Children earn an art grade on their report cards. I hope they do not define themselves as a 'good or bad artist' based on a report card grade. I have found that individual children have a preference for different types of materials and assignments. This may translate into how much effort they put into a particular unit in art.
The art report card grades reflect art objectives and student effort in the art room each quarter. When your child attends class for his or her week of art he or she will be assigned a unit grade. If there is only one week of art that quarter, the unit grade will become the report card grade. Some classes will have more than one week of art in the quarter depending on how the calendar works out. One child may have two units of art (five -ten days) in a quarter and the average of these two units becomes the report card grade. Other children may only have 5 days of art in a quarter and this becomes the report card grade.
The art grades are not necessarily a reflection of a child's intelligence or talent. A child may be brilliant and talented but hate the slimy feeling of clay. Thus the grades may vary from one quarter to the next. A child does not have to be good at all types of art to be a talented artist. It is possible for pieces of art produced in a unit to be beautiful and lovable but not earn an o/e because all of the objectives for the unit were not met.
(Please note- on the report card for kindergarten a child simply receives an indication of whether or not the child needs more time to develop.)
The grades in art are as follows :
O/E Outstanding/Excellent effort: This is a student who is applying the concepts we are working on in class and doing the art to a polished finished piece with good craftsmanship- as far as the time allows. The work often reflects effort over and above what is anticipated, including original ideas and extra details. Their behavior throughout the class shows respect for the assignment, the teacher and their classmates.
S/E Satisfactory/Excellent effort: This is a student who is applying the concepts we are working on in class and doing the art to a finished piece, demonstrating some knowledge of good craftsmanship in the assignment. His or her behavior throughout the class almost always shows respect for the assignment, the teacher and their classmates.
S/G Satisfactory/Good effort: In this grade it is clear the student made a good effort to apply the ideas we are working on in their art piece. The result may not demonstrate a complete grasp of the concepts but an honest effort is made. Their behavior throughout the class usually shows respect for the assignment, the teacher and their classmates.
S/S Satisfactory/Satisfactory effort: This is a student who is applying some concepts we are working on in class and doing their art to a level that may or may not show completion. They sometimes show a lack of knowledge of good craftsmanship or their work reflects a lack of interest in finishing the assignment completely. Their behavior throughout the class occasionally needs redirecting. It could be beneficial if the child increased showing respect for the assignment, the teacher and their classmates. I consider this grade to be the equivalent of a 70-75%.
S/N Satisfactory/Needs to improve effort: This is a student who is not applying many of the concepts we are working on in class nor are they bringing their art to a finished piece. However, they are making art. They do not consistently demonstrate a concern for craftsmanship even when redirected to address particular areas of the work. Their behavior throughout the class often shows a lack of respect for the assignment, disrespect for the teacher and or their classmates.
Unsatisfactory: It is rare this grade would be given since I have found that children in general want to create art and want to produce a product that makes them proud.