Skills Testing in Phy Ed

[MichelleVW]

I am so mad!! Last night I was just checking my DD's grades online and my youngest got a 50% on a test in GYM CLASS!! So I asked her about it and she said, "Yeah, we get tested on our Skills and I'm not very good at Archery!!" So, here GPA is going to go down because she doesn't have that all importanta life skill of being able to shoot a Bow and Arrow!!!

I agree that they should have a participation grade, and be tested on KNOWLEDGE, but she gets a 50 on a test because she can't hit the Bull's Eye!!! THAT IS CRAP!!!

In NC they weren't tested on how well they performed...just that they tried!!

Anyone know what the Phy Ed requirements for graduating in Texas are because I'm retiring at the end of the summer and that's where we will be.

 

[crzyred]

When I was in gym class we would get graded on participation, attitude and knowledge of the activity.

Along with that however was some part skill. It wasn't based on anything specific. It was based on whether or not the teacher could see us making any sort of progress through each unit.

Maybe you could email this teacher and ask what they are looking for. Also you child should have a "syllabus" from the beginning of class expressing the expectations of the class. It could be on there too.

 

[agnes!]

I would check with the teacher and with the school system. Are their Gym grading requirements posted online? I know with DD's school, there is a grading component, but for the skills stuff, it's a pass/fail participation grade.

So even though your DD got that 50% maybe it won't count as a faling grade?...

For your post-retirement move, you'll need to check with the school system of the area (county/city/etc) you move into. Grading is usually under local control.

For instance, our system is:
A = 94(93.5 rounded up) and above
B+ = 90 to 93.49, etc.
But other grading-systems in the state are different.

agnes!

 

[disney junky]

Stupid. At the most, they should have her shoot, instruct her in the skill, and then see if she improved. Here, phys ed is pass fail. And to fail, you don't dress or participate. I guess they can give an outstanding, but none affect the gpa. Don't get me wrong, I think it's an important subject, but penalizing someone for not being able to shoot a bow and arrow seems silly. Maybe she could object on religious grounds. Pacifism. I'm being facetious of course.

 

[MichelleVW]

Maybe she could object on religious grounds. Pacifism. I'm being facetious of course.

Too funny!!

She actually really had fun with archery and seemed to enjoy it, but apparently she's not very good at it.

I was just floored when I saw that she had a C in Phy Ed and when I looked and saw 50% in Archery, and yep...I checked with her it's an F.

They are being graded on their running times next...luckily she's on track and can run like the wind!!

 

[K&KsMom]

I would just call the teacher and ask for clarification of the grading and the task. Often times what children communicate to their parents is their perception and not necessarily what was being asked. I would highly doubt a teacher would fail someone for not hitting a bullseye. My husband is a PE teacher and archery is part of his curriculum. There is no requirement that says you must hit a bullseye. He has specific criteria for each skill.

 

[MrsJackSparrow]

PE grade counts toward GPA? Have never heard that before.

 

[MichelleVW]

PE grade counts toward GPA? Have never heard that before.

Doesn't it??

 

[cabanafrau]

When these issues have come up in this area, you wind up getting the argument that it should count against those who don't met the standards in phys ed., because academics count against students w/ learning disabilities, even though it is all but impossible for them to meet some of the standards in that arena. I can see some room for agreement in that position, but I think we're way past the time of cookie cutter education requirements. If we can take the time to give convicted felons individualized sentencing, certainly our society can approach education w/ at least as much thought.

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

PE grade counts toward GPA? Have never heard that before.

Every class you take counts towards your GPA. At least, in my district it does.

 

[MrsJackSparrow]

I had never heard of it counting before. My only experience is with Catholic schools, so maybe that is the difference?

 

[piglet too]

It counts as a regular class for my DS13's jr high, and will in HS too.

OP ~ As for the participation grade, maybe she did not give 100% and the teacher marked her based on that? I know my DS13's teacher say that you have to give 100% effort to pass the sections. It does not matter how well you do, just as long as you try.

 

[RLccweems]

Every class you take counts towards your GPA. At least, in my district it does.

It does here too...it's a class just like every other class.

 

[declansdad]

Sorry but I don't think there is anything wrong with having the actual skill count for something. If a course is simply pass for participating, why would anyone try to improve?

 

[luvmy3]

Sorry but I don't think there is anything wrong with having the actual skill count for something. If a course is simply pass for participating, why would anyone try to improve?

I'm sorry but I don't send my kids to school to learn skills in archery. I don't pay taxes so that the other kids can learn it either. They canlearn about the sport and be graded on the knowledge but not on their own performance of the sport.
I am a firm believer in not grading on skill in PE, music or art.

 

[paigevz]

In NC they weren't tested on how well they performed...just that they tried!!

Anyone know what the Phy Ed requirements for graduating in Texas are because I'm retiring at the end of the summer and that's where we will be.

I don't know the graduation requirements. In my district and my son's (two different districts) we have the 10 point grading scale (90 is A, 80 is B). My son is in middle school and does take skills tests, but he just talks about running and pushups and things. He hasn't mentioned skills test in anything specialized like that.

 

[MichelleVW]

It counts as a regular class for my DS13's jr high, and will in HS too.

OP ~ As for the participation grade, maybe she did not give 100% and the teacher marked her based on that? I know my DS13's teacher say that you have to give 100% effort to pass the sections. It does not matter how well you do, just as long as you try.

I'm going to ask her tonight exactly HOW they were graded. She really likes Phy Ed and really seemed to like archery, so I really don't think it was because lack of effort on her part.

I do realize that sometimes the stories we hear from our children are not always the Gospel Truth...but mine don't usually stretch the truth too far.

 

[declansdad]

I'm sorry but I don't send my kids to school to learn skills in archery. I don't pay taxes so that the other kids can learn it either. They canlearn about the sport and be graded on the knowledge but not on their own performance of the sport.
I am a firm believer in not grading on skill in PE, music or art.

Then why not make everything pass/fail?

Phys Ed, Music, and Art are jsut as important as anything else. Without these areas being taught and not simply being paid lip service, society suffers. There are many students that excel in these areas while doing poorly in the others. There efforts should not be discounted simply because it is gym.

 

[mickeyboat]

Then why not make everything pass/fail?

Phys Ed, Music, and Art are jsut as important as anything else. Without these areas being taught and not simply being paid lip service, society suffers. There are many students that excel in these areas while doing poorly in the others. There efforts should not be discounted simply because it is gym.

I am thinking along the same lines.

If you argue "why do we need to learn archery?" Someone might counter "why do we need to learn about Chaucer?" Why is it o.k. to grade someone on their mastery of the works of Chaucer and not their mastery of archery?

If you argue that someone worked very hard to master the works of Chaucer, I might counter that a student could have worked just as hard to master archery.

 

[MichelleVW]

Talked to DD last night about how the Archery Skills test was graded and she said that you got so many points for a Bulls Eye and so many points for the other rings.

I really don't see Archery in the same light as the Core classes (English,Science etc).

I just find it ridiculous that she got 50 out of 100 because of her lack of archery skills.

But there is hope for her grade to come up because she told me they are playing floor hockey now and she RULES at that!!