengths and weaknesses.  

 

But I don't know if a 1 is a weak area or a concern.  

 

Here ----- it is not 2 is C/D and 3 is A/B.  2 is -- what you expect most kids to get in most thins.  3 is -- this is a very strong area.  1 is -- this is a weaker area.  Though I am a little vague myself.  

 

But I can see -- if it was just all 2s, that would not give me much information.  

 

If it was a letter grade ----- I would feel differently, I would have more of a desire for an A or B.  But -- I also understand, my kids could get an A or B in an area that is still a weaker area for them, where I need to keep track of how they are doing and look for ways to help.  

[kiwik]

The thing is they are not intended to give you much information just whether the child is meeting the standard or not. Now you and I might like more information but to equate the scrores to letter grades would not really do that because they shouldn't be using that kind of assessment. And you do know 1 is needs to have some help, 2 is where they should be, 3 is above. You just don't know whether it is a little or a lot above and probably neither does the teacher.

[Kalmia]

In many schools, the teacher is supposed to demonstrate that the children showed growth during the school year. So they tend to give a middling to low assessment the first semester so that there is "room to grow" during the rest of the year. That can't happen if all the kids starts out with top marks.

 

 

[kiwik]

Here the standard that they are being assessed against increases. At standard at the end of year is not the same level as at standard at the beginning of the year.

[newbieoftwo]

Here the standard that they are being assessed against increases. At standard at the end of year is not the same level as at standard at the beginning of the year.

 

This is the way it works here as well. The standard increases over the year to reflect where the students should throughout the year. I sent an email to the teacher and received back a lengthy response that verified my suspicions.

 

My son doesn't disrupt the class or distract other students, but he has problems focusing and often drifts off while the teacher is giving directions. This results in him asking several questions that have already been answered when he wasn't listening or blurting out questions that will be answered if he would just continue listening. This also means that he completes assignments incorrectly because he missed the directions. He then has to completely redo the assignment after the teacher corrects him. 

 

This behavior isn't disruptive to the classroom so he does not get a behavior report home, but it is not the behavior that is expected of a first grader. I'm aware of this struggle and am sure it will continue throughout the year. 

[SKL]

This is the way it works here as well. The standard increases over the year to reflect where the students should throughout the year. I sent an email to the teacher and received back a lengthy response that verified my suspicions.

 

My son doesn't disrupt the class or distract other students, but he has problems focusing and often drifts off while the teacher is giving directions. This results in him asking several questions that have already been answered when he wasn't listening or blurting out questions that will be answered if he would just continue listening. This also means that he completes assignments incorrectly because he missed the directions. He then has to completely redo the assignment after the teacher corrects him. 

 

This behavior isn't disruptive to the classroom so he does not get a behavior report home, but it is not the behavior that is expected of a first grader. I'm aware of this struggle and am sure it will continue throughout the year. 

 

My daughter had similar feedback around that age.  I feel that what you describe may not be outside the norm for this age.  I think the expectations of young kids in the classroom are sometimes unrealistic.  For example, my daughter was observed during class, and the written summary (intended to be an example of her shortcomings) said that my daughter followed along with 22 minutes of a 32 minute lesson.  I'm thinking, 22 continuous minutes of attending in a classroom setting is pretty good for a young six-year-old.  Why would a lesson in 1st grade be 32 minutes long?  I'm lucky if I can attend to a 32-minute lesson at my age.

 

I think it's good to hear that your son is asking questions.  It shows he is motivated and has a good attitude.  It could be a lot worse.

 

I would definitely coach him every day to listen as best he can, make sure he is following the directions, and to get his work done before he switches focus to something else.  And re-teach at home what he misses in school.  If he keeps up academically, the differences that are due to his age may fade with time.  My daughter (now in 3rd grade) is still called "easily distractable," but she's gotten much better at listening, focusing, and getting the job done.

 

[Spring Flower]

I would talk to the teacher about it. I gave citizenship grades when I taught school and I did not give out N's lightly. I always factored in issues like ADHD when considering it. They may have a different approach but it seems like something should have been mentioned to you before hand.