Academic Standards

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Academic Standards
5
Thu, 12-07-2006 - 6:42pm
A co-worker and i were talking about his education yesterday and the topic of academic standards among teachers and how they can vary from child to child. Then we got talking about how a grade at one school maybe an A but the same paper might be graded a B a different university of vice versa.
Then he was saying how the standards are quite different in Canada vs the US. He has spent quite a bit of time in the States so i would assume he is correct.
What do you think?
Kelly
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-17-2004
Thu, 12-07-2006 - 7:46pm

Academic standards vary widely throughout my state, nevermind through out the country. We do have a set of state standards that are supposed to be taught at every grade level, but some districts barely reach the standards, while others fly past them. Within your own state you probably have some mechanism for ranking each of the school districts. You would have to assume that an "A" paper in the higher performing school district will probably look different than the lower performing school districts.

Colleges are very much aware of this difference. Admissions officers use profile sheets to give them information on the academic standards of each high school. A "B" average in a high performing high school could have the same weight as an "A" in many other lower performing high schools.

I think your friend may have been correct about the schools he attended, but that's about as far as it goes.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 12-07-2006 - 8:45pm

In Ontario they have implemented a uniform grading standard. Now I'm not sure how a teacher evaluates if they are "at grade level" but I'm sure they have some kind of scale or set of goals they must meet. Kristen was all A's (A+, A and A-) and two B's. The scale is:


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2003
Thu, 12-07-2006 - 11:26pm
I think your going to get that varying standard even between teachers in a same school. Some teachers are pickier about appearance, grammar etc. where others are just concerned they child got the meat of the assignment right. Some teachers don't like children to disagree with their opinions, others are open to it as long as the child has presented a valid argument. This is one thing I don't like about the standardized tests here . I think how well a child does can often be greatly influenced by the teacher that marks it, particularly on the English tests. Now off my soapbox.

Linda


Mom to Alex (13) , Rachel (10), Matthew (9)


Linda
mom to
Alex (16), Rachel (14), Matthew (12)


Community Leader
Registered: 07-26-1999
Fri, 12-08-2006 - 9:35am
I completely agree with Linda about how a teacher's preference influences grades even and its a shame in some respects. But also even here in the U.S. the differences in state academics. We found that out first hand with Jordyn when we moved from Michigan to Texas. She is just now getting to some stuff in 6th grade here in Texas that she had finished or was just starting to cover in 4th and 5th grade in the public school she attended in Michigan. You'll also find a high variety when it comes to charter schools, which at least here in Texas are also public schools.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 12-08-2006 - 11:41am
No idea on Canada versus US, but since it varies widely from school to school here, I would think it would vary from here to Canada as well.


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