Ep. 3 - Understand How Grades Work

What do your child's grades really mean, and how can you use them to support their academic success? In this episode of the Leading Educational Attainment (LEA) Podcast & Video Series, host Janis Price welcomes Esme Garcia, Community School Site Lead at Orange Unified School District, for an insightful conversation about understanding grades, monitoring academic progress, and building stronger connections between families and schools. Drawing from her personal educational journey and experience supporting families, Esme shares why understanding report cards is about more than looking at letters, numbers, or percentages. Together, they explore how grading changes as students progress through school, why families should ask questions when their children struggle academically, and how to approach conversations about grades with curiosity rather than frustration. They also discuss the importance of family engagement, communicating with teachers, and accessing school resources to help students succeed. Whether your child is in elementary, middle, or high school, this episode offers practical guidance to help you feel more confident understanding their academic progress and advocating for their needs. We want to hear from you! What did you learn from this episode? Complete our short LEA Podcast & Video Series Listener Survey to share your feedback and help us improve future resources for Orange County families. Take the survey: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/pBSkk... Explore LEA resources and the 10 Education Essentials for Families: https://ocbc.org/initiatives/lea/ The LEA Podcast & Video Series is an initiative of the Orange County Business Council (OCBC), created in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) and produced with OCDE Communications and Media Services, with support from Chevron.