completing first semester grade reports, sigh...

[Kate in Arabia]

I've just finished writing up first semester reports for my 9th grader (and first hs student). I'm feeling a little... unsettled? We are with an umbrella school, at the beginning of the school year I submitted detailed course plans for each class, including how each course is to be evaluated. At the end of the semester I am to submit reports for each class on what was achieved during the semester (with some parts written by the student and some by the teacher) and assign a grade. I'm happy with the paperwork process -- it has been helpful to me to work through a course plan and I have also enjoyed writing the semester reports for the most part. It has given me a chance to look back and see what ds has accomplished.

 

But when I get to actually assigning a grade... I'm following my previously-decided plans in evaluating, but so much is not plugging in numbers and getting a percentage, kwim? I feel like what I have decided is fair, but then I think about my own high school experience and how important grades and GPA seemed to me then. Am I over-thinking? Do everyone's kids here get straight A's? Lol.

 

I suppose it's the whole "this could have long-term effects on his life" type thing that's bugging me. But maybe I'm giving it more importance than it really has. I know GPA is a factor, but is it THE factor in things like college acceptance?

 

I think I just need someone to hold my hand for a minute, lol.

[elegantlion]

No, my son does not get straight As. He received a stern warning after our first 12 week term that a few grades had to be improved.

 

I struggle with the GPA thing too, but he will not be a 4.00 student, he doesn't have the drive to work towards that goal. He sees grades as pointless. We've looked up colleges and pinpointed an overall GPA goal.

 

I've tried to remain consistent with HOW I grade, some of it is subjective. We do some things orally for grades and I found some rubrics to follow to help eliminate my bias. It's still somewhat subjective. He's also behind in a few areas and I struggle with grading for his ability or where he should be. I push a little bit further with each assignment.

 

Feeling like I'm being consistent with the grading is one of the hardest administrative tasks this year. I'm trying to honest with myself about where he is academically. I don't want to give 4.00 GPA and then feel like I have to justify it to a college admissions office. I hope by grading him with Bs if he so earns a B that at least we'll appear more honest.

[snowbeltmom]

I know GPA is a factor, but is it THE factor in things like college acceptance?

My perspective is different than many others on this board but, I think the assignment of letter grades and the calculation of a GPA is meaningless in a homeschool setting. Many homeschoolers have been admitted to college without letter grades on their transcripts.

 

My son met a few weeks ago with admissions at one of the colleges high on his list. He explained that he would not have grades for "home-brewed" classes. The admissions officer was perfectly fine with this approach. He said the two areas most important for homeschoolers are standardized test scores and choice of curriculum material.

[Lolly]

Homeschooled students are more likely to have straight A's. Their classes are tailored to them, so they are likely to do better. Plus, if they run into an area of difficulty, they generally redo it until they have it right. I have to add, almost all of my kids' ps friends seem to get straight A's (and in honors classes). I'm not sure how that happens. As far as the GPA goes, I've found that colleges are taking my grades the same as ps grades.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

This is a huge question mark for me.

 

I am keeping Mommy grades for my boys that accurately reflect their progress in meeting my expectations and those of my chosen curricula, but I don't know.

 

I can't help thinking it's not fair for my kid to get a B+ in literature when he's analyzing Dante, Moliere, and Bunyan, when kids in the public high school down the street read two "coming of age" novels per semester in Honors English and analyze them not at all but get A's.

 

I think his Tartuffe B+ beats their Twilight A. The harder his studies become, the more strongly I feel about this. I'm not sure I'm ever going to let anyone see my Mommy grades. I'd rather just let his booklists and test scores do the talking.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

My perspective is different than many others on this board but, I think the assignment of letter grades and the calculation of a GPA is meaningless in a homeschool setting. Many homeschoolers have been admitted to college without letter grades on their transcripts. My son met a few weeks ago with admissions at one of the colleges high on his list. He explained that he would not have grades for "home-brewed" classes. The admissions officer was perfectly fine with this approach. He said the two areas most important for homeschoolers are standardized test scores and choice of curriculum material.

 

I'm glad to hear this. It makes the most sense to me.

[Lolly]

My perspective is different than many others on this board but, I think the assignment of letter grades and the calculation of a GPA is meaningless in a homeschool setting. Many homeschoolers have been admitted to college without letter grades on their transcripts.

 

My son met a few weeks ago with admissions at one of the colleges high on his list. He explained that he would not have grades for "home-brewed" classes. The admissions officer was perfectly fine with this approach. He said the two areas most important for homeschoolers are standardized test scores and choice of curriculum material.

 

 

The only problem I can see with this is if your student is applying for merit aid. They require grades and test scores.

[nukeswife]

No, my son does not get straight As. He received a stern warning after our first 12 week term that a few grades had to be improved.

 

I struggle with the GPA thing too, but he will not be a 4.00 student, he doesn't have the drive to work towards that goal. He sees grades as pointless. We've looked up colleges and pinpointed an overall GPA goal.

 

I've tried to remain consistent with HOW I grade, some of it is subjective. We do some things orally for grades and I found some rubrics to follow to help eliminate my bias. It's still somewhat subjective. He's also behind in a few areas and I struggle with grading for his ability or where he should be. I push a little bit further with each assignment.

 

Feeling like I'm being consistent with the grading is one of the hardest administrative tasks this year. I'm trying to honest with myself about where he is academically. I don't want to give 4.00 GPA and then feel like I have to justify it to a college admissions office. I hope by grading him with Bs if he so earns a B that at least we'll appear more honest.

 

 

Would you be willing to share your rubrics? I am trying to gather all I can before I get to this high school stuff come fall. The idea that I'll have a child of high school age is still freaking me out. :blink: :willy_nilly:

[elegantlion]

 

 

Would you be willing to share your rubrics? I am trying to gather all I can before I get to this high school stuff come fall. The idea that I'll have a child of high school age is still freaking me out. :blink: :willy_nilly:

 

Give me some time to dig up the ones I use. Most of the ones I'm currently using are for oral exams.

[snowbeltmom]

 

The only problem I can see with this is if your student is applying for merit aid. They require grades and test scores.

 

I have not found the bolded comment to be true. The college that I mentioned in my post above is known for giving generous merit aid. They told my son that his merit aid will be based on his standardized test scores. My son has now inquired at his three top schools and all are fine with the approach of not assigning homeschooled grades.. (The other two schools don't award merit aid though, YMMV)

 

My kids will have a lot of outside validation in the form of the SAT, SAT II's, AP's, AMC and AIME scores. These data points are more meaningful than any grade I could ever assign in our homeschooled class.

[swimmermom3]

To my way of thinking:

 

Grades should be meaningful and instructive.

 

Giving a student an inflated grade because you feel bad for them serves no worthwhile end. It is a disservice to and disrespectful of your student.

 

You grade an upper level middle school student and a high school student in order to teach them the skill of self-assessment. Your standards and expectations are clear; the student knows his grade before you even go over his paper.For example, for my youngest, we used MCT's core element grading for writing papers:

 

D or higher - correct English

C or higher - MLA format

B or higher - correct essay structure

A - a meaningful idea that is adequately supported

 

My son still uses this rubric for himself even though he is no longer writing for me. It hasn't let him down yet.

 

The fact that you are giving your student a B on a Tartuffe paper at home while a public school student might receive an A for a Twilight paper is, well, irrelevant. It is your student, and your home school. I didn't bust my backside home schooling to teach to the same standards as the public schools and I doubt you do either. Grades aren't going to be even, even if your child is not home schooled. The mediocre student at Choate might very well prove to be a better college student than the honors student at our local high school.

[mims]

So far my daughter's gpa has mattered a lot. The school she really wants to go to has given her $10,000 off based on both her SAT and her gpa. She has been applying for scholarships all fall and I believe over half of them want her gpa.

She is a hard worker and deserved her grades but her brother is another story! On specific things like math and science he does well but things like discussion questions on literature etc I struggle with grades because he doesn't try his hardest.

[Lolly]

 

I have not found the bolded comment to be true. The college that I mentioned in my post above is known for giving generous merit aid. They told my son that his merit aid will be based on his standardized test scores. My son has now inquired at his three top schools and all are fine with the approach of not assigning homeschooled grades.. (The other two schools don't award merit aid though, YMMV)

 

My kids will have a lot of outside validation in the form of the SAT, SAT II's, AP's, AMC and AIME scores. These data points are more meaningful than any grade I could ever assign in our homeschooled class.

 

All the schools my girls have applied to require both in order to fill in the blanks for their computer program. They simply take the two (ACT or SAT and GPA) and plug into a program which tells how much aid is to be given.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I've just finished writing up first semester reports for my 9th grader (and first hs student). I'm feeling a little... unsettled? We are with an umbrella school, at the beginning of the school year I submitted detailed course plans for each class, including how each course is to be evaluated. At the end of the semester I am to submit reports for each class on what was achieved during the semester (with some parts written by the student and some by the teacher) and assign a grade. I'm happy with the paperwork process -- it has been helpful to me to work through a course plan and I have also enjoyed writing the semester reports for the most part. It has given me a chance to look back and see what ds has accomplished.

 

But when I get to actually assigning a grade... I'm following my previously-decided plans in evaluating, but so much is not plugging in numbers and getting a percentage, kwim? I feel like what I have decided is fair, but then I think about my own high school experience and how important grades and GPA seemed to me then. Am I over-thinking? Do everyone's kids here get straight A's? Lol.

 

I suppose it's the whole "this could have long-term effects on his life" type thing that's bugging me. But maybe I'm giving it more importance than it really has. I know GPA is a factor, but is it THE factor in things like college acceptance?

 

I think I just need someone to hold my hand for a minute, lol.

 

I feel your pain. I spent several hours revising our school schedule and laying out specific deadlines in each and every subject, in order to meet our goals by summer. This is a big change for my "do the next thing" standard.

 

One thing you can consider is that many of your subjects could have grades for a full credit rather than two grades for two semesters. That might give you the option of grading in a way that reflects current level of effort, but giving him the opportunity to bring grades up next semester. (Re-reading the op, maybe that isn't an option with the umbrella?)

 

I don't think that your kid would be the first to struggle as a freshman. It is a big transition for many students. It is important what direction the grades go from here.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

(Sorry! I forgot to quote! This is answering swimmermom3)

 

Well, that's why I said that I'd rather not include grades on his transcript. I'd rather show test scores, booklists, etc. and I'm glad to hear that some college admissions people are happy with that approach.

 

My son knows that his B is based on the parameters given for the work. I don't cross it out and write an A at the top, and the transcript I'm keeping shows a B.

 

All of my records for the past two years are based on the curriculum and expectations for my school, so I have very accurate records. I'm just really conflicted about how much of them to share, or how else to accurately represent his knowledge, skills, and achievements.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

So far my daughter's gpa has mattered a lot. The school she really wants to go to has given her $10,000 off based on both her SAT and her gpa. She has been applying for scholarships all fall and I believe over half of them want her gpa. She is a hard worker and deserved her grades but her brother is another story! On specific things like math and science he does well but things like discussion questions on literature etc I struggle with grades because he doesn't try his hardest.

 

I understand this. My second son is not studying Tartuffe in 10th grade, and did not read Plato's Republic in 9th. His curriculum is more rigorous than ps due to daily parental attention and many more books, but it's nothing like the classical-on-steroids program his big brother is following. Also, he works at a more average level. If he went to a good public school he'd probably be a B student. His transcript shows B's for traditional high school work because that's what he earns. I find record-keeping for him to be a lot more straightforward!

[bugs]

Neither of my children recieved straight A's as freshman. And the oldest did not receieve them as a sophmore. I really try to be honest with myself and them in my evaluation, otherwise I would not be able to look myself in the face.

[elegantlion]

 

 

One thing you can consider is that many of your subjects could have grades for a full credit rather than two grades for two semesters. That might give you the option of grading in a way that reflects current level of effort, but giving him the opportunity to bring grades up next semester. (Re-reading the op, maybe that isn't an option with the umbrella?)

 

 

 

I also plan on giving grades based upon the full year. Our school is broken down into 3 terms instead of semesters and we fall into the grade less material category. In a few subjects he only has 1-2 grades for the first 12 weeks.

 

The schools he is currently interested in do factor GPA with merit aid. My biggest fear about high school is screwing up something like that and having to go back and do four years of grades so he can afford to attend his choice school. So we grade, besides I bought this whole package of red pens at Office Depot for .25. ;)

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Neither of my children recieved straight A's as freshman. And the oldest did not receieve them as a sophmore. I really try to be honest with myself and them in my evaluation, otherwise I would not be able to look myself in the face.

 

My evaluations are honest and I can look myself in the face.

 

Leaving Mommy grades off the high school transcript is not dishonest or deceptive. It's just acknowledging the very arbitrary nature of grades and presenting other evaluative records as proof of study, instead.

[snowbeltmom]

Leaving Mommy grades off the high school transcript is not dishonest or deceptive. It's just acknowledging the very arbitrary nature of grades and presenting other evaluative records as proof of study, instead.

 

I agree. Grades are arbitrary,imo, regardless of whether one is homeschooled or attending a brick and mortar school. An "A" received in school district X will not be equivalent to an "A" received in school district Y. This is why colleges request SAT, SAT II and AP scores.

 

Just as an example, my friend's son who attends public school, received a very high A in his honors chemistry class. However, he scored in the bottom 5% on the Chemistry SAT II. If I were an admissions officer and saw that SAT II score, I would question that A and also wonder how many other classes in that school had serious grade inflation.

 

I think for homeschoolers, our mommy grades are already viewed with an element of suspicion. If I were to assign grades, I would make sure that those grades were in line with the standardized test scores.

 

Also, the college that I spoke of in my first post did also want to see a reading list and textbook list for the high school years.

[Joani]

I think that no matter which way we go, most of us will always be a little uneasy with giving grades to our own kids.

 

I'm on the other side of this now - ds14 is making all A's and I'm wondering whether I've been too easy on him, if my expectations aren't high enough and how he would be doing if he was being compared to other students.

[Kate in Arabia]

Thanks for the discussion... the form we use (from the umbrella school) also has the student give himself a grade (so the form has spots for the student to talk about what he did in the semester and give a grade, and for the teacher to talk about what he did and give a grade), and ds I think was also pretty fair on what he felt he accomplished... he didn't give himself all A's, lol. I'm not talking low grades, but if someone was shooting for a 4.0 GPA, what he gets now will impact what he will have in four years, kwim?

 

I think those of you who commented on the situation of freshman made a good point (at least in our case). It has been a semester of adjustments.

[MommyThrice]

Mine don't make straight A's. My oldest has griped and moaned about the B's I have given him in math (which are pretty objective) and economics. He thinks I am too tough. Then he went and took trig at the local cc an ended up with a B. I feel that really justifies the grades I've been giving him, including the A's.

[bugs]

 

My evaluations are honest and I can look myself in the face.

 

Leaving Mommy grades off the high school transcript is not dishonest or deceptive. It's just acknowledging the very arbitrary nature of grades and presenting other evaluative records as proof of study, instead.

 

Sorry if my comment looked as if I were directing it toward you; I wasn't. It was just a generic "how I do it" comment that happened to fall after yours.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Thanks, bugs.

[Rhonda in TX]

DS is a B and C student. DD is an A and B student. DS's grades reflect his ability. DD's reflect her effort (or lack of it, in some cases). Both are indicators of what kind of students they are and what they are capable of (in a very simplistic way, of course).

 

I heard SWB speak this summer and she talked about transcripts. She mentioned that transcripts should be ordered by grade (9th, 10th, etc.), rather than subject. Her reasoning was that this could show that, while a student struggled as a freshman (or longer), they were eventually able to bring their grades up as they got older and matured. I'm hoping DS's transcript will eventually show the same thing. :)

 

I was at a "how to homeschool highschool" meeting a few years ago. One of the moms said, "Since we teach to mastery, homeschool students should have all A's." I have to say, I don't agree with this statement. One, I don't throw out original grades. If they didn't prepare properly for a test, I will give opportunities to bring up their grade, but that original grade is going to be included. Also, I don't think we are doing our children any service to teach them that you can always re-do things until you get it right. College professors are not going to go along with this, and neither will their boss. I do try to make sure they understand topics before we move on, but that does not always equal an A.

[Myra]

The only problem I can see with this is if your student is applying for merit aid. They require grades and test scores.

 

 

 

My son rec'd merit aid, scholarships, and grants without any grades at all on his transcripts and without any outside courses or AP courses. The colleges went on the type/difficulty of courses we studied and the textbook/materials used plus the SAT scores.

 

 

Quote:

"Since we teach to mastery, homeschool students should have all A's." I have to say, I don't agree with this statement. One, I don't throw out original grades. If they didn't prepare properly for a test, I will give opportunities to bring up their grade, but that original grade is going to be included"

 

I do say on my transcript, no grades given as we use the mastery approach. I do not give any tests to my kids at all or give grades on their daily assignments. "We check" or "self-check" each problem, etc, as we are doing the work and learn as we go by our mistakes as well as successes. Once the concept is mastered, we move on. This flexibility in homeschooling is what works for us. And my college freshman son hot a 3.9 GPA is first semester so our system works effectively for us.

 

Myra

[Rhonda in TX]

Quote:

"Since we teach to mastery, homeschool students should have all A's." I have to say, I don't agree with this statement. One, I don't throw out original grades. If they didn't prepare properly for a test, I will give opportunities to bring up their grade, but that original grade is going to be included"

 

I do say on my transcript, no grades given as we use the mastery approach. I do not give any tests to my kids at all or give grades on their daily assignments. "We check" or "self-check" each problem, etc, as we are doing the work and learn as we go by our mistakes as well as successes. Once the concept is mastered, we move on. This flexibility in homeschooling is what works for us. And my college freshman son hot a 3.9 GPA is first semester so our system works effectively for us.

 

I do believe it works for some children, but it doesn't work for them all. I think what got me about her statement was the assumption that every homeschool child is capable of straight A's. That is just not true.