Is 98 Good Enough

[nissangirl74]

I'm collecting data for a school project and I'd appreciate your input.

Q: If your child came home from school and told you he/she had made a 98% on a test, would you

(a) say, "Congratulations, that's fantastic!"
Or
(b) say, " You didn't get a 100%? What the heck did you miss?"

Feel free to discuss your answers. The more feedback I get the better, Thanks!

[Ozzie]

Everyone aims for 100%, but if my child comes home with a 98% mark on a test, then I would be very happy.
With marks that high, they would have to know the material very well, and probably made a silly little mistake. (like slightly misunderstanding a question, or not constructing their answer clearly enough)

I would then have a look to see what the mistake was, and then work with my child to figure out how to avoid the same mistake again in the future.

Some of the most valuable lessons I have learned in life have been from the mistakes I have made. (I'm sure there are others here who would agree with that statement)

[frapjap]

Very good. If they child studies hard enough and gets a 98, theres no way that they won't remember the answer to what they missed.
I feel if you harass them about not earning 100%, they could become obsessive about school and perfection in life. Let that sleeping dog lie.

[Bubba1]

Very good. If they child studies hard enough and gets a 98, theres no way that they won't remember the answer to what they missed.
I feel if you harass them about not earning 100%, they could become obsessive about school and perfection in life. Let that sleeping dog lie.

I kinda doubt there would be many parents unwilling to accept a 98% as "good enough" on a scholastic test for their child. IMHO, the big question would be to ask the few parents, if any, that do not consider it good enough why they feel that way.

[Gold Digger]

In Japan, grades are calculated differently. It's not based on a percentage. It's based on points. It's hard to explain and I even don't understand it all that well...

But, given that I have kids, here is my standpoint.

I would tell them they did a fantastic job and not to worry about the other two points. 100% is a great accomplishment but it's not a requirement. I would also tell them that as long as they are trying their absolute hardest, I wouldn't be angry at any grade they get unless it's extremely low. Then it's time to find out what the problem is, be it at school, a learning disability, or a problem at home that the parents aren't yet aware of.

My two oldest are in 5th and 3rd grade. My oldest struggles a bit in math, but his Japanese scores are outstanding. In his final report card for finishing 4th grade, the teacher made it a point to note that when Kai is done with his kanji writing practice (usually much quicker than everyone else), he'll look up new kanji he doesn't know and start practicing those.

Things like that are what I am most proud of. He goes a little extra farther than what's expected of and gives himself an edge over other kids his age.

[Encryptshun]

Tests where 98% is not sufficient:

Pregnancy test
Paternity test
Blood-alchohol test

[Rev_D21]

I'm a human, not a robot or a computer. 98% is excellent for a non-computer.

[alms24sebring]

Im kind of curious why you would ask. Of course its great. I knew people in High school that would be afraid to take home tests where they got something slightly less than 100% Thats ridiculous and way too strict. No punishment what so ever should be involved in that

[nissangirl74]

The reason I ask is that in our Developmental Psych class we are discussing how parental reaction to grades effects children's outlook on school, learning, and success. You've heard of the Tiger Mom? Those people exist, in much larger numbers that one would expect. There are researchers who are interested in these children and worried that their parents' high expectations might be detrimental to their psyche.

[alms24sebring]

I believe it. It might put too much stress on the wrong type of person and make them flip out. But it also shapes some of them to turn out the same way IMO.

[Loki]

Depending on how crucial the application, 98% is perfectly acceptable on a test. HOWEVER! I think it is very important to see what you DID get wrong, and learn from that mistake. Therefore, I cannot agree with a cut-and-dry Yes/No answer.

[Bubba1]

The reason I ask is that in our Developmental Psych class we are discussing how parental reaction to grades effects children's outlook on school, learning, and success. You've heard of the Tiger Mom? Those people exist, in much larger numbers that one would expect. There are researchers who are interested in these children and worried that their parents' high expectations might be detrimental to their psyche.

I know a few parents like that (both in academics and sports), but I question whether one can isolate a specific impact to a child's psyche when there are many other variables at play.

[hannibal]

An A is an A. I would be very proud of my kid for getting a 98 on an exam.

[PoorManQ45]

"Acceptable"? That's like saying 2nd place is acceptable.

[nissangirl74]

Sometimes I wish (for myself and for the kids) that there were no number grades and just A, B, C, D, F. There was a girl last week in my Statistics class that flipped out - literally- because she didn't make a 100 on the test. I honestly wanted to hit her in the head with a shovel. Especially since there are many students in that class that would have loved to have gotten her grade (a 96).

[bigbadberry3]

98 % gives you room for improvemet. I always try to talk about how hard someone worked for a grade too (teacher).

[MinisterofDOOM]

98% is excellent. And even if you DO want your child to continue improving (and I would), there are ways to do so without making that 98% a bad thing.

I also agree that the real value of the score depends on how hard the child worked. If they studied their a** off and came home with an 85%, that'd be praiseworthy in my eyes. Of course I'd encourage them to do better, but, again, there are ways to do that without undermining the success of the moment.

If you make even true accomplishment feel inadequate, you'll kill any genuine personal desire the child might have to succeed. When nothing is good enough, people stop caring. I've seen this in many of my air force brat friends...their fathers were never happy with anything so they just said "f*** it".

[PoorManQ45]

Sometimes I wish (for myself and for the kids) that there were no number grades and just A, B, C, D, F. There was a girl last week in my Statistics class that flipped out - literally- because she didn't make a 100 on the test. I honestly wanted to hit her in the head with a shovel. Especially since there are many students in that class that would have loved to have gotten her grade (a 96).

I'm a little like that person in that I'm annoyed when I don't get a 100%.

My test scores were typically in the high 90% range though so I just did it to be an a-hole. I'm the type that doesn't study for tests and then destroys any chance of a grading curve.