AIBU to think that Effort grades are almost meaningless ?

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

DS has just got his end of Y6 report and it's all good really - phrases like "intellectual curiosity", "creative flair", and "an enthusiastic and friendly member of the class" - so, lots to be proud of and be pleased with.

However he's only been given B's for effort - which translates as "satisfactory" where A's would represent "always working at or near full potential". His sister nearly always got A's for effort. Now they are both pretty much equally bright and both getting similarly good results, but DD is a bit quieter whilst DS is, as the report says, "a naturally sociable boy". The other issue, which they both apparently have, is getting enough done in the time available. I really don't think for either of them this is due to any lack of effort. DD for example has been recognised as having mild dyslexia.

AIBU to think that my sociable boy has been a bit hard done by regarding his effort grades & that schools don't really "get" boys and tend to treat them slightly harshly compared to the girls. Also that anyone struggling at all tends to be given a lower effort grade than those for whom academic success just comes more easily (though this not so much of an issue with DS, though he does find it hard to get enough done in the time, especially with the distractions of friends around him)

And basically that grading effort is a very inexact science which is very difficult to judge fairly ? - and the whole thing is just a bit pants !!

[Taffeta]

The effort grades were a very good indicator for me last year that DS was bored and had taken a step back. With some focus and attention they are way back where they should be this year.

Also he is very competitive and stressy about results so I like to focus more on the effort scores than the test results. At age 9 it's more important to me that he's making an effort and is engaged. I'd be horrified not to get effort scores for these reasons.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Yeh, perhaps he's ready for the new challenges of secondary school Taffeta which is just as it should be - maybe that's a good way to look at it

[Fuzzymum1]

Ours are graded Excellent, Good, Variable and Needs improvement. I know teachers have certainly graded children between excellent and variable and as they said a 'needs improvement' wouldn't come as a shock to parents as they would already be in discussion with the parent about strategies for improving behaviour/effort.

[AlienAttack]

I love that your comment about your DS's effort says he is "distracted by others"! So you're confident that his "sociability" doesn't lead him to ever distract others himself? And now you say its because he is "ready for the challenges of secondary school". Teachers really can't win. So many threads on MN wanting constructive feedback. You have received some on your DS (admittedly a grade which can only be a signpost rather than detailed) and you're choosing to ignore it because you know better.

[tethersend]

Effort grades are at best completely erroneous, and at worst very damaging to a child's self-esteem. They are almost always inaccurate.

The only person capable of accurately assessing a child's effort is that child.

Too often, effort grades are used as a 'compensation' for low-achieving students, or those with SEN; but what message does a low attainment and high effort grade actually send out? You are trying your hardest but you have performed badly or No matter how hard you try, you will only achieve this grade. They can end up communicating exactly the opposite message they were trying to.

I wrote my thesis on effort grades when I was training to be a teacher, and have seen nothing in my subsequent career which suggests to me that effort grades are anything other than a meaningless and inaccurate arbitrary 'mark'. Nothing more than teacher guesswork.

In short, they are a load of old bollocks

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

I'm so glad you agree with me tethers

AA - I'm sure the sociability and tendency to distraction works both ways with his friends - I didn't say otherwise !

And yes, it could be I do know better than his teacher regarding the effort he puts in. I've almost certainly given it more thought than she has as she has 30 x 3 such assessments to make, whilst I have my two DC to compare.
And I have seen my DS in the classroom too as it happens.

Anyway it's not a big deal, he still got an excellent report, and a B (satisfactory) for his effort grades. It's just food for thought t'is all.

[Galena]

Our head teacher refused to introduce effort grades onto the reports as he said only the child can truly measure the amount of effort they are putting in.

[tethersend]

I like the sound of your head, Galena..

[tethersend]

Maryz, if your DS has a diagnosis of ADHD, then the school need to make reasonable adjustments for him under the Equality Act 2010. They seem to be showing him unfavourable treatment due to his disability (you are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ?substantial? and ?long-term? negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities). Would the school put a wheelchair user on report for repeatedly failing to climb stairs to his lesson? Or would they move his lesson to an accessible classroom? It should be no different in your DS's case, they have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments and not penalise or treat him unfavourably due to his disability.

Effort grades should not be synonymous with behaviour, the monitoring of which is a completely different thing. A child who upends a table may be putting in a huge amount of effort not to punch the teacher in the face, but this would not make upending a table acceptable behaviour.

[ninah]

yanbu
dd got the lowest effort mark for the subject she struggles most with, and def tries hardest in! go figure

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Wow, an actual yanbu - thanks ninah

[loopydoo]

I completely agree and don't think you are BU.
DD had her report card and got the highest mark for French yet got a B - even though she is always putting up her hand to answer (teacher says she didn't notice) and has actually done more French than her peers. Teacher said when she works it out she starts off giving them all B and then decides whether they should go up or down?? (she's a maths teacher btw).

Then, in maths, which she hates, she got A for effort even though she was consciously trying to fail her maths SATS in order to get moved down!!

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Thanks loopy - your comments add to my feeling that effort marks are not very rigorously applied. Either someone is doing well so they must be putting in the effort, or they aren't doing so well but are "trying hard" - I think that's about as far as the thinking goes really !

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Or - like my DS they are doing well but can be a little chatty, and don't always get things finished (not necessarily related to the sociableness in DS's case)
Anyhow, for whatever reason, don't quite fit in with the accepted model for perfect student - quiet girl who always puts her hand up to answer questions ?

[monkey42]

my ds1 has moved to grades 1-5 for effort and a-e for classwork. He gets marks right across from a-c depending on subject but with the odd exception the effort grade simply matched the 'achievement' grade, ie a1, b2 etc. This was also my own experience so i tend to take it with a bit of a pinch of salt unless there is a big discrepancy eg a c1.. i guess it depends on your school.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Good for you Maryz - if that's the outcome from this thread then I'm glad I started it !

[ljny]

YANBU

Sounds like the schools are actually marking behaviour, not effort. It would be better all round if they admitted it.

As someone's HT said above, only the child really knows how much effort they're making.

These marks are so disappointing to a child who's trying really hard at a subject they find difficult. And a busy teacher doesn't really see the effort - just the results.

Effort should be left to the comments section. Much more meaningful.

[Endofmyfeather]

Unless you are in your DS's class every day, how on earth can you comment on his effort? Surely that's even more arbitrary than a teacher assigning a grade based on some visible evidence.

You're basically saying you know best without any evidence at all. I find this degree of arrogance astonishing.