Grades Aren't the Only Measure of Math Progress

Math grades are important. Students with high math grades will have a better chance at getting into college and obtaining scholarships. Many families who enroll in Mathnasium do so because they want to help their child get better math grades.

We would love it if kids could instantly get better grades when they start attending Mathnasium. Many kids who are just a little behind in math do increase their grades quickly. However, students who are more than a year behind in math skills take longer to see an improvement in math grades.

Unfortunately, grades are not always the best system for showing learning and progress (just like the scale does not always reflect your body's health). The further children are behind, the longer it will take to improve their grades. To feel confident that your child is progressing you will want to look at more indicators than just grades.

“Joey” is a fictionalized character of a common scenario. Joey is in ninth grade but his math competency is at a sixth grade level. He has struggled in math for as long as he can remember. His problems compounded as he advanced into middle school and high school.  He can do arithmetic but he gets overwhelmed with the complex, algebraic math expected in high school. In the past, Joey sometimes struggled to get Ds in math, and other times he gave up and got Fs.

Joey’s parents enrolled him into our intensive math program at Mathnasium to help him raise his math grades. Joey attended our center 3-4 times a week for three months. Mathnasium progress reports indicated that he was making consistent progress. Joey and his family eagerly anticipated better math grades at the next reporting period. At the end of the semester they expected at least a C+. They were disappointed when his final math grade for the semester was only a D+.

Sadly, we hear stories like Joey’s often.

What Happened?

Parents of kids like Joey ask, “Why isn’t the impressive progress we see at the center improving his grades more?” Learning a year’s worth of material in only three months at Mathnasium is impressive, but he still has a three-year gap between his skills and his grade level. That huge gap made it almost impossible for him to get good math grades … yet. To get good math grades he needs to close that gaping math gap.

It will take more time and hard work, but his progress and his grades will likely accelerate as his motivation and knowledge increase. Then it will hit a plateau and it could be a struggle for a bit but it will accelerate again. This is a natural cycle.

To stay motivated we find it helpful to measure math progress using tools other than just grades.

Measure Math Progress (without Looking at Grades)

At Mathnasium of Parker, we see many kids like “Joey.” We collected and developed ways to help kids measure their progress other than just by their end of semester letter grades. Here are some of the measurement tools to know that your child's math skills are improving, even before the grades have started showing improvement.

1. Quiz and test percentage scores - Use small improvements in percentage points, rather than letter grades, to gauge improvement. Anything less than a sixty percent is usually an F. Seeing an “F” on a test can be discouraging if you studied hard. A student who was getting scores of 25 percent on quizzes and tests but now gets scores of 50 percent, is definitely improving. Watch the trend line. If it is going up, then your child is improving!
2. Percentile rankings on standardized tests - Focus on small improvements in percentile ranking rather than meeting grade level expectations. Students who are below grade will show as “not meeting grade level expectations,” whether they are four years or one year behind grade level. However, a child who goes from four years behind grade level to three years behind grade level will rise in their percentile ranking on standardized tests. A percentile ranking shows what percentage of children scored lower on a test than your child. A child who is four years below grade level might be in the third percentile, whereas a child who is three years below grade level might be in the sixth percentile. That shows growth.
3. Participation in class – Note the engagement level in math class. If you have ever travelled to a place where you didn’t speak the language, or heard a conversation full of jargon you didn’t understand, you know what it feels like to be in a math class that is way above your skill level. Most people mentally check out when they are in situations they don’t understand. Once students start to understand a little of what is going on, they put more effort into understanding the lesson or conversation. A student who didn’t participate in class before and who then starts asking questions and taking notes is improving.
4. Use Tests, like MAP, that measure performance and growth - Look at the growth score, sometimes measured with a unit called “RIT.” Students generally take these tests several times per year. A student who is progressing will show a high growth or “RIT” score.
5. Teacher comments - Ask the teacher for other indicators of growth. Teachers will notice when a student starts showing more interest and effort in class, and starts gaining understanding of the concepts and learning more skills.
6. Mathnasium assessments - Our frequent assessments will show you just what skills your child has mastered since starting our program. Math is sequential. It’s almost impossible to learn advanced algebra before mastering arithmetic. A tenth grader who starts our program struggling with percentages, and masters those, and then masters pre-algebra concepts, is progressing.

Ask Us

If you are concerned about your child’s progress, please make an appointment with us. We love showing where progress is happening and how it could be accelerated. Schedule a meeting with us today!

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Want to find out more about how we can help your child in math? Call us at 303-840-1184.

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