Good school grades: School Ratings & Reviews for Public & Private Schools: GreatSchools

Опубликовано: December 2, 2022 в 11:21 am

Автор: alexxlab

Категории: Miscellaneous

How to Get Good Grades in High School

It seems simple on its face: to get into a good college, get good grades in high school. If you know what kinds of schools you’re aiming for, you probably have an idea of what your GPA should be. But how exactly do you get where you need to be?

A good grade is a reflection of both hard work and comprehension of the material. In the short term, it shows colleges that you’re a good student who can succeed in a highly rigorous academic environment, which is what they offer. In the long term, working towards good grades teaches you important skills in studying, preparation, discipline, and self-advocacy. These are lifelong skills that will serve you even when you’re no longer taking math tests and writing book reports.

Whether you’re trying to raise your current grades or are just looking toward future success, following this step-by-step guide will ensure that you’re in the best possible position to thrive in your academic courses, now and in the future.

Nine Tips for Getting Good Grades in High School

1. Do Your Homework

It sounds obvious, doesn’t it? To get better grades, do the homework assignments. Yet, you would be surprised by how many high school students don’t do their homework, leaving assignments unfinished or waiting until right before the test to do them. That might have worked in middle school, but it’s unlikely to fly in high school.

If you’re in a rigorous class, it’s covering a lot of material, and your teacher assumes you are going to learn some of it on your own. This is excellent preparation for college, when your classes will meet much less frequently, but you will have much more work to do outside of class. High school teachers are trying to prepare you for this shift by encouraging you to maintain and expand your knowledge through homework.

Finally, if you aren’t doing the homework, you won’t know what you don’t understand, which means you won’t be able to ask the right questions and get the right help. If you don’t know what you don’t know, you’ll never learn it!

2. Participate in Class

Everyone knows that it’s easier to pay attention to something if you’re active and involved. Particularly in a classroom, passively listening often makes it harder for you to remember what was said because you weren’t actively participating.

Of course, your ability to participate depends somewhat on your teacher, the class, and your own personality. Some teachers prefer to lecture, with minimal input from their classrooms, while some students feel uncomfortable speaking in front of others. Nevertheless, these days almost all educators recognize the importance of active learning and making such participation inclusive for all students.

Whether it’s answering a question, asking a question, participating actively in group work, or otherwise being involved in the classroom, participation in class is a great way to master the material and show your teacher that you’re trying hard.

3. Take Good Notes in Class

It’s a near-universal fact: straight-A students take good notes. That said, note-taking is not necessarily something all high school students know how to do, and not all schools do a good job of teaching it. Learning to take notes may be something you need to undertake on your own, but it’s absolutely crucial to getting better grades.

Not everyone takes notes the same way. Some students find it helpful to write long-hand, while others record lectures and take notes later, when they can pause. In general, though, it’s best not to write down everything the teacher says. Rather, truly good note-takers digest what’s important and write down just the key facts.

Don’t worry if this doesn’t come naturally right away; note-taking is a skill that takes time to develop. As you improve, you’ll likely earn higher grades as well.

4. Don’t Hesitate to Ask for Help

There’s a common misconception among high school students that you should only ask for extra help if the teacher specifically recommends it or if you’re getting really bad grades. In fact, all good teachers would love to help you whenever you need it!

Whether you’re trying to understand your test scores, essay comments, homework assignments, or class involvement, setting up a time to talk to your teacher out of class is always a good use of your time. They don’t want to give you bad grades; they want to help you learn the material. It’s why they teach!

That said, if you do go in for extra help, you’ll get more out of it if you have specific questions. Don’t ask the teacher to give his or her lesson all over again; pinpoint what you’re struggling with and ask for advice or additional problems.

5. Keep Yourself Motivated

Another truth about getting better grades is that it isn’t just about one test or one paper. A strong final grade is the product of a lot of good grades all strung together, which means you need to stay motivated throughout the year.

Staying focused on schoolwork isn’t always easy. Things come up in and outside of school that take away from your focus, and it’s easy to give into procrastination when you have a lot on your plate, a situation you’re sure to encounter at some point.

Bear in mind that this is a marathon, not a sprint; once in a while, you won’t finish your homework, and that’s okay. The important thing is that you are striving toward your best academic performance by doing as much of this as you can.

6. Create a Study Schedule

Staying on top of your schoolwork isn’t always easy; you have extracurricular activities, service commitments, family responsibilities, and more. Time management can be the best tool in your arsenal for getting better grades.

Creating a study schedule can help you manage your time and keep from cramming. By learning and studying in small chunks, rather than trying to do so all at once, you’ll be less overwhelmed and better able to master the material. For each class, consider setting out a certain amount of time each day, maybe in a calendar or agenda book. Doing a little every day is miles better than cramming.

A study schedule should be flexible to both your learning style and your life. But even if it gets disrupted sometimes, just having made it can be enormously helpful.

7. Remove Distractions

Getting the most out of studying means staying focused, which in turn means minimizing distractions. These days, it’s hard not to get distracted by notifications on your phone, computer, or other screen. But maintaining productive study time means filtering all this out to focus on your schoolwork.

To that end, do what you can to minimize distractions and build good study habits. Turn your phone to Do Not Disturb so you don’t get notifications and alerts. Use anti-procrastination browser extensions like StayFocusd to keep yourself off social media and other distracting websites. Sign out of instant messaging.

Distractions can be physical, too. Keeping your desk organized can help boost your productivity and lead to higher grades, as can organizing your notes and materials. Managing your space can be as important as managing your time.

8. Don’t Study Alone

When we imagine studying, we often picture someone alone at a desk. But just as being an active class participant can help you connect more deeply to the material, so too can studying with a partner, group, or tutor help your grades!

Forming a study group or partnership can be a particularly great way to work toward higher grades. Rather than just quizzing yourself with flash cards, studying in a group allows you both to ask questions of another student and to explain concepts to a peer, which will really test whether you understand the material or not.

Beyond a study group, working with a private tutor is also a way to manage your schedule and get help with your homework. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to meet with your teacher or a group, a tutor might be a good option for you.

9. Take Care of Yourself!

Finally, one of the most important things you can do to get good grades in school is to take care of yourself. Getting burned out and overwhelmed will not increase your grade point average! At a certain point, everyone needs some self-care.

Good health—physical and mental—is critically important to success in school. Eating well, getting regular exercise, and managing any stress or anxiety are all essential factors in setting yourself up for academic success.

In fact, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to get a good night’s sleep! Try not to let your schoolwork or extracurricular activities interrupt your sleep schedule. Rest will help you focus and keep you healthy for the long term.

Conclusion

Your grade point average isn’t the only thing colleges care about; even if you’re one of the best students in your class, you still need to develop a leadership profile, earn good standardized test scores, be involved in your community, and put together outstanding essays. Nevertheless, if you don’t have the academic qualifications colleges expect, having all those things won’t do you any good, either.

For all but the most selective schools, you don’t need perfect grades or straight As in every single class. But you should strive to perform at the highest academic level you can. By staying engaged, motivated, and healthy, you can raise your grades and show admissions officers that you’re ready for college!

8 Tips to Get Better Grades in School from Ivy League Grads

It’s no secret that good grades help you get into college. You’ve probably heard it from an early age, “Get good grades so you can get into a good school.

” But, why do grades matter so much? And what strategies help you improve your grades so you will stand out from those with equally impressive grades?

When colleges review your application, they evaluate many factors, including grades. They look at your actual grades, the classes you took, and your overall academic performance history. They want to see growth, ambition and drive. They also want to see how you’ve challenged yourself throughout high school. Good grades are imperative if you plan on attending an Ivy League university or prestigious universities like Stanford or MIT.

What is a Grade Point Average (GPA)?

Your Grade Point Average (GPA) is a score on a scale between 0.0 and 4.0 that reflects your academic performance in high school. It converts the letters or percentages that typically represent your grades into numbers, then finds the average of those numbers to calculate a GPA.

Your GPA sums up your academic achievement into one cumulative number that serves as the first point of comparison between you and other applicants.

For a more in-depth understanding of what your GPA means and how your grades stack up for top US universities, you can speak with one of Crimson’s Academic Advisors, who can answer all your questions. They can even help you:

Identify the best schools to apply to based on your academic candidacy
Recommend a tutoring path that increases your GPA
Craft a roadmap for improving your academics in general

Use our High School GPA Calculator to find out your current GPA for college admissions!

What is a High School Transcript?

Your high school transcript is a record of all the classes you’ve taken in high school (from 9th grade onwards), the final grades (weighted or unweighted) that you received, and the credits you earned for each one. Most transcripts also include standardized test scores from AP Exams, the SAT/ACT or others, your cumulative GPA, and any academic honors you’ve received.

Essentially, your official transcript provides an overview of your academic performance throughout high school at-a-glance so that admissions officers can evaluate your academic standing.

While your high school transcript illustrates how well you performed academically throughout high school, it can also showcase several other important qualities:

Ambition: Opting to take more challenging classes exhibits a sense of academic tenacity and shows that you’re ready to take on the demands of college-level courses.
Exploration: When choosing elective courses, the ones you select can help demonstrate your interest and commitment to a particular area of study, like STEM or social sciences.
Advancement: Your transcript shows all your grades from the last four years, so marked improvement over time indicates that you’ve grown and become a stronger student.

Your transcript should demonstrate that in your time as a high school student, you’ve been eager to learn and have taken advantage of all that your school has to offer.

How do you get good grades?

The obvious answer to this question is to ace your exams and papers and turn in consistent high-level work. But since you’re not a robot, you’re probably not going to ace every test, every time.

We’ve compiled a list of the top strategies that Crimson students use to get good grades in school. These simple yet effective tips improve their grades and help them get into schools like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.

1. Motivate Yourself

You’re not always going to get a perfect score. But that doesn’t mean you just give up on your university dreams. A minor setback is not a failure. Stay positive and learn from your mistakes. Here are some simple tips to help you stay motivated.

Instead of beating yourself up for a bad grade or two, determine what went wrong, so it doesn’t happen again.
Encourage yourself to keep going even when you want to quit.
Remind yourself of your ultimate goal and create tangible milestones that will help you reach that goal.

2. Pay Attention and Participate in Class

Even if school tends to come easy for you, paying attention and participating in class shows your teacher you’re interested in the subject. Most teachers base final grades on tests, papers, projects, and participation. That means even if you ace all the work, you may get a lower grade if you don’t participate in class.

Tips on how you can participate: e.g. ask for clarifications, raise your hand up even if the answer is obvious, etc.

3. Stay on Top of your Classwork

Complete your homework and classwork, even if it doesn’t count towards your grade. While it might seem like busywork, it’s the foundation of your knowledge and helps you better understand a particular subject. Completing your homework also helps you fully comprehend a subject and builds confidence in that specific subject.

4. Organize your Workspace and your Time

A study by Harvard Business Review highlights the importance of a clear workspace.

Find a quiet space where you can study and complete your work. Keep that workspace clear of clutter and anything (including your phone) that might distract you from staying on task.

Find a planner that will help you track your schedule and time. It doesn’t matter if you choose a mobile app planner or a traditional paper planner. Pick one that works best for you. (If your phone tends to be a distraction, you should consider a paper planner.) Keep track of due dates, tests, projects, and all your extracurricular activities in this planner. Staying organized will not only help you stay on task, it will keep you from missing important dates and deadlines.

5. Take Your Health Seriously

Your health and wellness affect every aspect of your time – including your schoolwork. If you’re not eating nutritious foods and getting at least eight hours of sleep at night, your brain will not get the fuel it needs to function correctly and be productive. A healthy lifestyle also includes plenty of fresh air and exercise.

6. Ask for Help

Many teachers don’t mind setting aside time to help you during a study session or after school. Making the extra effort also shows your teacher that you care about the subject matter and want to give 100% to your work. Some schools offer tutors that will help you ace the challenging subjects. If feasible, ask your parents if they can set you up with a private tutor (like Crimson Education) who can help you outside of school hours.

7. Consider Online Tutoring

Crimson offers online tutoring to our students. We engage the world’s best teachers and tutors to help students get good grades and reach their university admission goals. We offer three tutoring programs in an easy-to-order offering. They include tutoring in:

AP (Advanced Placement) & IB (International Baccalaureate)
SAT, ACT, and SAT II
Bespoke Curriculum/Subject Tutoring

How Māori student Sam scored a perfect 1600 with Crimson Tutoring

8. Consider an Online High School

Crimson Global Academy (CGA) is a fully-registered online high school that connects you with world-class teachers and university-recognized qualifications. This program delivers live, world-class teaching to you, right in your own home. You’ll graduate from the year-long accelerated courses with Advanced Placement (AP) and A-Level qualifications. When you get good grades in these courses, top universities will recognize your commitment and effort to your education.

*At this time, CGA is offered in the following countries: New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Russian Federation, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, China, Vietnam, Singapore, United Kingdom, Thailand, Taiwan, United States, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Qatar, Indonesia, Belgium, Ukraine, Costa Rica, Philippines, Switzerland, Kuwait, Spain, Kenya, Oman, Egypt, Myanmar {Burma}, and Cyprus.

CGA Classroom Adventures: Ep 1 Mathematics with Dr Andrew Daniel

For more information on GPA and grades, download our FREE ebook, Acing Your Academics for US University Applications.

What about international curriculums? Do I still need good grades?

High schools around the world teach different curriculums. A-Levels, IB, and APs, are considered the most academically rigorous options available for high school students.

Whether you take the A-Levels, IBs, or any respected international curricula, your transcript will reflect your high school academic performance. You can calculate your GPA using converted grades from these curricula.

Final Thoughts

While good grades aren’t the only thing colleges look for, they’re often one of the first things they evaluate. Good grades will help you get your foot in the door at many top universities. If you can pass through that door, you’re already closer to acceptance than many applicants with lower grades.

Do you need help deciding which curriculum is best for you or understanding how international grades and test scores translate to your US university applications?

Crimson helps students from around the world gain admission to world-leading institutions with personalized guidance on everything from grades and test scores to extracurriculars and interviews. Schedule a free consultation with one of our expert Academic Advisors, who can answer all your questions and help get you started on the path to success.

3 reasons grades are bad for education — THNK School

Ideas

Educated individuals like Thomas Jefferson, Rene Descartes, William Shakespeare, Galileo, and Plato were never given grades.

Today however, the contrast couldn’t be greater. Grades define the contours of our educational system. Our society is even structurally dependent on grading performance. Just look at how the best jobs go to the students with the best grades at the best universities, who in turn accept students with the best grades at the best high schools.

At first glance, the large-scale implementation of grades seems like a textbook example of efficiency improvement. Grades function as a simple and immediate feedback mechanism. They allow differences between students to be quantified and permit teachers to process more students in a shorter period of time. However, upon closer inspection, essential questions arise:

Why do we attach so much value to grades? Are grades an adequate form of feedback? What is the relationship between education and grades? And could an educational model be effective without this?

In this article, we shine a light on these questions and in doing so reflect on some essential features of the THNK Executive Leadership Program.

Although grades are a simple and immediate feedback mechanism, they are an inadequate form of feedback. Click To Tweet

1. Grades create risk-averse behavior

Surely we agree that futile and vain feelings are associated with the letter grade F and proud and happy feelings are associated with the letter grade A. These links are deeply entrenched in society’s perspective on education. As a consequence, the expectation of receiving a grade creates a fear to fail. Students are therefore prone to choose the path with the least resistance, opting for the easy A. Looking back at my university education, I too strategically chose subjects that would benefit my GPA.

But as a society, do we want our students to engage in this type of behavior? Will this make them educated individuals? Perhaps, this is just inherent to human behavior. Still, I think we want students to be naïve, to dream big, to take risks and to engage in divergent thinking. Truly innovative concepts emerge in such environments. In this quest, students should embrace failure, because failure and success are two sides of the same coin.

Dutch designer and THNKer Marcel Wanders once argued in a THNK session: “Doing a good project in school should be forbidden…students have to make as many mistakes as possible, and learn from it.”

We advocate for an educational model that’s a safe haven for failure. Instead, emphasis should be placed on constant iterations and rapid prototyping, allowing students to acquire the ability to cope with failure and bounce back.

We want students to dream big, to take risks, and to engage in divergent thinking. In this quest, students should embrace failure. Click To Tweet

2. Grades have become the end goal

“Is this going to be on the test?” is a typical question that becomes increasingly popular as a test date approaches. It seems like an innocent question, but if you unravel it, a worrying trend surfaces.

Grades, ideally intended as an effective means to learn, have transformed into a goal in itself. Grades force students to memorize those details necessary to pass a test, often disregarding true comprehension of the subject matter. In this process, the student’s personal development is becoming a footnote, overshadowed by the imperative significance of grades. What are the implications for educational institutions? How effective are they in fulfilling their duty, which is to educate the next generation?.

Interestingly, the importance we place on grades within the perimeter of educational facilities does not coincide with the importance companies place on grades. Google’s former Senior Vice President of People Operations, Laszlo Bock, says, “GPA scores are worthless as a criteria for hiring, they do not predict anything.”

Perhaps society’s structural dependence on grades has led to an inflated level of importance that may lead us to develop suboptimal skills that do not translate directly to the workspace.

When we place too much importance on grades, the students’ personal development becomes a footnote. Click To Tweet

3. Grades are an inadequate form of feedback

I think we can easily agree that receiving feedback is an essential part of education; it allows us to improve. However, are grades the most adequate form of feedback? Here are three reasons why we should rethink this:

There is no limit in qualitative learning. Grades, however, are like a glass ceiling that students do not break through. This is because more often than not, obtaining a grade signals the end of a learning process.
A grade strongly affects the student-teacher relation. A grade should not only be seen as a measurement tool; the giving and obtaining of a grade also constitutes a relationship. We interact differently with a person who has obtained an A as compared to someone who obtained a C.
There is a discrepancy between the one-dimensional character of grades and the multidimensional character of students. Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” In line with this, personal feedback, as opposed to grades, can help to differentiate between “you’re not good at this, don’t bother anymore” and “you’re not good at this with your current approach; why don’t you try a different approach.

The one-dimensional character of grades does not measure the multidimensional character of students. Click To Tweet

Conclusion

Grades play a pivotal role in our current educational paradigm. They’re a convenient measurement tool that is easy to manage, store, and transmit. When dealing with masses of students, it is justifiable that these factors are decisive.

At THNK, we do not believe in grades. Grades create an environment that restricts innovation and creativity. They have lost their original purpose, imply failure, and undermine personal relationships. We believe in personalized feedback through intensive coaching and mentoring from professional coaches and peers — only then you can unlock your true potential as a creative leader.

To break new ground through peer-to-peer interaction with experienced practitioners and a highly diverse circle of peers, join the upcoming Executive Leadership Program.

The Best Middle Schools In The United States

This ranking of the best middle schools in the United States focuses on grades 7 and 8. By a “middle school” we mean a school that includes those grades. Because regions (states, districts, etc.) set their own standards, in some places grades 7 and 8 may be combined with the high school, while in others they may be found together with elementary grades. Another alternative has been to place 7th and 8th grades in a separate school by themselves or together with 6th grade (these are usually called “middle schools” or less frequently now “junior high schools”).

Whatever the combination, the schools in this ranking have both 7th and 8th grade housed together within the same building (which is nearly always the case). Where 7th and 8th graders were housed with other grades, achievement scores for the 7th and 8th graders were evaluated individually, rather than for the school as a whole. The schools in this ranking have found a way to provide 7th and 8th graders with a rich school experience that prepares them superbly well for high school, college, and life.

Recent research indicates that it is beneficial to put 7th and 8th graders together with the elementary grades, creating a single school for K through 8. There are significant studies which show that junior high/middle school students perform better when educated in a K through 8 setting. However, in large urban or suburban areas this option may create space, staffing, and safety issues. For this reason, it is not always feasible to make one school for nine grades.

1. Community Day Charter School

Community Day Charter was founded in 1995 and was one of the first charter schools in Massachusetts. It began with grades K–3 and added a grade every year thereafter until it had all grades K–8.

Teachers work together in teams to identify areas of weakness and formulate action plans for students who are not succeeding as well as they should. All students are given the opportunity to succeed with school support and the belief that all students are capable of meeting the demands of challenging standards.

An extended day and extended year is offered to students who wish to develop their skills or participate in extracurricular activities.

Awards and Rankings:

Highest-scoring school on the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) tests

Commended by the state for high achievement and narrowing the proficiency gap

Recognized as a Title I Distinguished School by the Title I Distinguished School National Recognition Program

The first charter school renewed by the Massachusetts Board of Education for a second five-year term (2005–2010)

Recipient of the New Leaders for New Schools Silver-Gain EPIC (Effective Practice Incentive Community) Award for years 2008 through 2012

2.

Stowe Middle School

(Stowe, VT)

Stowe Middle School is a school for grades 6–8. The program at Stowe is rigorous, but the school recognizes the importance of more than just academics. All students are required to perform four hours of community service and many perform more service than is required. Personalized classes are provided so that students can build relationships with other students, as well as staff and faculty.

An online free library is provided to all students in addition to the regular library, which has a website that assists students in finding books that they will enjoy and to keep them updated on what is new and what is popular. The school also prepares a newsletter that gives suggestions to parents on things they can do to help their children to be successful both socially and academically.

Each grade in middle school is separated into teams so that students on the same team share the same teachers. Likewise, teachers on a team share the same students. There is a math, social studies, and science teacher for each team, and each teacher also teaches language arts across the curriculum.

Electives include life skills, band, choir, art, Technology Design Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences Education (FACS). A theater group performs plays and musicals and the school hosts informative seminars on drug awareness and prevention tips for parents on subjects like Abduction and Harm.

Friday wellness classes allow students to participate in snowboarding, snowshoeing, skiing, swimming, and skating. Team sports include field hockey, soccer, track, and cross country skiing.

Awards and Rankings:

Ranked #4 among the top 50 schools in Vermont in 2011

Among the highest 7th and 8th grade math and reading scores in the state

Eighth graders outperformed other students in the state in math, reading, science, and writing

3.

Minnesota Math and Science Academy

(Woodbury, MN)

Grades 6–12 are taught at the Minnesota Math and Science Academy, a charter school offering an intensive program in math and science, as well as courses in the arts, humanities, and foreign languages.

Students are expected to pursue their studies diligently, and although the school is tuition-free, students do have to apply to be accepted and space is limited.

If there are more applications than openings, a lottery is held. Those not acquiring a place can be put on a waiting list. Students and parents are encouraged to volunteer at the school.

Extracurricular activities include Nordic skiing, Clay Target League (students must have a Firearms Safety Certificate), FIRST Robotics, and Lego Robotics, as well as other athletic, artistic, and academic activities.

Awards and Rankings:

Ranked #2 in the state by SchoolDigger.com, based on math and reading scores

Highest ranking in the state on combined math, reading, and science assessments

Rated 10 (on scale of 10) by GreatSchools. org

Ranked #22 out of all Minnesota schools

4. Lincoln Akerman School

(Hampton Falls, NH)

Grades K–8 are taught at Lincoln Akerman School, with an enrollment of 160 students in all grades 1 through 8.

All students attend art classes at least once a week and build an art portfolio which they take with them when they graduate from the 8th grade. All middle school students also take health classes in which they learn about nutrition, along with other age-appropriate topics, to build a foundation in health that will serve them throughout their lives.

Middle school physical education has an emphasis on fun and participation, with games such as speedball, pilo polo, spyball, team hand ball, and other sports fundamental to physical development.

The guidance curriculum for grades 6–8 emphasizes life skills, dealing with bullying and harassment, respect, advocating for others as well as oneself, stress management, and conflict resolution, among other age-appropriate topics. The content is based on the SAU #21 Guidance/Life Skills Curriculum.

Awards and Rankings:

Ranked #2 in the state by Schooldigger.com

Highest scores (combined) for 8th grade (reading, writing, math) and 7th grade (reading and math) in the state

Rated 9 (on scale of 10) by GreatSchools.com

Rated 9 (on scale of 10) by Education.com

5. Challenge Magnet School-Cherry Creek School District No. 5

(Denver, CO)

A K–8 school, the Challenge School is one of the magnet schools belonging to the celebrated Cherry Creek School District No. 5, located in the greater Denver area.

Students have some classes (called Connections classes) that are based on needs and not on age or grade. Multi-age groups appear in Connections classes, Mini-courses, and immersion classes. Mini-courses are for enrichment and allow students to pursue their personal interests, though sometimes students may also be assigned to Mini-courses for remediation. In Connections classes, students are graded on the pass/fail system, but in Mini-courses, students in grades 3 through 8 receive a letter grade that counts towards the student’s GPA. Courses last about six weeks and meet during the last period of the day.

Students must apply to attend the Challenge School and all students in grades 5 through 8 are required to put in hours of community service, which must be completed before the end of the second trimester. All 7th and 8th graders must also participate in a shadowing exercise (one per year) with a professional at the Challenge school or a professional at the high school the student plans to attend. Shadowing experiences allow students to have contact with a professional in an area of interest the student shares to clarify questions, gather information, and experience the professional side of the subject.

Awards and Rankings:

Recipient of the John J. Irwin School of Excellence Award every year since the recognition was first awarded (2000)

Art Department recognized by the Colorado Arts Alliance as a School of Excellence

Tied with two others as the #1 school in the state (out of 503) by ColoradoSchoolGrades. com

Consistently ranks at the top in math and reading scores on the state assessment

Ranked among the top elementary schools in the state by Denver Magazine

6. Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva

(Edison, NJ)

When it comes to performance in science, math, and reading, New Jersey—with its many fine public and private schools—consistently ranks in the top 10 nationally. Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva (RPRY) is one of the reasons why. It is a K–8 Orthodox Jewish private school which teaches Judaism and Jewish history, but also follows the New Jersey guidelines for academics.

Unlike some private schools which only cater to above-average students, RPRY has students at all learning levels. Accordingly, they have partnered with HiddenSparks.org to train and prepare teachers to teach students of all learning types, from remedial to advanced.

The middle school has extracurricular programs for students with religious, social, academic, and athletic interests, preparing students for success in life. Additionally RPRY has on-line courses for distance learning.

Awards and Rankings:

Blue Ribbon School Award for 2013

Placed #3 in E2K Seventh Grade Virtual Science Competition

RPRY also ranks 16th among The 50 Best Private Elementary Schools in the U.S.

7. North Star Middle School

(Kirkland, WA)

North Star Middle School serves students in grades 7–9. It is a “choice” school, one of 13 in the Lake Washington School District. Choice schools and programs are optional schooling alternatives and are often housed within an existing school. Class sizes are smaller and students are placed in programs based upon skill level rather than age and grade. Students experience education through a variety of projects and learning tools, including home-school partnerships, vocational programs, and theme-based learning.

Except for math, North Star students choose their courses to fulfill the required number of credits for each discipline, so that students are taking an in-depth course on something of interest to them instead of a survey course which lightly touches on a broad range of topics. It is much like a college curriculum.

Some examples of courses offered are Forensic Science, Genetics, Treehouse of Horror (horror literature), and Bring Out Your Dead (a history of infectious diseases.)

Awards and Rankings:

8th grade students scored 100% on the state reading assessment

7th and 8th grade students scored 96.7 on math assessments

7th grade students scored 96.7 on reading and writing assessments

Ranked #2 in the state by SchoolDigger.com

8. Middlesex Middle School

(Darien, CT)

Middlesex Middle School serves grades 6 through 8. Students follow a typical curriculum, but in addition have an orchestra class, as well as band and choir. Students may try out for various musical ensemble groups, including a jazz ensemble and a string ensemble.

To encourage students’ critical thinking skills, an IDEA (Interesting Dimensions that Extend Abilities) course is taken by each grade. These classes, which are for intellectually gifted students and use the seminar approach, meet during lunch period twice a week. Examples of subjects studied include the phenomenon of time (7th graders) and the works of philosophers such as Plato and Machiavelli (8th graders).

Students study keyboarding, computer skills, and technology classes; they are also required to take a physical education class. Additionally, students in 7th and 8th grade take a Family Studies course focusing on healthy living.

Awards and Rankings:

Highest assessment scores in the state when all scores of all tests are combined in both 7th and 8th grades

Multiple data bases supplied to students for research

Ranked #1 middle school by SchoolDigger.com

9. Harmon Middle School

Harmon Middle School serves 705 students in grades 6 though 8. The Harmon athletic department offers participation in 20 sports plus cheerleading.

Harmon has a P.R.I.D.E. program for students to evaluate their effort and citizenship. These forms are due two weeks after report cards are distributed. Students must get verification of one hour of community service, volunteering to help a faculty member, and completing all assignments, as well as other personal academic achievements.

The Harmon School District has been rated by the State Board of Education as a district of excellence for the past 12 years.

Awards and Rankings:

Blue Ribbon School for 2013

Ranked #13 among all middle schools in state by SchoolDigger.com

Rose in state ranking by eight places from 2012 to 2013

Rated 10 (on scale of 10) by GreatSchools.com

10. Falmouth Middle School

(Falmouth, ME)

Falmouth Middle School is a public school serving almost 700 5th through 8th graders.

Falmouth offers a curriculum in social studies, world languages, English/language arts, and math. Additionally, students may take health, a variety of music classes, art, and physical education.

Swimming, lacrosse, hockey, football, and volleyball are just some of the team sports in which students can participate in athletics. For after-school fun, students can sign up for sledding, snow shoeing, Nordic skiing, snow sculpture, ping pong, and relay races, among other activities.

Awards and Rankings:

Highest ranking scores for combined 7th and 8th grade reading and math and 8th grade writing

Ranked #3 in the state by SchoolDigger.com

Rated 10 (on scale of 10) by GreatSchools.com

Methodology

For this study, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results in science, math, and reading for 8th graders were used as a principal (but not the sole) basis for comparison of schools. The NAEP administers the same test nationally so that one standard is applied to each student no matter which state they live in.

In the case of other common standardized test assessments, each state creates and administers its own tests, which makes cross-state comparisons difficult. That is the reason why we emphasize the NAEP. However, state assessment scores were also examined, where available, and weighed together with the NAEP scores.

Finally, other factors such as awards and rankings and geographical diversity were also taken into account.

Grading and Ranking Schools

Explore the public school grading/ranking system, how it works and what it means. Get latest national rankings and read what critics of school grading have to say. Take a look at the nation’s top performing schools as ranked by U.S. News and Newsweek.

View the most popular articles in Grading and Ranking Schools:

What are the Benefits of Magnet Schools?
Newsweek Ranks Top High Schools in the Country
How Are Public Schools in the United States Actually Doing?
Which States Have the Best Public Schools?
What are the Best High Schools in America? Top 15 Ranked Schools

Updated
May 27, 2022

by
Kate Barrington

When asked to rank the quality of their child’s school, most parents rated it a B average. And yet politicians would have you believe that the American public-school system is failing. How are America’s public schools really doing, and how do we know?

If you listen to what just about any politician has to say about America’s schools, you’ll hear the word “failing” quite a bit. The fact is that education is a hot topic and it is one that can be used to inspire people to vote. But how much can you actually trust what a politician has to say about the American public education system? How are the public schools in America actually doing?

In 2017, Jack Schneider released a book called Beyond Test Scores in which he suggests that it is well past time to start rethinking the way we measure school performance.

Schneider writes that while test scores are the go-to metric used to evaluate a school’s performance, they don’t really paint an accurate picture. Using Somerville, Massachusetts, a highly diverse urban school district, as a case study, Schneider presents a new framework to assess the effectiveness of the American education system. Read on to learn more about Schneider’s approach and to see data on how American public schools are really doing.

Changes to the U.S. News Ranking System

Each year, U.S. News publishes a list of the Best High Schools in America. For the 2018 school year, U.S. News ranked over 2,700 schools – some of the names topping the list were BASIS Scottsdale (AZ), Meridian School (TX), and the Baccalaureate School for Global Education (NY).

If you were to peruse the 2019 list of Best High Schools, you would notice quite a change. Not only does the 2019 list

. . .read more

Updated
March 14, 2022

by
Kate Barrington

Could a magnet school be the right choice for your child? Take the time to learn what they are and what educational benefits they offer.

The quality of your child’s education will have a significant impact on the rest of his life. The education he receives while he is young will prepare him for higher education and, eventually, a career. The challenge is, however, that there are many different types of schools to choose from. If you want your child to receive the best education available to him, consider enrolling him in a magnet school.

What is a Magnet School?

A magnet school is a type of public school that, while still part of the local public school system, has a particular curricular focus. In many ways, magnet schools are just another type of school but there are some key features that set these schools apart. In the United States, magnet schools are developed around a core set of five principles according to the Magnet Schools of America organization. These five pillars include the following things:

Diversity – Part of what sets magnet schools apart from other schools is the focus on diversity which gives students a global educational experience. Through recruitment and lottery systems, magnet schools strive to develop a student body that is reflective of the surrounding community.
Innovative Curriculum and Professional Development – Each magnet school has a particular theme and the curriculum is relevant to that theme, designed to prepare students for higher education and eventual career success.
Academic Excellence – Magnet schools are committed to multi-dimensional instruction which is focused on the needs of the students. Various assessment strategies are used to

. . .read more

Updated
September 14, 2020

by
Grace Chen

We take a look at a recent call by U.S. health officials to change public policies involving sports-related head trauma injuries, and how some states are already answering the call.

As awareness over the dangers of brain trauma increases, school districts, states and even the federal government are looking at ways to minimize the dangers in youth athletics. With new policies and training in place, the hope is that those working with youth sports will more effectively learn to recognize and treat the symptoms of concussions. Take a look at how some groups are tackling this problem head-on to minimize the risk to the youngest athletes in this country.

What is a Concussion?

One of the first goals in educating the general public about the dangers of concussions is to first explain what a concussion looks like. According to the North Jefferson News, a concussion is caused by either a direct blow to the head or a blow to the body that jars the head. The impact or jolt interferes with normal brain function. Although a concussion is classified as a mild form of traumatic brain injury, it is still serious – particularly if the individual suffers more than one in a season.

This video discusses student concussions in sports activities.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a concussion might include loss of consciousness, although this occurs in only about 10 percent of all concussion cases. Other symptoms might include feelings of pressure in the head, confusion, headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision. Some children may complain of a fuzzy or foggy head, while others may seem unsure of what they are doing or where they are.

Treatment

Treatment for a concussion can

. . .read more

Updated
December 04, 2020

by
Grace Chen

We examine the new CREDO study, which finds charter schools are not necessarily outperforming traditional public schools on the national level. Also, concern has been raised from this study over significant inconsistencies in charter school quality from school to school.

A new study shows that while charter schools are making significant gains in their performance, they are not exceeding public schools in most areas of the country. In addition, the study found vast variations in the quality of public school throughout the nation, with charters in some states outperforming traditional schools and charters in other states falling sadly behind. As interest in charter schools continues to grow, many are looking at studies like this with interest to determine whether these non-traditional schools can pull their weight in the public school system.

Taking a Closer Look at Charter Schools

The Washington Post reports that the latest study was conducted by researchers at Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO). Researchers analyzed test data for schools in 26 states and the District of Columbia to compare the performance of charter schools to that of traditional public schools. To obtain the most accurate comparisons, charter school students were compared directly to a “virtual twin” – a composite of seven students from a nearby school with similar demographics to the charter school student.

This video looks at the question of whether charter schools are better than public schools.

Like traditional public schools, public charter schools are funded with tax dollars. However, unlike traditional schools, charters do not have to follow the guidelines and curriculum standards required by the local school system. Most charters are not unionized and they are typically run by either parent organizations or

. . .read more

Updated
September 01, 2020

by
Grace Chen

We report on the newest rankings by U.S. News that provide a snapshot into the success of various public schools across the country. Which school tops the list?

U.S. News has released its newest ranking of the top-performing public high schools in the country. The rankings are compiled by the news publication annually to help students and parents discover the best high school choices in their states. Rankings are determined by a precise set of criteria that looks at student performance and college readiness. A special look is taken at how well a high school serves its least-advantaged students in these areas.

The Method Behind the Research

To assess thousands of schools throughout the United States, U.S. News teams up with the American Institutes for Research. This DC-based organization is considered a foremost authority on behavioral and social sciences research across the globe. AIR is responsible for the new criteria utilized by U.S. News this year, which were based on the idea that top schools should effectively serve all the students in their population. This explains the specific examination of student performance by disadvantaged students at each school.

Researchers perused data from more than 21,000 high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia. States had to provide adequate data and 12-grade enrollment to be included in the rankings. Nebraska did not submit sufficient data on the state’s high schools to be considered. Rankings were completed on a statewide and national basis, to provide the best framework for parents and students who use the rankings to choose the best local high school for their needs.

This video reports on the rankings for 2018.

Criteria Used

. . .read more

September 07, 2022

Philadelphia Schools: Budget Constraints Force Summer Program Cuts

The dreaded summer learning loss may be a concern for Philadelphia parents and teachers this summer, as budget cuts have forced the large school district to shelve plans to promote summer school offerings to low-income students this vacation.

August 05, 2022

Teaching: Using Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality can enhance your lessons safely and efficiently. Virtual reality allows your students to explore worlds they might not otherwise see. We offer some suggestions on how to use VR in your classrooom.

July 11, 2022

Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps or JROTC

JROTC offers valuable lessons in leadership, character-building and citizenship. Here’s a look at the various JROTC programs out there together with a look at the pros and cons of the program.

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Year-Round Or Traditional Schedule?

Tips for Transferring Your Student from Private to Public School

Texas is grading its schools. How should you read the scores?

The Texas Education Agency will release accountability grades for each public school on Monday — the first time the state has graded schools since the coronavirus pandemic paused scores in 2020.

Aleksandar Stojanov

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Fort Worth

The Fort Worth Independent School District has increased academic performance across the board, garnering a B rating from the Texas Education Agency in accountability grades that will be officially released Monday — the first time the state has graded schools since the coronavirus pandemic paused scores in 2020. The district was given a C in 2019.

But what exactly are accountability scores and how should you use them?

Here’s what the Texas Education Agency recommended shortly after the most recent accountability rating system was signed into law in 2017.

“Communities need schools that are good for all students,” the agency said in an explainer video. “Parents need to know that schools are good for their own children.”

The state grades each individual school as well as the district as a whole. The agency said that a high or low rating reflects how the majority of a student body is performing at that campus or district.

“A high rating such as an A indicates that many students are doing quite well, while a low rating, such as a D or F, would indicate that far too few students are doing well,” the agency explained. “For parents, the rating provides the signal of how likely their own child (is to) be well supported in the school.”

A pandemic-era law is giving the districts and campuses that are struggling the most one more year of reprieve, only allowing campuses to be graded if they make an A, B or C. Campuses that would have gotten a D or F will receive a “not rated” status, similar to what all campuses got over the last two years as the entire system was paused.

Critics of the scores, which were hotly debated before being adopted by the Texas legislature, say that the system is too simplistic for the complex variables that make up a school district’s academic outcomes.

So if you are zoned for a school that has a low rating, should you pull your children out and find a better option?

The agency said the letter grade is just one factor to consider.

“It is possible that an individual student could get strong academic support in a school with a lower letter grade, but more students get strong academic support in schools with higher grades,” they say in the video.

Once the scores are released, you can also dig into the data behind them to see what factored into the grade on txschools.gov

Critics urge caution in reading grades

Zeph Capo, the president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, said parents should read the results, which will be released for campuses Monday, “with a grain of salt.”

“We don’t particularly find it to be an extremely valuable system, especially after the last two years,” Capo said. “Not particularly helpful and, or, in my opinion, very meaningful for what we need to be focusing on.”

The ratings examine student achievement, school progress, and whether districts and campuses are closing achievement gaps among various student groups, according to the agency. Student achievement is a measurement of how much all students know and can do, while school progress measures how much better students are doing compared with previous years or their peers at similar schools, the TEA says.

Although the accountability system has less of a reliance on standardized tests than past accountability measures in the state, Capo and other groups have said it still focuses too much on them — putting vulnerable populations that research shows perform poorly on tests in a difficult situation.

“It’s a shaming system in many ways,” he added. “Schools are in different places, they’re resourced differently throughout the state, so it’s very hard to do the types of comparisons that they want you to do, because kids are not standard kids. And families don’t come standard.”

The agency has refuted that claim over the years, pointing to high-poverty districts that are able to garner high scores, but recent scores continue to show high-poverty districts struggling.

So what should parents do?

Focus on what they see and communicate with their children’s teachers, Capo said.

“You should know, can my kids write a complete sentence? Are they able to put sentences together to communicate with others? Are they able to understand the text that they are doing?” Capo said. “If your kids can do those things, if they can function at what you would see to be a normal level within society as expected, then I would certainly not put a lot of stock into test scores.”

Outgoing superintendent celebrates achievement

While the efficacy of the rating system will continue to be debated, leaders in Fort Worth schools are celebrating an increase in scores — with the caveat that there is plenty of room for improvement.

“Thanks to the incredible work of our teachers, we have gained 14 points in five years — despite two years of a global pandemic,” outgoing Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent P. Scribner said in a news release Friday. “Furthermore, we know we will see greater numbers of A and B-rated campuses and fewer low-performing schools when the final report is released by the TEA on Monday.”

Those scores match with projections made during a recent board meeting, where officials lauded the work of teachers, but raised alarm about the low levels of African-American students reading and performing math on grade level.

In a presentation, Associate Superintendent Sara Arispe said the district will slash the number of failing schools from 18 to only two. In many subject areas, including third- and fourth-grade reading, the numbers signal a return to progress being made prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While we have the state and the nation telling us that it may take several years, and that is true, we have areas where we’re already seeing students make that recovery because of the hard work of our educators in our schools,” Arispe said at the July 26 board meeting. “So really something to celebrate. And I don’t want to say that that means we’re where we need to be. We know we have areas where we need to grow even more than where we were in 2019.”

Trustee Michael Ryan said that while teachers were doing good work, the data was a call to action.

“To the teachers that did the work, the students that did the work to bring things up, great,” he said. “But when I’m looking at seventh-grade African-American math and we’re at below 10%, you all know the work we got to do. Double that gain to 14% is still not any good. In the end we got to do better.”

Visit star-telegram.com on Monday morning to see how all Tarrant County schools performed in the accountability ratings. The data will be published at 9 a.m.

This story was originally published August 12, 2022 7:32 PM.

CORRECTION: Associate Superintendent Sara Arispe was misidentified in a previous version of this story.

Corrected Aug 13, 2022

Isaac Windes

Isaac Windes covers Early Childhood Education as part of the Star-Telegram’s Crossroads Lab. The position is funded with assistance from the Morris Foundation. Windes is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Before coming to the Star-Telegram he wrote about schools and colleges in Southeast Texas for the Beaumont Enterprise. He was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. Please reach out with your questions about Early Childhood Education. Email: [email protected] or call or text (817) 668-5449. Follow Isaac on Twitter @isaacdwindes

“The most destructive thing you learned in school is the habit of getting good grades” – Education on vc.ru

Investor and founder of the Y Combinator accelerator discusses how the system of assessments and tests interferes with work and life.

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Translation of the publication “Ideonomics”.

The most pernicious thing you have learned in school is not related to any particular subject. It’s a habit of getting good grades.

When I was at university, one of the most philosophical graduates said that what matters to him is not what grade he got in the subject, but what he has learned. These words stuck in my memory, because this was the first time I had heard anything like that.

For me, as for most students, grades were much more important than what we actually learned. I was pretty serious. I was sincerely interested in most subjects and put in a lot of effort. And yet I tried much more during the preparation for the exam.

In theory, the test is just a test of what you learned in the course. Theoretically, you don’t need to prepare for the test, just like you would for a blood test. In theory, you learn in class by listening to lectures, reading or completing assignments, and the subsequent exam simply shows how well you studied.

The phrase “preparing for an exam” should be redundant, because that’s what those who actually studied hard did. The difference between diligent and negligent students was that the former studied hard, while the latter did not. None of them tried to learn in two weeks everything that had been covered in a semester.

But although I was a diligent student, almost everything I did was aimed at getting a good grade.

Many people find it strange that the previous sentence contains the phrase “despite the fact that”. Isn’t this a tautology? Isn’t that what a diligent student should do, a real excellent student? This is how deeply the relationship between learning and assessment has permeated our culture.

Is it really so bad that studies are associated with grades? Yes this is bad. It wasn’t until decades after my university studies, working with Y Combinator, that I realized just how bad it was.

Of course, when I was a student, I knew that preparing for an exam is not the same as studying directly. At the very least, you don’t retain the knowledge you squeezed into your head on the eve of the exam. But the problem is even more serious. The real problem is that most tests don’t measure what they’re supposed to.

If exams were actually a test of what was learned, things wouldn’t be so bad. Good grades and knowledge converge at one point, only a little later. The problem is that almost all the tests that students take can be bypassed. Most people who get good grades know this, and they know it so well that they no longer even doubt it. When you understand this, you see how naive it is to do otherwise.

Let’s say you’re studying medieval history and there’s a final exam coming up soon. It should be a test of your knowledge of medieval history, right? So if you want to do well in the exam and you have a couple of days, then the best way to spend your time is to read the very best books about medieval history. Then you will learn a lot about this subject and pass the exam well.

No, no, no, experienced students say to themselves. Much of what you learn from these good medieval history books will not be included in the exam. You need to read not good books, but lecture notes and literature from the list of the course. And even most of this can be ignored, because you only need to worry about those topics that are included in the exam questions.

You are looking for specific information. If something becomes interesting to you while reading through the list, feel free to ignore it, because it will not be useful on the exam. But if the professor says that there were three main reasons for the schism of 1378, or three main consequences of the plague, you better remember that. Whether it was actually cause or effect is irrelevant. In this particular course, this is exactly the case.

At the university, you can often find copies of old exam questions that further narrow down what you need to learn. You can find out not only what questions this professor asks, but also real exam questions. Many professors reuse them. After 10 years of teaching a course, it would be hard not to, at least unintentionally.

Some teachers think that students should cram their subjects, and if that’s the case, you’ll have to cram too. This, of course, depends on the subject. In math, science, or engineering classes, this is rarely necessary, but there are subjects on the other end of the spectrum where you won’t otherwise get a good grade.

Getting a good grade in any subject is so different from getting knowledge in it that you have to choose one or the other, and you should not blame students if they choose grades. Graduate programs, employers, scholarship sponsors, even parents all judge students by their grades.

I enjoyed studying and really enjoyed some of the essays and programs I wrote in college. But have I ever, after handing in an essay on a subject, sat down and wrote another one just for fun? Of course not. I needed to do something in other subjects. If it ever came down to choosing between knowledge and grades, I chose grades. I didn’t come to university to study poorly.

Anyone who cares about good grades must play by these rules or be outbid by those who play. And at elite universities, it’s almost everyone, because someone who doesn’t care about good grades probably wouldn’t get into it. As a result, students compete to maximize the difference between knowledge and good grades.

Why are exams so bad? More precisely, why are they so easy to bypass? Any experienced programmer can answer. How vulnerable is software whose author paid no attention to preventing hacking? Usually it is full of holes, like a colander.

And the exams they give us are bad—they don’t measure at all what they’re supposed to measure—precisely because their creators didn’t try very hard to prevent attempts to hack them. But teachers should not be blamed for this. Their task is to teach, not to invent tests that cannot be cracked.

The real problem is that marks are given too much importance. If grades simply told students what they were doing right and wrong, like tips from athlete coaches, students wouldn’t be tempted to hack the process. But unfortunately, after a certain age, assessments are no longer just advice. After a certain age, you are not only taught, but also judged at the same time.

I gave university exams as an example, but they are actually less vulnerable to hacking. Other exams that we have to take in life are even worse in this sense – including, most strikingly, the exam that we pass when entering the university.

If admissions committees were simply assessing the quality of the intellect of applicants, as scientists measure the mass of an object, one could advise teenagers to “know more” and not bother. How poorly regulated the university admission process is can be seen in the difference between this exam and high school.

The more bizarre and idiosyncratic high school classes become, the greater the chance of cheating when entering university. Arbitrary “extracurricular activities” that you have to participate in to show that you are “versatile”, standardized tests as artificial as chess, an “essay” that you need to write – all this is apparently intended to achieve some then a very specific purpose, but you weren’t told what.

In addition to being bad for kids, it’s bad because the exam can be hacked. There are entire industries dedicated to this – exam preparation companies and admissions consultants. A significant part of the functions of private schools is also reduced to this goal.

Why is this particular test hackable? I think because of what it measures. It is believed that in order to get into the university you need to be really smart, but admissions officers at elite colleges do not say this. Who do they need? They want people who are not just smart, but admirable in some more general sense. And how is this more general admiration measured? The admissions staff feel it. In other words, they accept those they like.

So when you enter a university, you have to pass an exam to suit the taste of a certain group of people. Of course, such a test is vulnerable to hacking. And with so much at stake, he’s vulnerable like nothing else. That is why it distorts life so much.

No wonder schoolchildren often feel excluded. Their lives are completely artificial.

But wasting time is not the worst thing the education system does to you. The worst thing she can do is teach her that the way to victory lies through manipulating stupid tests. This is a much more complex problem that I didn’t realize until I saw it happening to other people.

When I started advising startup founders at Y Combinator, especially the young ones, I was puzzled by how they always make things difficult.

How, they ask, to attract money? What is the trick that makes VCs invest in you? My answer is that the best way to get investors to invest in you is to be a good investment. And if you tricked VCs into investing in a bad startup, you fooled yourself too. You invest time in the same company you ask them to invest in. If it’s not a good investment, why are you even doing this?

Oh, they say, and then, after digesting this revelation, they ask: what makes a startup a good investment?

And I explain that not only in the eyes of investors, but in fact, a startup makes growth promising. Ideally, revenue growth, but if not, then the number of users. They need to get a lot of users.

How to get many users? They have different ideas about this. You need to release a product to make yourself known. We need influential people who would talk about them. They even know to release the product on Tuesday, because that’s the day you get the most attention.

No, I have to tell you, this is not something that will attract a lot of users. The way to get a lot of users is to make a really amazing product. Then people will not only use it, but also recommend it to their friends, and your growth will be exponential.

I’m telling the founders what might be obvious to you: a good company starts with a good product. And yet, they experience the same reaction as many physicists when they first hear about the theory of relativity: a mixture of surprise at the obvious genius of this thesis and suspicion that something so strange cannot be right. Okay, they say dutifully. Could you introduce us to a very, very powerful person? And remember, we want to present our product on Tuesday.

It sometimes takes entrepreneurs years to learn these simple lessons. And not because they are lazy or stupid. They’re just blind to what’s right in front of their noses.

Why, I asked myself, do they always make things so difficult? And then one day I realized that this is not a rhetorical question.

Why do founders make life difficult for themselves by doing something wrong when the answer is right in front of them? That’s why they were taught to do it. They were taught that the way to win is to pass the test. And they didn’t even say that they were taught exactly this. They believe that the way the world works is that the first thing you do when faced with a problem is figure out the easiest way to pass the test.

That’s why the conversation always starts with how to raise money, because it’s taken as an exam. They got into YC. They have some stats, but higher stats seem better. It must be an exam.

There are certainly situations in life where the only way to win is to crack a test. This phenomenon is not limited to schools or universities. And some people, out of ideology or ignorance, claim that the same applies to startups. But it’s not.

In fact, one of the most amazing things about startups is how much success can be achieved just by doing a good job. There are special cases, as in everything, but in general, you succeed by getting users, and they are interested in whether the product will do what they want.

Why did it take me so long to figure out what makes startup founders so complicated? Because I didn’t realize that schools teach us how to win by taking stupid tests. And not only them, but also me! I was also taught to take tests by stealth, and I didn’t realize it for decades.

I lived as if I understood it, but without knowing why. For example, I avoided working in large companies. But if you asked me why, I would answer that they are fake or bureaucratic. Or just gross. I didn’t realize that I dislike big companies so much because success comes from “hacking” stupid tests.

And the fact that tests in startups are not hackable was a big draw for me there. But then again, I didn’t explicitly realize this.

Gradually I came to a decision. I stopped taking stupid tests without even realizing I was doing it. Can someone who graduates from university exorcise this demon just by knowing his name and saying, “Get out!”? Seems worth a try.

Even just talking about this phenomenon is likely to improve the situation, because it is so common because we take the situation for granted. And that’s just the result of neglect. Nobody wants the world to be like this. But this is what happens when education is paired with grading, competitiveness, and the naive assumption that tests are invulnerable.

This shows what education can be done better and how it can be done. But it also touches on a potential answer to a question that all big companies seem to have: How can we be more like a startup? I don’t want to describe all this now. I want to focus on what it means to people.

To begin with, most ambitious young people who graduate from university should forget something. But it also changes the way you see the world. Instead of looking at different professions and wondering which ones are more or less attractive, now you can ask a very specific question that will allow you to prioritize more intelligently: to what extent does success in this job depend on “hacking” stupid tests?

It would be useful to have a way to quickly recognize bad tests. Do they have a common pattern behind them? It turns out there is.

Tests can be divided into two types:

Those that are specially introduced by some authorities or authorities, and those that are not. Tests that are not imposed by the authorities cannot be bypassed – because no one claims that they mean anything more than they really are. For example, a football match is just a test of who will win, not a statement about which team is better. That is why commentators sometimes say after the match: the best team won.
But the tests imposed by the authorities usually mean something more. The subject matter exam evaluates not only how well you did on that particular test, but also how much you learned. And if tests that are not imposed by authority are inherently unhackable, then tests that come from authority must be invulnerable. But usually this is not the case.

In practice, of course, passing stupid tests can bring success. Some people do. But I bet most people who do this at work don’t like it. They just take it for granted that this is how the world works, unless you want to drop everything and become a hippie crafter.

I suspect many people believe that focusing on bad tests is a necessary condition for big money. But this, I can tell you, is a false impression. It used to be so. In the middle of the 20th century, when the economy was based on oligopolies, the only way to climb to the top was to play their game.

But today it is not so. Now there are ways to get a lot of money by doing good work, and this is one of the reasons why people are so excited about the opportunity to become rich. When I was a kid, you could either become an engineer and do cool things, or make a lot of money by being an “executive”. Now you can earn a lot of money doing cool things.

Breaking bad tests becomes less important as the connection between work and power is blurred. Disruption of this connection is one of the most important current trends, and we see its impact in almost every type of work that people do. Startups are one of the most notable examples, but we see the same thing in writing. Authors no longer need to woo publishers and editors to reach readers, they can now go directly to them.

The more I think about it, the more optimistic I become. It seems to be one of those situations where we don’t realize that something was holding us back until the shackles fell. And I can foresee that the whole house of cards will collapse.

Imagine what happens when more and more people start asking themselves if they want to succeed by cracking bad tests and decide they won’t. Those areas where achievement is possible due to “hacking” will lose talent, and those where the reward comes for good work will see an influx of the most ambitious people.

And as the importance of cracking bad tests diminishes, education will change and we will no longer be taught this. Imagine what the world might look like if that happened.

This is a lesson not only for individuals, but also for society, and we will be amazed at how much energy will be released when we learn it.

Articles on the topic:

Magic pill: how a placebo helps to pass exams.
Seth Godin: “Why do you need this piece of paper?”.
“Implicit” learning: ability that is more important than IQ.
“There is so much nonsense in business”: why the leaders of Silicon Valley were carried away by philosophy.

About the school grading system and related
problems

MARATHON-2002

A.A.Astvatsaturov,
school No. 1738, Moscow

The problems of the Russian school are seen differently
parents, teachers, sanitary and epidemiological stations, officials
from education, to students … For example, I see here
what.

The girl answers at the blackboard, solves the problem. She has
hands tremble, chalk crumbles in fingers, she
blushes, then turns white, his forehead sweated, his face became
miserable. Her voice is broken and unnatural
rattles. She is afraid to make a mistake. Problem solved
right. Having learned your assessment, relieved
sighs…

The boy is sitting lounging, he is all hung with
crosses, skulls, chains and who knows what else. His
transferred to home schooling, and it turned out
salvation for him. He does not remember formulas, desires
does not show to learn, the teacher is worth big
work to discover from him at least some knowledge of
physics. He is not afraid to make a mistake, but, having recognized his
assessment, also sighs with relief…

She graduated from school with a medal and entered the
prestigious university. He went after the 9th grade
work as a locksmith. The big question is which one
it will be better to understand physics in the “adult”
life. But these students have something in common: they
studied not for the sake of knowledge, but for the sake of grades. studied
didn’t care about her or him.

If the child is interested in what he is learning, if
he is inquisitive and passionate about his studies, then he is assessed,
in the grand scheme of things, it’s not that important. She is only
pointer: is the process of cognition proceeding correctly?
Knowledge for him has value in itself, he
no additional incentives are needed
study. Happy are those parents and teachers whose children
learn in this way. Unfortunately, these students
less than we would like. Most are looking for
incentive to study.

Incentives can be very different. Some
study because without a certificate of education
they will not take the place in life that they (or their
parents) outlined for themselves. Others go to school because
they were ordered by their parents not to upset them,
good children learn obediently. Some like it
get good grades, they collect them,
and are very upset when in a diary with some
in fives in a week, a triple suddenly appears …
It must be acknowledged that students
trying for the sake of evaluation, i.e. for the momentary
recognition of their success, much more than those who
interesting knowledge in itself.

This may be debatable, but, in my opinion, the assessment
as the goal of learning is a false incentive. no man
worries that the huge, diverse in its
manifestations of the world can be known. He is not surprised
that all bodies fall down, that of one substance
you can get another that you can talk to
a friend who is a hundred kilometers away is not happy
beauty and conciseness of the mathematical formula.
He is not struck by the depth of feelings of Natasha Rostova and
the integrity of Tatyana Larina’s nature. He cares
evaluation only, i.e. the number the teacher will write
in a magazine opposite his name. From such a student
most likely a limited person will grow up,
knowing almost nothing and almost nothing
interested in other than what he does
professionally.

This relationship to valuation has several
reasons. First, the economic one. Grade
is in the eyes of students a kind of currency,
in which they receive their “piecework salary”
for study. Turned upside down is the fact that
Our education is free, and these are students
should be paid to be taught. But
It is impossible to deny that study is hard work,
such a point of view is bound to arise,
if special educational measures
parents won’t fight it. What about parents –
former students themselves argue in exactly the same way.

The second reason is “laconic”. teachers together
with parents also contribute to the assessment
turns out to be more important than what it was set for.
The parent stopped by the school for 5 minutes (he
in a hurry, he needs to go to work): “How is mine?”
Teacher (he is also in a hurry, the break is ending, and
he needs to prepare a laboratory): “For a triple”
– “But won’t it make it to the fourth by the end of the quarter?” –
“He’ll pull through if he tries.” Here we talked.
It’s good at least that way, other parents don’t go into
school for years. And it would be necessary to choose the time, calmly
sit down, look at the work of the student,
analyze them, understand what exactly he has
gaps, what formulas he did not learn, what topics he did not
learned which books are extra worth
read to keep him interested. It happens to
unfortunately much less frequently. It’s easier to get an estimate than
to delve into the complexity of the topic being studied by the child.

Class teacher: “Again you get a deuce in
got the stories? And according to literature, there are only “triples”. BUT
in chemistry “five”, well done.

The student came home.

– How is your studies, son?

– Quartet in physics.

– Well done, keep it up!

And where are the questions about what we studied today, what
liked and what not, whether it was a difficult task, oh
how? Is it surprising if after that the student
there is a firm belief that they go to school
get grades?

A student to a friend: “My mother will kill me for a ‘couple’.” it
stable phrase. Think about it: mother (!)
will kill (!!!) … for a figure! Not for diligence, not for
knowledge…

Classic student question to the teacher: “A
how to fix a deuce? (option – “close”
deuce). It’s tempting to answer: “Eraser”
(option – “lid”).

The third reason is “historical”. In society
there is a persistent negative attitude towards “2”
due to the fact that once the assessments expressed not
numbers, but the words: “good”, “excellent”,
“satisfactorily”. What, apart from the negative
can cause the rating “unsatisfactory”? BUT
because everything here is very subjective: for one “4”
– “unsatisfactory”, and the other “3” –
“excellent”, after all, he gave all his best for his three
without a trace! Long gone back to digital
ratings, but for some reason the words remained.

Another school grade problem –
psychological and social. Children are very worried
due to bad grades, tk. getting them is fraught
troubles. In the Russian school there is
three-point rating system: “5”, “4” and “3”. Because
deuces and ones are not put in graduation
documents, it should be recognized that “2” is not
assessment, but some kind of scarecrow with which the teacher frightens
careless student. Either learn well or
I will put “2” – and in the second year.

Why the second year? For old delusions
education officials who believe that
the program they have compiled can master
every student. But doesn’t exist
the average student for whom
program calculated. There are many individual
specific students with their individual
difficulties, problems, troubles.

The educational process depends not only on
teacher who gives knowledge. To complete
process is required for the student to take knowledge. But
Not every child wants and can do it.
Someone is naturally limited and unable to
learn learning material for
“average”. Others are unlucky
parents, they do not see much use in
education, rightly believing that today without
You can live better with him than with him. Third
survived a birth injury and cannot
focus on studying for more than 10 minutes. At
fourth father took to drink and left the family, son
lost all life orientation and stopped
to study. The fifth just doesn’t want to learn, without
explanations. Sixth, seventh, eighth … in short
speaking, the students have no equality in either
ability, or ability. But it is not
taken into account, everyone should “keep up”. account for
influence the student in a variety of ways.
persuasion and enticement to coercion.

Of course, one of them could be helped.
The most common argument of opponents in
such cases, the teacher should instill
interest in your subject, use game
receptions at lessons, etc. Undoubtedly, this can
achieve a lot. But playfully teach to decide
tasks on dynamics in the 9th grade or tasks on
the principle of superposition of fields in the 10th is unrealistic. it
difficult tasks, and work is not play. One
“Entertainment” does not solve the problem. For a complete
her permission would have been colossal
cost and effort: classes of ten
human, system of individual lessons, treatment
psychoneurologists and other specialists, in
in some cases – isolation from parents … But
there is no such money today. In addition, there is no
society’s interest in all of its
members got the real, not the dummy mean
education. It should be recognized that in real
modern conditions, all students cannot
get a quality secondary education.

And then the subject teacher gets up
difficult social task. What to do with
weak students? Not with
“Average”, but with specific ones?
The knowledge, skills and abilities acquired by them in
the existing norms of assessments are clearly not enough.
Keep for a second year? But it is commensurate with
deprivation of liberty, imprisonment, t.to.
the implementation of all plans is postponed for a year
man, the beginning of independent life. For what
guilt? Indeed, in most cases (if not 100%), this
not the child’s fault, but his misfortune. Give him a “2”
year, and he will drop out of school from impotence. And where to
will it go? The teacher has to solve this problem
because in fact, today in the state there is no such
structure that would really deal with fate
such poor people. Think about life
the prospects of “weaklings” falls to the teacher,
although his official duties are not similar
provided. Just working with children, delving into
their joys and woes for a long time,
realizing that he is “extreme” in this problem,
on the basis of philanthropy, the teacher is forced
decide. And he decides. By hook or by crook
“Brings out” a three in a year and lets go. comforts himself
the fact that the second year almost no one
helps. I can cite only 3-4 cases in 30 years
school work when retraining
turned out to be a boon.

And then a new problem arises. Those students
who in the sweat of their brow earn the treasured
three, they can’t immediately understand why their
classmate gets the same three in fact
“for so.” Requirements for students
to get a triple, are significantly reduced, this
cannot but affect the requirements for
four and five. Decreasing level
education in general. In one of the studies
foreign analysts (impartial people)
it was found that in our country the average
the level of today’s excellent student corresponds to
the level of a C student 20–25 years ago.

In addition, there is a situation in which
teacher corrupts his students to the fullest
sense of this word. After all, no matter how carefully we
tried to justify the exposure of “fake”
triples, students will understand everything sooner or later. So
how many of them are motivated to study
assessment, it affects a significant part
students. It turns out that the teacher, whose authority in
more or less students
trust, instills in his pupils the idea,
that you don’t deserve what you don’t deserve
earned, it is possible. So the school is born that
a big lie that destroys moral
the foundations of society, the negative is born, which
everyone is indignant, in whom the conscience has not yet fallen asleep. Not
I think it’s greatly exaggerated…

The article was prepared with the support of the site www.Geiti.Ru. If you decide to acquire a second higher education, then the best solution would be to go to the site www.Geiti.Ru. By clicking on the link: Moscow Institute, you can, without spending a lot of time, find out detailed information about part-time education and part-time education using distance learning technologies, as well as the prices and benefits that the Humanitarian-Economic and Information Technology Institute provides (GEITI).

The way out is relatively simple. Necessary
make grades “2” and “1” valid. Clearly
state what the assessment is for.
Set Limit Minimum Levels
difficulties in studying theoretical topics and
solving problems, and to stipulate not in general, on
words, but in the most concrete way: recognition
formulation of the law of conservation of energy from three
presented, the ability to formulate it, the ability
answer questions that require understanding of the law,
the ability to derive a formula of the law, the ability to apply
law in tasks, specify the level of difficulty
tasks, indicate which tasks should be able to solve
student to receive a certain grade. (A lot of
I envy mathematicians for years: they have a collection of
which they are given problems in exams, the teacher
knows exactly what to expect in the output.)

When checking the work of the school, check not what
what grades are in the journal, and objectivity
assessments, their correspondence to the real level of knowledge
student. Allow the teacher not to lie
to his students, but also not to make a tragedy out of his studies.

Cancel the verbal
“deciphering” the ratings. From these “good” and
“excellent” only errors in filling
certificates. It’s better to decipher
slow-witted like this: “5” – “five”, “4” – “four” and
etc.

Repeating should be recognized as absurd,
cruel and senseless anachronism.
Move to the next class for any marks.
Leave for the second year only on application
parents with documents
confirming the validity of the request for
repetition. The second year must be paid
(except in case of severe illness)
student), parents must transfer money
state, but not at the expense of the school or
any other educational authorities, and
directly to the state budget.

If you take such measures, you must be
ready to be misunderstood by their wide layers
society. Stereotypes are very hard to break and
a very long time. “Release with a deuce! This is some nonsense!”
Remember, after all, they did not take root in the forecasts
weather hectopascals. But the overwhelming
most learned them in school. 738 we understand, but
984 we do not understand…

Something similar (issue and transfer with a deuce) already
was in our school a few years ago. Shamefully
allowed to put one grade “2” in the certificate (and
why not three or eight?). Then this rule
cancelled. They were afraid of something. Maybe that
that the teacher will relax, stop teaching,
starts slacking off? But the one who is capable of it,
has been hacking for a long time, and a decent teacher even for
his odious salary laid out before
the last one. And decent in schools, in my opinion,
much more.

Maybe the rule was canceled because
revealed the true state of affairs in
education? How deep and solid knowledge
some of our students? Didn’t have the courage
face the truth? And the truth is sometimes
really cruel. Put at least a “three”,
even a “deuce”, but not all ninth graders firmly
know the multiplication table. Some students
make two or even three mistakes in one word
(oporat, mitolic), I’m already silent about commas. To
some tasks in physics are started only
the most desperate. They don’t understand the importance of the indication
units of physical quantities
(m = 19, and that’s it!). Multiply by 100 on a calculator. O
not everyone knows trigonometric tables, but
the calculator does not “take sines” for everyone. such
maybe not so much, but what to do with them?
After all, they are also people …

Maybe a good rule was canceled because
that it somehow does not comply with the Law on
education? Then maybe it’s worth something
change in the law?

It must be admitted that in our education
many problems have accumulated. in order to change
the situation for the better, you need to find out the truth
the state of things. After all, if the patient does not say that
he is in pain, the doctor will not be able to help him, and the patient
will die. Allow a sober look at the state
affairs in education will help the proposed
change in the system of school assessments.

Alexander
Aleksandrovich Astvatsaturov works at school
thirty-one years after graduating from the Faculty of Physics of the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute in
1971 Considers mental and
moral development of students. awarded
medal “850th Anniversary of the Foundation of Moscow”, badge
“Excellence in public education”, diploma
Ministry of Education of the RSFSR. Hobby – activities
history, archeology and ethnography.

is it worth paying a child for good grades

Sonya Emelyanova

examined readers’ arguments

Author profile

Each family has its own rules: someone gives children pocket money just like that, someone does not give it at all, and someone pays only for fives in the diary.

Recently, a reader of ours asked a question in the Community to find out how paying for grades affects children and what are the positives and negatives of this practice. From the answers, we made a selection of arguments for and against.

These are community reader stories. Collected into one material, carefully edited and formatted according to editorial standards.

👍 Pro: learning is a child’s work, for which he must get something

nlpmag
tested the theory on children

Study is work. And good work is usually encouraged. But not for each grade, but based on the results of the trimester and year. And set the condition that part of the money needs to be put in a piggy bank. You can open the deposit and show the child how it increases. Tested on one girl who is already 18 years old. Works! I am introducing the experience to the second child.

👎 Against: it is better to invest this money in the development of the child

Alice
doesn’t believe in grades
The last decade has shown very clearly that school grades are nothing at all. Rather than paying for A’s, it’s better to invest this money in sports or the cultivation of a child. And here we are not talking about fashionable “developers”, but about really good circles and sections.

👍 Pro: monetary reward motivates children to try harder and not be lazy

Peace for all
don’t forget the whip

Such motivation is very good, but do not forget that you also need a “whip”. If, for example, a schoolboy brought home only good and excellent grades at the end of the week, he receives some amount. It is necessary that the amount differs under different conditions: for example, if all the marks are fives, then the child receives 1000 R, and if there are fours among the marks, then the sum should be around 600 R. And if there is one three among the fives and fours, then already 200 R. Such a big difference will motivate you to get at least 600 R. The approach will become a habit, and the child will know: in order to achieve the best, you need to work harder and better.

👎 Against: grades are subjective and should not affect the distribution of money in the family

bela
knows that not all teachers are objective

Evaluation at school is already an encouragement of the child’s work, and not always adequate. Wrote off – got five, solved a difficult problem, but put an inkblot – just a three. Evaluation is partly subjective, different teachers evaluate the same work differently. In my opinion, it would be good to explain this to the child as early as possible. The main thing is not the marks in the diary. Therefore, the issue of distributing money in the family cannot depend on school grades.

👍 For: children who are paid for achievements can advance further in their careers

Zhanna Lagoonova
not afraid of work

My grandfather introduced me to such a system of paying grades for a quarter. It was not my only pocket money, but rather bonuses – just as later, as students, various scholarships were paid for good academic performance to good students and excellent students. This didn’t give me more motivation to study, I was fine with it, but it gave me an understanding that if you push yourself sometimes, you can get a little more for your Wishlist.

I can’t say that this works 100% during work, but the fact that I was not afraid of complex projects allowed me to have earnings higher than my colleagues in a not the most highly paid job. The main thing is not to grab more than you can handle and not burn out.

Julian Nash
impressed

I didn’t, but a classmate had such a system, and I was very impressed. She calculated how much money she lacked for a purchase or going to the cinema, and planned how many fives in a week and for what she would receive. By the way, she was an excellent student and went far in life. I do not claim that because of this, but still.

👎 Against: instead of paying for A’s, it’s better to find out why the child has difficulties in school

Ivan Ivanov
didn’t ruin his parents
Good school grades are a very bad KPI. And for bad KPIs, rewarding is digging your own grave. But, on the other hand, failures and triples are a reason to have a showdown in the Bronx, to understand what is wrong. And money can be given in the form of an unconditional basic income.

An “excellent” grade in an ordinary school is a simple performance of duties, there is nothing to reward, everything is within the salary – pocket money, for example. Getting an A if you wish is as easy as shelling pears, and it is assumed by default. Anything below is a bug. Now, if the child took some kind of Olympiad or was praised at the meeting, then yes, you can also reward.

The role of pocket money in my childhood was played by the proceeds for handed over bottles, then they still did not cost such pennies as they do now, and were accepted everywhere. Of course, there was no talk of any bonus. I studied well, my parents would have been completely ruined.

👍 Pro: monetary incentive helps not to abandon school, even if the child does not like it

Andreeva H.
happy with life

If I were paid for good grades, I would have an increased interest in studying and I would certainly be an excellent student. I think that elementary classes are useful: they taught me to write, read and count. And the remaining six years are a waste of time.

And at the institute, it’s really “students live happily from session to session. ” I almost fell asleep – I left in time. Just don’t say that it depends on the person, in a student hostel nothing depends on you. Now I’m an individual entrepreneur, I have a car shop, and I’m happy! Neither the institute nor the school gave me anything good. But if there was a financial incentive, everything might have turned out differently.

👎 Against: money does not always motivate a child to study better, and pocket money can be given just like that

Arni Mayak
will not pay child for grades

From the second or third grade, my mother suggested such a system. She did not give pocket money just like that, I only had it for grades. There were certain amounts for fours and fives, for deuces – a fine. Until the end of the fourth grade, a four cost 40 R, a five – 50 R, then I didn’t receive a deuce at all, I already forgot the amount of the fine. In the beginning, like many others, I was an excellent student. In secondary school, I began to study worse. Then my mother indexed the payments. For a five I paid 100 R, for a four it seemed to be 50 or 80 R, for two I took 100 R.

I had enough pocket money for all my Wishlist, I managed to save up, if I added from gift money. If we consider this method as a motivation to study, in my case it did not work. If it’s just like a scheme for pocket money, it’s probably fine. I’m unlikely to introduce this with my child.

Pros and cons. Readers choose sides in financial disputes

Tell your story

Studying “excellent”: how to motivate a child?

Most parents want their child to get A’s and A’s in school. But are good grades so important for later life and success at work? Should a child be punished for poor performance? These and other questions were answered by a psychologist, specialist of the 12 Collegia Center Anna-Maria Sarantseva.

How do parents of a first grader prepare for school?

– Is studying for “4” and “5” an important skill for a child, or perhaps the value of this skill is somewhat overestimated?

— It seems to me that studying for “4” and “5” is not a skill, but an experience. Yes, this is an important experience for the success of a child. Different children achieve it in different ways. Sometimes excellent study is achieved by the ability to negotiate with teachers and find contact. Sometimes effective use of talents – good memory or stress resistance. But in any case, the experience of success is important for the self-esteem and development of the child.

Low self-esteem in a child: who is to blame and what to do?

— But for many, studying well means being smart. Is it so?

– This is a dangerous stereotype. If studying well means being smart, then studying poorly means being stupid, which is not the case. The feeling and attitude “I’m stupid” slows down and prevents even the most talented child from studying well. In addition, there is a fear of making a mistake and being a “fool”, while successful learning is accompanied by the attitude “error is a natural phenomenon, now I know more. ”

— That is, excellent study only shows that the child is effectively coping with a specific task in some way?

— Yes, and he meets the criteria, that somehow he has learned to meet the criteria of his teachers – those who give him grades.

— There is an opinion that C students are much more successful than A students in life. Is it so?

– It seems to me that this is also a stereotype, which, however, has a basis. It is often difficult for people who have adapted to one requirement to adapt to another. If the child did well at school, in new circumstances (university, job search), he may have to spend more effort on adapting to the new rules of the game. Many C students are much more “sneaky”, or rather, more flexible than A students: they have to invent new ways to achieve the final goal, change the goal itself, in addition, it happens that mistakes do not cause them excessive stress. These skills then help in adulthood to achieve success.

In general, if a child learns with Cs, but he has a cognitive interest, he likes to understand the problem, then he will succeed. If the child is not interested in everything, he does not like to make discoveries, then there is little chance of success in professional activities.

– There are two opposite approaches to upbringing and education: the search for innate talents and their improvement or the uniform development of all skills. Which one is closer to you?

— It all depends on age. I think that in preschool and primary school age, all-round development is more important. In high school, it’s worth looking at what skills are missing to be successful in the humanities or sciences. Often we like and want to do what we think we can do, what we are sure of. Help your child gain confidence that he is also successful in the humanities and sciences.

Children and creativity: how to develop abilities?

In high school, already pay attention to the field in which he took place: there is little time left before choosing a profession. It is important that before the 7th grade, the child has tried many areas and is well aware of his strengths and areas of development. After the 7th grade, it is better to focus on specific talents and look for yourself in a narrow area.

— How is cognitive activity formed, and how to understand if a child has it?

– It’s easy to recognize her. If a child asks questions: “Why?”, “How does it work?” – he has it. It remains to encourage and educate the child. When he starts new subjects, study them together. For example, in grades 5-6, physics, chemistry, and biology begin. They all appeal to the everyday experience of the child. Discuss why clouds do not stand still, water turns to ice, and conifers do not throw off their needles. Try to find something interesting in the ordinary.

If there is no cognitive activity, then it can be created. Use funny, vivid facts. Are vampires possible in nature? How to discover the secret of eternal youth? Buy him coloring books, children’s collections with stickers, puzzles and drawings. Bookstores offer hundreds of such albums – the child is sure to find something for himself.

Low cognitive activity is often caused by self-doubt. The child does not believe that he can find the answers himself, so he stops asking questions. Help him gain faith in himself and his strength. Tell him that he is smart and that he will succeed. It is important to explain: a smart person is not the one who knows everything, but the one who asks questions and looks for answers to them.

– My child went to school and immediately began to study badly. What to do?

– Pay attention to his relationship with the first teacher. Perhaps they are conflicting or traumatic. I knew a child who watched a film about Beslan in the first grade – he associated certain everyday aspects of the school with this terrorist attack. He was afraid to remain alone in the school corridor – he could not be kicked out of the office, this caused panic. When the parents and the teacher found this out, the situation improved.

Also clarify a few things. Does the child read the tasks and instructions to the end? Some children do not have the patience to finish reading the assignment – they do it incorrectly and get bad grades. It seems to them that everything is already clear, there is nothing to delve into.

Does the child check the work before handing it in? Some children, having had a negative experience, subsequently fear failure and do not want to check the work. They prefer to pass as is, just not to face mistakes and a sense of self-doubt. In this case, you need to work with self-esteem and fear of failure.

Often first graders who have been out of school for half a year, three quarters, all already need their parents to do their homework. Sit next to the child and also solve problems, mind your own business – it is useful when the child sees that the parent is also solving problems. It can be work papers or smart tasks. It is important that you show the child an example, and he feels your support, a shoulder nearby.

— What should I do if my child starts doing poorly in secondary school?

— Check if the child is coping with household chores and schedule changes. Does he need a break for hygiene, a snack, a trip to the next office and rest? Did he remember all the teachers?

Pay attention to the relationship with classmates. In the fifth grade, relationships with peers already have a lot of knowledge. Often the first teacher in elementary school seems to be a protector and savior, who can be turned to in conflict with children. When moving to high school, the protector disappears. If a child is called names or harsh jokes, it seems to him that he is alone and there is no one to protect him.

— What if we are talking about high school?

– This happens if interest has shifted towards relationships with peers. Enter into an agreement with the teenager with the condition not to throw objects that he used to like. Discuss how the child will benefit from compliance, how the parents will benefit, and see to it that the conditions are met. This agreement should spell out specific actions, specific assessments, specific knowledge.

For example, I knew a teenager who did not want to study mathematics, but he agreed with his mother that his friend would help him with mathematics. The friend was older, an engineering student, and he was actually able to explain the math, which improved his grades. Communication with a friend, his support and knowledge helped the teenager normalize his grades.

If your child is not doing well in high school, it is better to focus on important subjects rather than chasing everyone. In any case, support him, say that you are there, do not leave him and do not consider him a loser. In addition, it is useful to discuss personal motives and perspectives. Many high school students do not understand why they need to study, work, start a family. The reason is not laziness or unwillingness to do something, but youthful maximalism, social pressure and the desire to be different from everyone else. Discuss that work, family, higher education is always a choice. There are other options.

From personal experience: when I was a teenager, I always argued with my mother that I didn’t go out very much. Mom did not let me go out, but forced me to study and do homework. I did not understand why I was doing this and what it would give me. One day she could not stand it and said: “Do you want to take a walk? Go for a walk”. I went for a walk and returned 15 minutes later – it was a sufficient moment of freedom that was provided to me.

— Should children be punished for bad grades?

– No, it’s definitely not worth punishing. It is important that the child understands that there are consequences for bad grades. There are repercussions at school, and quite possibly repercussions at home. For example, a mother may become upset, and this is an obvious consequence that is associated with evaluation. It is important that the consequences are commensurate with the benefit that the child will receive from a good mark. If you feel that he is not confident in himself, it is better that there is not a punishment system, but a reward system. But the conditions must be determined before the precedent, and the child must clearly understand the rules, then this does not spoil the relationship, but creates a transparent system.

– A few words of farewell.

— Recently, I heard from parents an amazing system of supporting the child in learning. The child agreed with his mother that for specific actions he receives pluses, he accumulates these pluses and exchanges them for going to the cinema, for buying additional ice cream. So the child chooses what he wants. But an important condition – the time spent with parents and family never acts as a bonus. Going to the movies can be a reward, but going to the movies together is not. Time with family is a child’s birthright.

Curriculum vitae:

Anna-Maria graduated from the Faculty of Psychology at St. Petersburg State University and works as a psychologist and group leader at the 12 Collegia Center and also at the camp of the same name.

Among others leads training groups on the following topics:

“School of Communication 10-11 years old”,
The Science of Growing Up,
“Study for 5+”.

If you liked the 12 Collegia camp, book your trip right now:

Psychological camp:

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Published 08.09.2021 08.09.2021 Author Elena RyzhenkovaCategories Psychology and Health

The most harmful thing school has taught you is striving to get good grades

The most harmful thing school has taught you has nothing to do with any subject. It’s about getting good grades.

When I was at university, a particularly diligent philosophy graduate told me that he didn’t care about the grades he got; what mattered was the knowledge he got. These words sunk into my head, because I had never heard anything like it before.

For me, as for most students, grades were more important than learning itself.

I was quite diligent, genuinely interested in most of the lectures I attended, and put a lot of effort into my studies. And yet, I showed the greatest diligence during the preparation for the exam.

In theory, tests are simply tests of what you have learned during your studies. In fact, you do not need any special preparation for them. It should be as easy as taking a blood test. You study during lectures and seminars, read recommended literature and complete assignments. And the test is just a measure of the assimilation of information.

However, things are different in practice.

In fact, the phrase “exam preparation” is the very process of learning. The difference between diligent and weak students was that the former diligently prepared for the exams, while the latter did not. But neither one nor the other did not sit at night for textbooks during the semester itself.

Although I was a diligent student, I focused almost entirely on getting good grades in a subject.

Many will probably be surprised by the word “although” in the previous sentence. Isn’t an excellent student synonymous with a diligent student? That’s how deep evaluation orientation is in our culture.

Is it really bad that grades are the benchmark for learning? Yes. And only decades after university, already being the head of Y Combinator, I realized how bad it was.

Of course, during my studies, I knew that preparing for an exam is not equivalent to actually gaining knowledge. It is unlikely that everything that you stuffed into your head the night before the surrender will linger in it for a long time. But the problem is much more serious. Most exams absolutely do not cope with their main purpose.

If the exams really assessed the level of education, everything would not be so bad. Good grades and knowledge eventually coincide, but this happens a little later. The problem is that almost all tests given to students can be “hacked”. Most people who get good grades understand this very well. And to think otherwise is naive.

Suppose you are studying medieval history and your final exam is approaching. In theory, he should evaluate your knowledge of the history of the Middle Ages, right? Therefore, it is better to spend the remaining couple of days before the exam reading good books on medieval history. So you can learn a lot in a short period of time and get a good grade.

But experienced students think otherwise.

Just reading a good book on medieval history is a waste of time. Most of the information from there will not be included in exam tickets and tests.

It is necessary to read not books, but abstracts and the literature that the teacher initially recommended to students. And even most of this can be ignored, because you only need to worry about the facts and figures that can enter the control questions. You are looking for certain pieces of information. If the recommended book has an interesting excursion into some subtleties, you can safely skip it – such things are not included in control tests. But if a professor writes about the three main causes of the church schism in 1378 or the three main consequences of the Black Death, this must be remembered. And whether they were actually causes or effects – it does not matter. It is in your interest now to assume that this was the case.

At the university, examination papers and tests are often repeated year after year. This further narrows the range of information that needs to be remembered. You can not only find out what questions the teacher likes to ask, but also get ready-made answers from senior students. Many teachers do not change tasks for tests. In ten years of teaching, it’s hard not to reuse questions, even if it’s unintentional.

Some teachers may have their own political opinions and you have to share them. It is unlikely that this is necessary in the classroom in mathematics, exact sciences or engineering. But there are things where you can’t do without it.

Getting a good grade in a subject is not the same as knowing a lot about it.

Most students make a choice in favor of one thing. And you can’t blame them if they prefer grades. Everyone judges them by them. When awarding a scholarship, enrolling in graduate school, applying for a job. Even their parents are interested in grades.

I liked studying, writing research papers and programs. But did I do any more research after they passed, just for my own pleasure? Of course not. I had to do homework in other subjects.

If ever I had to choose between education and grades, I chose grades. I did not enter the university in order to be a “loser”.

Anyone who cares about getting good grades must play by these rules or others will beat him. And in elite universities, if not everyone, then almost everyone cares about grades. As a result, students compete to maximize the gap between learning and getting good grades.

Published in abbreviation

good or bad, how to get rid of the syndrome of an excellent student in a child

Syndrome of an excellent student

Children are inquisitive by nature. Preschoolers are interested in everything, they want to try everything. The situation changes when the child goes to school and gets acquainted with the “Her Majesty” assessment.

School grades destroy motivation, because they are rewarded not for efforts, but for results. Received “five” – well done, “two” – bad.

Gradually the child begins to think and act only within the framework of a five-point scale. Will there be a mark for the task? Then he will. If not, then find better things to do. And why try in mathematics if adults say that he is a humanist, and the teacher never puts him above the “three”?

Evaluation work turns lagging students into cheaters, and for those who find it easy to study, it gives rise to the syndrome of an excellent student.

The excellent student syndrome is the desire to achieve exceptionally excellent results for the praise and approval of others.

It would seem that what’s wrong when a diligent girl or boy tries to get only “five”? The Foxford Home School psychologist sees several dangers in this and advises getting rid of the A student syndrome.

“A child with the A student syndrome is driven by the fear of upsetting the adults who are important to him. He studies hard not to learn something new, but to avoid criticism. The problem with this motivation is that it is limited in time. Today I learned and got an “A”, and tomorrow I forgot. Because there was no goal to understand the material, there was a desire to earn a mark. But the worst thing is when this false perfectionism carries over into adulthood. This is one of the reasons why high school students often fail in their careers and relationships. They didn’t overcome their fears, they didn’t learn to adapt to circumstances and perceive mistakes as points of growth.”

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Gamification of learning

Gamification is the use of game elements in non-game processes. For example, in education.

In the game, the material is better absorbed, involvement and motivation increase. And high motivation, in turn, allows you to master even complex material and maintain a long-term interest in learning.

Gamification is most often implemented by educational Internet platforms. For example, in the Foxford home online school, students do not receive grades for completing tasks, but experience points – XP (experience points). Teenagers are familiar with computer games.

Each task has a difficulty level: from easy to olympiad. The more difficult and the less hints spent in solving, the more XP you get.

“Homework is not aimed at testing, but at gaining knowledge. That is why there are hints and that is why they should not be evaluated. If the student does not know how to approach the problem, he can take a hint, which may show him one of the paths to the solution. At the same time, he is not afraid to make a mistake, because any of his actions aimed at solving the problem will lead not to a decrease in the grade, but to gaining new experience. And if the chosen path led to failure, this is no less (and sometimes more) important than hitting the bull’s-eye. So the material is gradually assimilated, and the child ceases to be afraid of difficult tasks. The horizon of their own possibilities is expanding, and the student achieves more than in situations where the threat of a decrease in the score hangs over him. Knowledge control takes place during control and verification work. There are no hints in tests.
Irina Fomicheva, Head of the Assembly “Externate and
of the Foxford home school”

The more you are doing, the higher your level
mit

Experience points are summarized and allow the “players” to move from level to level. At first it is quite easy, but gradually it becomes more and more difficult to move forward.

The next step in the gamification of the Foxford educational platform is the appearance of a weekly updated XP rating and battles between students.

Homeschooler Assessment

Foxford Home School takes care of children’s natural curiosity. We reward students for effort, not results. You can evaluate the success of the child’s efforts with the help of the mentor’s report. Once a week, mentors send moms and dads a written report showing how many classes have been attended and assignments completed.

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Habitual School Mark Sheets may be shared with Partner Schools and Regular Public Schools during Interim Assessments.

Good school grades: School Ratings & Reviews for Public & Private Schools: GreatSchools

How to Get Good Grades in High School

Nine Tips for Getting Good Grades in High School

1. Do Your Homework

2. Participate in Class

3. Take Good Notes in Class

4. Don’t Hesitate to Ask for Help

5. Keep Yourself Motivated

6. Create a Study Schedule

7. Remove Distractions

8. Don’t Study Alone

9. Take Care of Yourself!

Conclusion

8 Tips to Get Better Grades in School from Ivy League Grads

It’s no secret that good grades help you get into college. You’ve probably heard it from an early age, “Get good grades so you can get into a good school.

What is a Grade Point Average (GPA)?

What is a High School Transcript?

How do you get good grades?

1. Motivate Yourself

2. Pay Attention and Participate in Class

3. Stay on Top of your Classwork

4. Organize your Workspace and your Time

5. Take Your Health Seriously

6. Ask for Help

7. Consider Online Tutoring

8. Consider an Online High School

What about international curriculums? Do I still need good grades?

Final Thoughts

3 reasons grades are bad for education — THNK School

1. Grades create risk-averse behavior

2. Grades have become the end goal

3. Grades are an inadequate form of feedback

Conclusion

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The Best Middle Schools In The United States

1. Community Day Charter School

2.

3.

4. Lincoln Akerman School

5. Challenge Magnet School-Cherry Creek School District No. 5

6. Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva

7. North Star Middle School

8. Middlesex Middle School

9. Harmon Middle School

10. Falmouth Middle School

Grading and Ranking Schools

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About the school grading system and related problems

MARATHON-2002

is it worth paying a child for good grades

👍 Pro: learning is a child’s work, for which he must get something

👎 Against: it is better to invest this money in the development of the child

👍 Pro: monetary reward motivates children to try harder and not be lazy

👎 Against: grades are subjective and should not affect the distribution of money in the family

👍 For: children who are paid for achievements can advance further in their careers

👎 Against: instead of paying for A’s, it’s better to find out why the child has difficulties in school

👍 Pro: monetary incentive helps not to abandon school, even if the child does not like it

👎 Against: money does not always motivate a child to study better, and pocket money can be given just like that

Studying “excellent”: how to motivate a child?

The most harmful thing school has taught you is striving to get good grades

good or bad, how to get rid of the syndrome of an excellent student in a child

Syndrome of an excellent student

The excellent student syndrome is the desire to achieve exceptionally excellent results for the praise and approval of others.

Gamification of learning

Homeschooler Assessment

About the school grading system and related
problems