Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums High School I am very disapointed

The students get the tests & essays back to look them over and then they are handed back and locked in the cabinet. It can be a real hassle to get to look at them. The party line is this is so they can reuse tests/questions. I could go in & demand the teacher show them to me, but I've been trying to let my son deal with this on his own. He doesn't want me to go in and make demands.

On a recent quiz my son came home and said the teacher did put an almost impossible (not really impossible just would have taken them hours) on a quiz. So she had given everyone who gave the problem a try, the points for it. I am not sure what to think about this teacher. She clearly understands the math, but I was warned about her by other parents of honors students. She has high expectations.. Math problems are to be written on in a particular way and points can be taken off for that. But my son has figured that aspect out.

The English teacher I trust, my daughter had her for her senior year. And his not "getting" literary analysis is less of a surprise.

Good point, puffin. I made the assumption that there was already a round with the teacher. Our present situation is coloring my vision.

I agree with puffin with the teacher. A 3way parent-teacher-student conference is also warrented at this age. Kids need to learn these skills themselves, but with guidance where necessary or thorny.

The policy of locking up the math tests isn't the teacher. It's the district policy for high school math tests, and has gone on for years. I'm not sure pushing this policy is the best place for me to start. I had this issue with my daughter. My son can go to the teacher and request to see the tests in office hours. And I am probably going to push for him to do this. My son's take on it is that he has gotten a chance to look them over. But he can't really explain much about what he has done wrong, except that the questions are hard.

BTW the policy of locking up test has to do with a VERY REAL cheating problem at our high school. And the sad thing is honors kids are more likely to cheat, as the stakes are higher. A neighbor school is currently dealing with a VERY large case of cheating and I know it's on all the teachers/administrators minds. The real solution would be for the teachers to never re-use tests or test questions. But for that we would need to pay the teachers more, and give them fewer students, and more paid time to prep for the classes.

Sending positive energy your way. Take a deep breath. First semester freshman year can be a tough transition for some kids. It seems that Honor Algebra II is the only issue requiring your actions at this point. History and English are what they are and the current directiom might help free up more time/energy for math/science in the coming years.

While I generally think that parents need to step back, in this case, I think you should make a conference for you and your son to meet with the algebra teacher. You need to look at his test and see why he received an F because your DS has not been able to figure it out.

If your DS has an IEP or 504, then you have far more leverage, but regardless, there should be procedures/support in place. At my DS' high school, there are weekly coach classes for all core subjects for anyone who needs extra help. Each student is assigned a counselor and assistant principal, who should be able to assist if there are issues with a teacher.

It is okay for you to help because your DS needs it. This is not a situation of you helicoptering because you don't like grades lower than an A, but a genuine confusion why he is failing a test he appears to otherwise understand.

Thanks, I kind of needed this perspective.

Since the final is a multiple choice standardized test that all algebra II classes take my current plan is to leaving this discussion with the teacher till after finals. My logic goes as follows. Figuring out why he is failing her "honors" tests is not necessary for doing well on the final, and doing well on the final is this weeks emphasis. And second when/if he does well on the final we have another data point to show that while he does understand the "standard" material what we need to figure out what he is having problem with on her tests. And if he doesn't do well on the final, than it's moot and he might as well move to the regular class.

Edited to add, he did "solve" his own problem with the English & Social Studies teacher. I was needed for input because the school likes a parent to be involved in a change of class for freshman.

I agree.

I agree.

Also I do know that some textbooks will have three different levels of chapter tests. The "hard" version of these tests can be very difficult and have very little in common with what is actually taught in the book they supposedly go with. Perhaps this is what is happening? Do you know what textbook they use?

Concerns about academic dishonesty have long been a factor in teachers keeping tests. There is also a belief that giving the exact same test over time serves as a type of "standard" among grade levels.

Although students may not be allowed to bring their completed tests home, interested students may often take notes while teachers are reviewing the test, so they may learn from any problems they did not solve correctly. A student making an appointment to visit a teacher during office hours also shows keen interest in learning from one's mistakes.

Not saying that this is happening in your son's school, but some parents have shared what may be an emerging trend toward teachers/schools/districts testing/assessing student knowledge beyond that which has been taught in the classroom. While there is a place for such tests and assessments, many would agree that a "class grade" ought to be relative to mastery of material taught in that class. (By contrast, screening for some programs may consist of above-level items and an institution may not care to distinguish whether a student learned the material in school, self-driven study, summer math camps, enrichment courses, or through private tutoring.)

In some districts, teachers are held accountable for their students' mastery of the course material and therefore these teachers may work very diligently to scaffold support for students who may hit occasional sticking points. However if a student does not contact the teacher to request assistance, the student may be suggested to drop the course for one in which both student and teacher may experience greater success.

If the current schedule of Honors subjects is a bit overwhelming, DS may wish to consider his interest and affinity for any subject, as separate from his expertise or current performance in that subject. With parental guidance and feedback, he may wish to choose one or two subjects to study at the Honors level, and focus on those? He may wish to consider choosing whether to study other subjects at the regular grade level. The level of challenge/frustration which is most appropriate, while keeping one's life in balance, can often be best determined by the student. Coaching/feedback from a trusted source (often parents) can help. As a parent you may wish to think about Carol Dweck's "growth mindset" and speak to him about this in relation to his decision(s) about what level to study each subject at.

For example, if DS decides to continue with a number of challenging Honors-level courses and may earn a lower grade than he would have in the regular classes, is he prepared to promote the view that he developed "growth mindset" and rose to the challenge, working through the difficulties, rather than backing away and settling for the sure thing? High grades are one type of reward, while rising to a challenge and mastering something new is another type of reward.

The level of challenge at which DS feels his life is in balance will be the best (or least-worst) path for him at this time.

Don't know if the ideas in this post help, but they are meant to agree with what you observe about your son's classes and also say that good things can be found regardless of which path he takes (Honors courses, regular grade level courses, or a combination). Ultimately what matters most may be his sense of being empowered to make the choice(s) and follow through, while being supported by those who mean the most to him, his family.

My heart goes out to you and your son :-(

While I haven't been in your situation my immediate thought is the teacher can't be failing everyone, does your DS have a friend who is doing well in the class who would be willing to be a study partner?

Also, some honest comments from your son to the teacher...'I enjoy math, Ive done well in the previous classes (algebra, geometry, etc.), I complete my homework, etc. .... yet I am struggling with some of the exams, what do you suggest I do to be more successful in your class?'.