The Grading Conundrum
Alright, teachers, you know the purpose of those grades you assign to your students. Right? What is the purpose of your grading practices?
Is it…
- to provide feedback? to assess student work?
- to communicate success to students and/or parents?
- a measure of how well a student is doing in relation to your curriculum?
- a form of rewards and punishment?
- all the above?
- all the above and ____?
Ask yourself a few more questions:
- Are you happy with your grading practices/methods?
- Does all your grading create a true picture of a student’s work and effort?
- Should grades be administered more equally between subject areas/disciplines?
- Should grades be administered more equally locally, nationally, or internationally?
Opening a Can of Worms
When you start talking about grading practices and experiences, it’s like opening a can of worms.
There appear to be two main camps of believers when it comes to grading:
True, there is some middle ground. You may be a teacher forced to use your school or district’s grading system. Yet, all the while wishing, hoping, and praying that things were different.
Or, maybe, you happen to be in a school system that has a grading policy. And, they leave it up to the teacher to decide the parameters for grading.
Personal Experiences
My own past experiences (and possibly yours) fall into the “Or, maybe…” category. They have a grading policy (in my case the A-F format). But, setting grade parameters within that policy is up to me. In most cases, for most students, this worked out well.
Now, think about the other adjustments you have to make. For instance, grade adjustments for ELL, special needs, and 504’s… When you add this to the mix, it becomes quite a daunting task.
One size doesn’t work out so well.
“But”, you say, “it doesn’t have to. Why all this fuss? Why does it even matter?”
How many times have you faced this situation?
It’s time to put in a semester (quarter/yearly) grade and the results aren’t what you had envisioned.
Pretend scenario: You’re looking over semester grades. Sally’s grade doesn’t seem to fit. Thinking back over the period of the semester, you think to yourself, “Sally has done most if not all I have asked of her. Her grades are decent. She’s not perfect. But, she’s a good student and has shown improvement. This grade is not a true reflection of her skills and abilities. This doesn’t seem right. Why is that?”
You adjust her grade. And, then begin wondering about other students.
Or, you let it ride and stand by your system. Yet, in the background, wonder about the fairness of the system.
As the years went by, I wondered about these and other quirks. Take for instance the large gap representing failure (usually 0-59.9 points) in an A-F system. “What?” I thought to myself. “Four passing grades (A, B, C, D) fit into the 40% range. While the failing range was close to 60%.
Huh?!
In a 100-point spread, there is a greater chance for a failure than a pass. And, most teachers don’t consider a D as a great pass range.“
True, most of my students, were in the 40% range. And, some that failed did so because of apathy, laziness, absences, home life, or similar reasons.
“So, what are you gripping about?” you reply.
In the back of my mind, the “Sally’s” came to mind. I could never justify someone who “tried”, “gave it their best”, or “put in the energy and effort” (all or most of the time) as failing.
What about a student who does well on your tests but never, if ever, does the day-to-day work?
Is that fair? If your grading is test-based, a student who excels at testing is fine.
What about the students who don’t perform well on tests? Yet, they do okay with class work. It’s the tests that get them.
Is that Fair?
