innovative grading policy leigh ann earnhart cai 5322: assessment and evaluation february 15, 2012
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INNOVATIVE GRADING POLICY
Leigh Ann EarnhartCAI 5322: Assessment and Evaluation
February 15, 2012
Purposes of Grading
Administrative Functions
Feedback about student achievement
Guidance
Instructional Planning
Motivation
Problem #1
Practices vary greatly among teachers in
the same school and across the state
Experiment: Grades: C, C, MA (missing
assignment), D, C, B, MA, MA, B, A
Final grades ranged from A to F and
everything in between
Problem #2
Use of zeros for missing work• Does not work for punishment• Mathematically incorrect on a
100-point scale• Does not accurately reflect
the amount of actual learning that has occurred
Problem #3
Using the average of all scores throughout
the grading period• Early learning ≠ End learning• Students will make mistakes, and these
mistakes are not failures, but lessons learned on the way to success
• Students should be evaluated on the basis of their understanding at the end of the grading period
Problem #4
Single assignment or few projects• Students should have the
opportunity to receive enough grades to truly evaluate their understanding
• Learning should involve variety and multiple chances to be successful
Improvements
Identify all inconsistent grading practices
Share insights with colleagues to develop
new policies
All choices must be guided by evidence
and not opinion
Reassure parents, students, teachers that
certain things will not change
Improvements
Separate behaviors from academics
Place emphasis on summative grades
determined by high-quality assessments
aligned to standards
Design and implement relearn and
recovery opportunities for students
Improvements
Teachers must avoid grading systems that put
students in competition with each other
Keep students informed of their progress
throughout grading period
Differentiate types of assessment to let students
express creativity and still show mastery in
learning
New Policy
The District shall adopt a grading policy,
including provisions for the assignment of
grades on class assignments and examinations,
before each school year. The District grading
policy: • 1) Must require a classroom teacher to
assign a grade that reflects the student’s relative mastery and academic performance of assignments, while eliminating all other non-academic factors to include with the grade;
New Policy (continued)• 2) May not require a classroom teacher to assign a
minimum grade for an assignment without regard to the student’s quality of work;
• 3) May allow a student a reasonable opportunity to relearn or recover a class assignment or examination for which the student received a failing grade;
• 4) Must require a classroom teacher to explain their grading policies to inform students what is expected of them and how their grades will be determined;
• 5) May allow a student to be informed of his or her progress throughout the grading period;
• 6) May allow students to demonstrate their learning in various ways to increase student motivation and display mastery of learning
Summary
New grading policy = All other systems
improve• Student behavior improves• Faculty morale is improved• Resources allocated to remedial courses
and course repetitions are reduced• Resources invested in electives and
advanced courses are increased