EdNews Parent experts Ilana Spiegel and Amy Turino offer some help to parents who are confused about their child’s academic performance - or lack thereof.
Q. In the beginning of the year my son’s first grade teacher told me how well my son was doing and even recommended him for gifted and talented. But I just received his report card and he is listed as not proficient and needing improvement in almost every area. How do I address the teacher about this? This comes as a real surprise.
A. For many students, being identified as gifted does not necessarily translate to good “grades.” And it is hard as a parent to reconcile how your son can be so capable and have such potential, be gifted, yet not be performing at a “proficient” level.
Ilana Spiegel
When you begin your conversation, say just how unsettling it is to read a report card that shows your son is struggling when your understanding was that he was recommended for the gifted and talented identification.
Ask his teacher to unpack this disconnect by showing you both work samples and the results of standard measures like DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) or a levels test. Both grades on a report card and information for a gifted and talented identification should include a “body of evidence,” or multiple measures and perspectives.
Ask to see the results of any testing, formal or informal, as well as work samples and anecdotes from the classroom.
Bear in mind, report cards measure progress toward standards (proficiency) and work habits. If he “needs improvement” in work habits then chances are the teacher does not have the “evidence” to support a proficient grade. Many gifted learners have a difficult time producing written work, or evidence, especially in the early grades. Often times, for children like your son, their reading and speaking levels can far exceed their written expression, but they are often evaluated on their written expression.
Ask for a follow-up
The first place to start is understanding the result of the recommendation for gifted and talented in the fall. Did this recommendation result in any screening or testing? Is your son a student classified as gifted and talented currently?
- If all you have is the recommendation of the teacher in the fall, but there has been no follow up. Then start with a conversation that asks for follow up. Offer that you agree with the teacher’s assessment in the fall and the possible lack of performance on the current report card could be indication that the general classroom is not challenging enough for your son.
Amy Turino
- If screening or testing for GT has taken place and your son did not qualify. Think back and/or talk with the teacher about how the process happened. If your son was aware that he was screened for GT and didn’t make the cut, he could be processing this internally and not trying hard anymore because he could be associating success and being smart with the label of GT and not the effort or passion that one puts into their work. After getting perspective the solution comes from just having open dialogue with your son about his learning, how he feels as a learner and being there to support him.
- If screening or testing for GT has taken place and your son did qualify, what supports have been put in place? Is the general education teacher getting support to plan for differentiation and meet the needs your son? Is there a GT teacher that meets with your son or could start supporting his learning in addition to the classroom teacher? These would be answers that could be gathered by contacting his classroom teacher and talking about the needs you perceive your son having.
In any scenario, the key is to open lines of communication. You have obviously been taken aback by the report card, so start a dialogue, with your child, with his teacher, and see what answers start to emerge.
About Amy Turino and Ilana Spiegel
Amy Turino has taught for the past 10 years and has a passion for student-centered learning that includes hands-on experiences. She is director of education at RAFT Colorado, a resource for educators. She is completing her doctoral studies at the University of Denver in curriculum and instruction. Read more posts by Amy Turino.
Ilana Dubin Spiegel has been a literacy staff developer for the Denver-based Public Education and Business Coalition for more than 15 years. The former teacher coaches educators and parents nationwide on research-based literacy instruction. She enjoys reading and writing with her four children, ages 5 to 13. Read more posts by Ilana Spiegel.
It could be that your son is doing quite well in class and the report card does not reflect this. Many districts who use standards based grading allow teachers to place “2s” or below proficiency during the school year because the standard that the student is being held to is a year-long standard. So, your son might not be meeting the year end standard right now. This is a practice I hope school and districts stop. It is not an accurate indication of what the student can do right now versus in four months. As stated above, the best way to get a progress update is by talking with your son’s teachers.