Rising Test Scores and Lower Grades

I just received the scores for the standardized tests that my daughter took this past year. All of them are better than last year's scores. How can this be explained, as many of her report-card grades were lower this year? - Puzzled
Answer: Be pleased that your daughter has better standardized-test scores this year. The improved scores indicate that she has probably done a better job of mastering the materials that your state considers most important for her to learn. Perhaps, her teacher focused more on these concepts and skills in the classroom than her previous teacher did. Many teachers are now doing what is called "teaching to the test."
You also need to understand that students' test scores vary. If your daughter were to take the same test several times, her scores would probably fluctuate. Students' health, classroom noise, anxiety level and luck on guessing some of the answers can all affect test scores. Conditions might have been more optimal for her to do better this year than they were last year.
There are many possible explanations for why your daughter's report-card grades are lower. Was it simply because this teacher had different grading standards than the previous teacher? Did your daughter always do her homework? Did you observe her struggling to master some lessons? Was the overall quality of the work she brought home lower than in previous years? As students advance in school, the work tends to become more difficult. If your daughter has any weaknesses in basic skills, especially in reading, it would have made it more difficult for her to do well in her other subjects.
One good reason for your daughter's test scores improving and grades going down can be because the tests measure a narrower curriculum than classroom grades do. If her test scores increased significantly, this is good. On the other hand, if your child's grades declined significantly, a red flag has been thrown. Moving from B's to D's in a subject is a sign of problems. Study your child's report card very carefully to determine if she might need special help in any areas this summer. Otherwise, remember that neither test scores nor grades are perfect measures of performance. Slight changes in either one are not true causes for concern.