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Post by machfu2001 on Dec 6, 2011 11:34:58 GMT -6
Hello fellow coaches,
Has anyone came up with a good way to monitor grades of kids? We do have the ability to use a computer to constantly monitor all grades of our athletes. However, many of our kids need "extra" help in their classes.
I have heard of programs making tutoring schedules, assigning coaches to be at school even earlier than normal to sign athletes in and out of tutoring, and so on.
Also, I have heard of programs sending tally sheets to teachers to have them fill out regarding athletes' grades, attendence, attitude, etc. I know teachers hate these things.
In summary, I guess I'm looking for the best way to eliminate failures, yet not be too encompassing on coaches and teachers.
Any ideas or practices would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
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Post by coachplaa on Dec 6, 2011 12:34:15 GMT -6
We are able to check our kids grades all of the time. In our district, teachers must enter their grades into a thing we have called PowerSchool.
So every Wednesday, we grade check our football team using the computer. We give out helmet decals for kids that have all C's or better. We give out two helmet decals for straight A's. For kids that have one bad mark, they get to "spin the wheel" (extra after-practice conditioning). If they have two bad marks, they spin the wheel twice, etc. Again, we do this every Wednesday. We make a big deal about it, and we call out the kids that have straight A's, all good grades, and aren't making it. We physically split them into three groups for all to see.
If a kid had less than a 2.0 GPA on Wednesday, then we tell them they have until Friday at the end of school to get their grades up or they will not dress for the game.
As far as tutoring and such, we talk alot in the pre-season about priorities and time management. If a kid falls behind, it is up to him to catch up on his own time: lunch, before school, after practice. If kids miss practice for tutoring or makeup work, we take the same approach to game-playing-time. If you miss practice, then "next man up." I don't care how good the starter is, they have to be students before they can be athletes. Being hard on it early in the season, and not just threatening, is the key.
It has worked for us. We are extra hard on them in the pre-season. In five years, we had one kid who was a good sophomore athlete, who didn't play after week 2 because he never got his grades up. Then just last week he gets kicked out of school for smoking pot in the bathroom. What a surprise that he couldn't get his grades up. 99% of our kids love the accountability and no we take grades seriously as coaches. As a result, we have one of the highest GPA's of any group on campus.
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Post by CoachMikeJudy on Dec 6, 2011 12:40:23 GMT -6
We've done the grade sheets, the tutoring, the study halls...all of them can work depending on your situation. I prefer weekly grade sheets with a weekly grade/attendance/behavior column as well as an "in danger of failing?" box to be checked. These are things I feel I can influence as a coach by withholding playing time. Kid gets a bad mark during week 3 of the season...I can bench him. Nip it in the bud before the behavior escalates...
Recently we felt as a program it was time to stop holding their hands in regards to the grades. Our kids get out at 2:35, and we don't start practice until 3:45. During that dead time each day each kid has somewhere to be- weightroom, film, or character education. If a kid needs tutoring it happens during that dead period, and they are not excused to practice late. We require notes from their classroom teachers- no note=unexcused absence and suspension.
The way we look at it is you have from 7:30am until 2:35pm to get your school work done. In most cases any lack of completion signifies laziness on our players' parts. If they can't get it done in the classroom then they can't play for us.
I feel the study hall thing is good in theory but really just reinforces the concept of "oh well, I'll just finish it later" during the school day. I despise that as a teacher and a coach.
Since removing the study hall/excuses net from our boys we have not seen an increase in failures. Our staff has done a good job of painting the picture of failing to work in the classroom is letting your team down- should they be shamed into doing the right thing then our concept works. Keeps our hands clean in the process too by letting them know "they" have the power to choose...do work and play or goof around and sit on the bench.
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