Why do the test values increase with each test (e.g. Ch.2 test is worth 100 pts, ch.3 test is worth 200 pts, ch.4 test is worth 300 pts, ch.5 test is worth 400 pts, etc)? By putting a lot of weight on the later tests, doesn't this put a lot of pressure on the kids?
First, let me start off by saying that part of me sees letter grades as a necessary evil. I don’t find that assigning a single letter to represent a student’s learning is particularly helpful or informative. Indeed, I tend to think that letter grades are an imperfect system oftentimes, the grade doesn’t even make sense. With that in mind, we try our very best to structure our grading system to best reflect our values in teaching/learning. With respect to the incremental increase in test scores, it is not meant to ratchet up the pressure, rather it is intended to honor mastery over time.
Mastery over time assumes that when students have more time to review and practice the material, students will learn more. In our class, students see the same concepts again and again both on homework and on tests. For example, on the chapter 8 test, there will be questions covering topics from chapter 2-7. The intent is that through repeated practice, homework corrections, and test corrections, students are constantly making progress on the concepts. It matters more to us that students master the concepts by the end of the year rather than early on in the year.
If every chapter test is assigned the same value, then the overall test average is not as reflective of the progress that a student is making over time. For example, if a student has a really difficult time on the concepts early on in the year (as shown onn poor test grades), those early growing pains will come back to haunt a student’s semester grade. Even if the student earn A's and B's for the rest of the semester, their grade will still be “dragged down” by the student’s poor initial test scores if all tests are indeed weighed the same. In a system where tests are of equal value, there is a no way to repair a grade that has been lowered by struggles on early tests. Our incremental increase system remedies that problem and honors student improvement and effort along the way by increasing the relative value of the test as the year progresses. Thus, if a student struggles early on in the year but is able to demonstrate mastery on those early concepts later on in the year, this point system is forgiving of those early test.
We accept the fact that it takes students different amounts of time to learn the same concept. However, our expectation is that students are putting for effort to make progress throughout the year. That is why all our tests are cumulative - they give students multiple chances throughout the year to demonstrate mastery on all the concepts. If you are making progress, this grading structure honors that progress. In conjunction with our Retest system, we actually hope that we have ratcheted down the pressure in our classes.
It's not a perfect system mathematically, but we tried our best to create a system that honors our principles. The incremental point system is not meant to put extra stress or pressure on kids. Rather, it is actually intended to honor student learning and progress through the year and have that progress be reflected in their class grade.