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What does a grade mean in your classroom? Is an

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Title: What does a grade mean in your classroom? Is an


1
What does a grade mean in your classroom?Is an
A , really an A ?A Workshop Presented
byAmy Hammer-Scronce
2
A little history on grading.
  • Prior to the 1700s, qualitative feedback was
    used as a grading method
  • Around 1780, Yale introduced first formalized
    point grading system
  • In the early 1800s, Harvard developed a
    numerical system that closely resembles our own
    (Marzano, 2000)

3
Three eras of education
  • Mid 1800s to early 1900s- Focused on the three
    Rs, and were taught in a structured, religion
    based environment.
  • 1910-1975- Focused on intelligence and aptitude
  • The 1970s- Decade of state assessment
  • ( Robinson, 1986 Stiggins,
    2004)

4
Some things to think about..
  • How many of you feel your grades in school were a
    true reflection of your knowledge learned?
  • How many of you feel that your grades awarded to
    your current students actually reflect their
    learned knowledge?
  • How do you feel about grading students based on
    ability, behavior, or motivation?

5
Objectives of this workshop
  • To help educators take a closer look at their own
    grading practices
  • To help determine what should be graded
  • To remind educators of the impacts grades have on
    our students lives
  • To compare current grading practices with
    recommended research

6
What makes up a students grade in your classroom?
  • Homework?
  • Quizzes/tests?
  • Projects?
  • Effort?
  • Attendance?
  • Behavior?
  • Journals?

7
Philosophy
  • Grading should be closely correlated with
    class goals based upon a philosophy of learning
    and teaching and should reflect what a teacher
    believes about learning.
  • (Tomlinson, 2000)

8
So what does that mean?
  • Philosophy should be clearly communicated to all
    students, preferably in writing.
  • (Friedman Troug, 1999).
  • Educators should grade solely on achievement, to
    provide a clear accurate account of a student's
    growth.
  • Educators need to design an approach to grading
    that supports rather than discourages student
    learning. (Friedman, 1995).

9
What do grades mean to our students?
  • How he compares to his/her peers?
  • How much a student has learned/mastered?
  • Will he get into the college of his/her choice?
  • Will he get the scholarship of his/her dreams?

10
The most common, current flaws in educators
grading policies todayand what research has to
say about it
  • Grading students based on characteristics, such
    as behavior, effort, or attitude
  • Research saysIt clouds the accuracy of the
    grade, allowing a teachers judgment to
    intercede
  • (Stiggins, Frisbie, Griswold,
    1989)

11
Continued
  • Misuse of assessments such as pop quizzes.
  • Research says No teaching and learning takes
    place when pop quizzes are given, nor can they be
    justified as motivational Studies reveal that
    the threat of low grades only motivates high
    achieving students.
  • (Canady Hotchkiss, 1989).

12
Continued
  • The assignment of zeros
  • Research says A zero for work not turned in
    penalizes a student 10xs more severe than work
    assessed.

13
Cures for the Common ailments
  • Student Characteristics???
  • Assess them and use it as an additional grade,
    reflected by itself on the report card.
  • Pop quizzes???
  • Use them as feedback only or simply announce the
    test.
  • Zeros???
  • Require students to do the work, assign an IC
    until the work has been finished.

14
What should we be assessing?
  • Learned Content Knowledge

Important to Know And Be Able to do
Big Ideas worth understanding
Nice to know
(Center for K-12 Education)
15
Good Teaching Practices to Consider
  • Test only what has been taught well
  • Never test students on skills which they have not
    had opportunities to practice
  • Try to never let students practice failures
  • Keep student characteristics separate
  • (Canady)

16
Activity
  • You are keeping a record of the cost for heating
    your house this winter. Using the following
    months, what would your average be?
  • Dec. 168.00
  • Jan. 142.00
  • Feb. 218.00
  • March 179.00 Average 176.75

17
Now average those numbers again, because you
forgot to record a month..
  • Dec. 168.00
  • Jan. 142.00
  • Feb. 0.00
  • March 179.00 Average 122.25
  • This reveals the real damage of a zero

18
Another Activity
  • McTighe and Ferrara once said.
  • We take the position that the primary purpose of
    classroom assessment is to inform teaching and
    improve learning, not to sort and select students
    or to justify a grade.
  • Do you agree or disagree? Why?..

19
Tips for making grades reflect learned knowledge.
  • Give Effective Feedback
  • Specific
  • Understandable
  • Descriptive
  • Given in a timely manner

  • Cont.

20
More tips
  • Test only what has been taught, and taught well.
  • Behavior, participation, attitude etc should be
    reported separately.
  • Provide ample practice time

21
and more tips
  • Help the student to become an active learner.
  • Appropriate difficulty level.
  • Dont allow students to accept zeros. Require
    them to do the work or IC will be given.
  • Learn and Use accurate assessment skills

22
One Final Thought
  • There is no place for mystery in effective
    classroom assessment.
  • No mystery/no excuses-let kids in on what is
    expected
  • (Jay
    McTighe)

23
References
  • Canady, R. L., Hotchkiss, P. (1989, September
    ). It's a good score! Just a bad grade. Phi Delta
    Kappan, Retrieved Jan 10, 2006.
  •  Friedman, S. (n.d.). Grading teacher's grading
    policies. Retrieved Jan. 10, 2006, from
    Principal's Guide to Teacher Grading Policies Web
    site www.middleweb.com. 
  • Friedman, S. J., Troug, A. L. (1999).
    Evaluation of high school teachers' written
    grading policies. ERS Spectrum, 17. Retrieved Jan
    11, 2006.
  • Marzano, R.J. (2000). Chapter 2. What are Grades
    For? Transforming Classroom Grading. Retrieved
    Jan. 18, 2005 from http//www.ascd.org/portal/site
    /ascd/template.chapter.shtml.

24
References
  • Robinson, G. E. (1986). Learning expectancy A
    force changing education. Concerns in Education.
    Educational Research Service.
  • Stiggins, R. J. (1999, Nov. 1). Assessment,
    student confidence, and school success. Phi Delta
    Kappan, 81. Retrieved Jan 11, 2006. 
  • Stiggins, R. J., Griswold, P. A. (1989). Inside
    high school grading practices building a reseach
    agenda. Educational Measurement Issues and
    Practice, Retrieved Jan 14, 2006. 
  • Tomlinson, C. A. (2001, March ). Grading for
    success. Educational Leadership, 58. Retrieved
    Jan 12, 2006.
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