� Terrance Shurn | Main | Too Seriously �
June 18, 2003
Report Card Day
I'm going to be a little short of cash over the next few days, but I couldn't be more happy about it. My kids graduated today and they are off to the next level of elementary school. So I am going to poison their little brains with the illusion of meritocracy and pay by the 'A'.
These days, schools in California don't give A's. The report cards I've been seeing the past 4 years are more skills based. That is so much better. For example, my little prodigy in Kindergarten recieved high marks in 'Reading Stages'. At stage 6 (out of 6), the student:
Understands the relationship between sounds and symbols. Reads and retells stories with accuracy. Uses illustrations, patterns, sight words and phonics to derive meaning from stories. Attempts unknown words.
Despite the fact that this sounds like a junior grade resume, it is expressive of the nature of the skills teachers are impressing on young minds and it gives a very specific detail that helps me understand (by looking at the other stages) what she is mastering, an order of magnitude more informative than '600 verbal'.
I first heard of skills-based grading several years ago when I was helping a cat named George Trudel beta test some software in Providence. I say his name specifically because George is my kind of person and I hope someday that he Googles up his own name and finds this paragraph. His daughter, I recall, played the flute and he was very concerned about how anyone who is not a musician could appreciate what went into her achievements, and so was a strong proponent of skills-based grading.
I'm something of a lout for turning those subjective achievements into the ultimate fungible, but it does convey a value in a way they understand immediately. I'm proud of my favorite people and I think they know that, so I'm putting my money where my mouth is. Plus, I know they'll brag to their friends.
What a great Father's Day present. High marks for the lil Cobbettes. Life is good. Now it's summer vacation, a whole new set of headaches await.
Posted by mbowen at June 18, 2003 10:50 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.visioncircle.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/153