Re: Modified grades

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/26/2006 6:23:35 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,

thrill@... writes:

I don't expect him to get all A's or make the honor roll every time, but I

also don't want him to get all D's and F's every time. Maybe if he's getting

D's and F's the curriculum isn't being modified enough or correctly? Thoughts,

ideas, suggestions?I

Thanks, in advance, for any help.

this is a very good question and I am looking forward to hearing the answers!

Loree

[Guest guest]

GREAT question. I can't wait to hear some answers. I have always been

frustrated by this as well. They aren't getting the traditional letter

grades at this point, but he is always getting the lower end of the scale.

Kym

Modified grades

Just wondering what others have done. I don't expect him to get all A's or

make the honor roll every time, but I also don't want him to get all D's and

F's every time. Maybe if he's getting D's and F's the curriculum isn't

being modified enough or correctly? Thoughts, ideas, suggestions????

> Jill

> Mom to Mac (8 yrs., 3rd grade, Ds) & Kit (5 yrs., preschool, Ds)

[Guest guest]

Hi Jill,

I know I responded on the other list, but I thought I would add to it here.

Maverick gets a regular report card with the same letter grades that the

rest of the class, however, it is mentioned on the report card that the

grades reflect " modified curriculum. It was pointed out that this is

needed to protect the teachers since they are having to follow the standards

and have as many students be successful on the state standards as possible.

So, it is used as more of a teacher protection or waiver than need to

specify Mav's differentiated work.

(Arizona falls way below the standards and they are scrambling to bring our

schools/kids up to the National average.)

" Regardless of how good of a swim instructor you are, you can't teach a

person to swim in the parking lot of a swimming pool. "

Norman Kunc

[Guest guest]

Oh for pity sakes! Are you saying he is being graded at a 3rd grade

standard? His work should, no, MUST be modified to HIS level. My son is in

fourth grade and is kicking his high school brother's butt in the grade

department! Noah doesn't have anything below a 93! His grades have the

letters SE next to them, to show they are modified by the Special Ed

department. I flat out told them if Noah receives a failing grade for

anything it is a reflection on them, not him! If they are modifying based

on Mac's ability, he will succeed. On the other hand, I've also told them I

don't want to see every paper come home with 100% either. That also means

they aren't doing their job, and making it too easy for him. We just had our

teacher conferences and I had to explain that the test they gave him was

wholly inappropriate; too busy, little bitty maps, too many concepts on one

page, they called the same land mass the " United States " on one page, and

" North America " on the next, etc. These are the things that seem obvious,

but sometimes you have to help them understand the way your kid learns...and

they're all different.

Do not stand for failing grades, it is their failure, not his. Remind them

what the " I " in " IEP " stands for!

Karla in Texas

Modified grades

> I've already asked this question on another list, but thought I would also

> ask here as I'm still unsure about this...does anyone's child receive a

> modified curriculum AND modified grades? My son, Mac, is in 3rd grade and

> is *included* for all but 30 minutes a day in the general ed classroom.

> He is not doing 3rd grade work, all work is modified for him--it's not

> always modified well, but it is modified. I also asked about modified

> grades because I know even with a modified curriculum he will still not

> " score " well and his grades will continue to be low. I'm not a big fan of

> grades anyway, but know that in the future Mac will be aware of his

> grades, as will his peers and I don't want him to always have D's and F's

> when he works just as hard (sometimes more, sometimes less) as his peers

> it just doesn't always show. The teachers and spec ed director have

> asked me what do I mean by modified grades and I'm not sure what my answer

> should be. I " ve suggested things like modifying the grading scale...for

> example the current scale is 93-100 is an A, I suggested maybe for Mac it

> would be 88-100. I suggested things like not allowing him to fail his

> spelling tests (unless he misses all of them) and do a sort of reversed

> scale for example if he gets 1 correct he gets a D, 2 a C, 3 a B and 4-5

> an A (he only gets 5 words compared to 15 for the typical kids). Just

> wondering what others have done. I don't expect him to get all A's or

> make the honor roll every time, but I also don't want him to get all D's

> and F's every time. Maybe if he's getting D's and F's the curriculum

> isn't being modified enough or correctly? Thoughts, ideas,

> suggestions????

> Thanks, in advance, for any help.

>

> Jill

> Mom to Mac (8 yrs., 3rd grade, Ds) & Kit (5 yrs., preschool, Ds)

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

More accomadations and modifications are necessary, I believe. According to

what I have learned modifications need to be made so that the student can be

sucessful in the objective of the lesson while at the same time not losing sight

of the core correculum. It deffinately sounds like the material is not

presented in a way in which is appropriate. All teachers need to remember that

adaptions and modifications need to be looked at on an individual basis. These

lower grades could be what you need to take into the school to get additional

services if that is what you feel is needed. Are the children in an inclusive

setting? With a special ed teacher as a co teacher? Is the special ed teacher

a consultant teacher? Is it a self contained classroom? I think alot of the

grades depends on the teachers.

Dawn

Re: Modified grades

GREAT question. I can't wait to hear some answers. I have always been

frustrated by this as well. They aren't getting the traditional letter

grades at this point, but he is always getting the lower end of the scale.

Kym

Modified grades

Just wondering what others have done. I don't expect him to get all A's or

make the honor roll every time, but I also don't want him to get all D's and

F's every time. Maybe if he's getting D's and F's the curriculum isn't

being modified enough or correctly? Thoughts, ideas, suggestions????

> Jill

> Mom to Mac (8 yrs., 3rd grade, Ds) & Kit (5 yrs., preschool, Ds)

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[Guest guest]

No...he's not being graded at a 3rd grade level. His work is modified...he just

doesn't always perform well or assess well. The teachers are very good about

asking for my input--like which 5 words do I want to be his spelling words out

of the 15-20 the other kids have each week. They ask how I suggest they modify

his math assignments...but still he isn't always doing well with the

modifications. Maybe we need to look at more significant modifications. I

also have requested that he NOT have 1:1 help with everything and that may be

part of the problem. I want him to be able to do his work successfully, but

independently--as much as possible.

Jill

----- Modified grades

>

>

>> I've already asked this question on another list, but thought I would also

>> ask here as I'm still unsure about this...does anyone's child receive a

>> modified curriculum AND modified grades? My son, Mac, is in 3rd grade and

>> is *included* for all but 30 minutes a day in the general ed classroom.

>> He is not doing 3rd grade work, all work is modified for him--it's not

>> always modified well, but it is modified. I also asked about modified

>> grades because I know even with a modified curriculum he will still not

>> " score " well and his grades will continue to be low. I'm not a big fan of

>> grades anyway, but know that in the future Mac will be aware of his

>> grades, as will his peers and I don't want him to always have D's and F's

>> when he works just as hard (sometimes more, sometimes less) as his peers

>> it just doesn't always show. The teachers and spec ed director have

>> asked me what do I mean by modified grades and I'm not sure what my answer

>> should be. I " ve suggested things like modifying the grading scale...for

>> example the current scale is 93-100 is an A, I suggested maybe for Mac it

>> would be 88-100. I suggested things like not allowing him to fail his

>> spelling tests (unless he misses all of them) and do a sort of reversed

>> scale for example if he gets 1 correct he gets a D, 2 a C, 3 a B and 4-5

>> an A (he only gets 5 words compared to 15 for the typical kids). Just

>> wondering what others have done. I don't expect him to get all A's or

>> make the honor roll every time, but I also don't want him to get all D's

>> and F's every time. Maybe if he's getting D's and F's the curriculum

>> isn't being modified enough or correctly? Thoughts, ideas,

>> suggestions????

>> Thanks, in advance, for any help.

>>

>> Jill

>> Mom to Mac (8 yrs., 3rd grade, Ds) & Kit (5 yrs., preschool, Ds)

>>

>>

>>

[Guest guest]

I don't think they did. The goals were always the same, year after year.

They were just putting him on through. I thought the teachers were at least

'trying' to teach the kids.

In high school the teacher was totally incompetent (another story) so we

pulled him out to home school him (10th grade). This year (11th grade) he

is in a job training program at the Goodwill in the morning, and we do

acedemics in the afternoon.

Best wishes to you.

Shirley

Re: Modified grades

> So how did they assess what he needed to know/should know vs. what he

didn't...if he always got A's and B's no matter if he showed mastery or not?

I know Mac doesn't deserve all A's and B's--especially if he doesn't put

forth good effort--but I also don't feel like he deserves all D's and F's.

I wish there was an easy black and white answer to this stuff.

>

> Jill

>

>

> ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------

> From: " cshos " <cshos@...>

> Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:19:39 -0500

>

> >Our experience with our son in public school is that he always received

A's and B's in regular classes or sp-ed classes.....regardless of what he

was or was not learning.

> >

> >Shirley

> >

>

>

>

>

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>

[Guest guest]

Jill, his work is not being modified for HIM. the test I mentioned earlier

is a good example. I asked if it was the test the rest of the class took,

she said, " No, it is a modified test we got from the district. " Hello?!? Do

they know Noah, or is there a folder at the district that says " 4th

grade-Down Syndrome " ?!? I mean that is absurd! Mac is not successful only

if the work is inappropriate. Noah doesn't receive one on one either, but he

does need someone close by to keep him on task. A good aide can make

themselves invisible until their needed.

I think they need some training if they are asking you how to modify his

math assignments. They must know what level he works at. So if he is

working at the kindy level, they should start with the kindy curriculum and

modify from there. Fewer problems on a page, take away all the pictures and

extraneous decorations on the worksheets, bigger font, use more

manipulatives, etc. They should know this stuff.

Is he being tested on " Stage words " in spelling? Noah is a great reader,

but his spelling list is nothing like the other fourth graders. His list is

from the reading program. He is focusing on the words that are appropriate

to the reading level he is at. Is Mac reading at 3rd. grade level? His

spelling words should be relevant to the material he is reading. Once

again, it needs to be all about Mac, not " 3rd grade Modifications for

Special Ed Students. " Does his IEP need to be revised, or does it specify

exactly what he should be working on?

Keep after them until they get it right, the tendency is to lump as many

lesson plans together as possible to make it easier on themselves. Mac will

thrive when his schoolwork is adapted to suit his level, ability and

interest.

Karla

Re: Modified grades

> No...he's not being graded at a 3rd grade level. His work is

> modified...he just doesn't always perform well or assess well. The

> teachers are very good about asking for my input--like which 5 words do I

> want to be his spelling words out of the 15-20 the other kids have each

> week. They ask how I suggest they modify his math assignments...but still

> he isn't always doing well with the modifications. Maybe we need to look

> at more significant modifications. I also have requested that he NOT have

> 1:1 help with everything and that may be part of the problem. I want him

> to be able to do his work successfully, but independently--as much as

> possible.

>

> Jill

>