Our Experiences with Grading!

Assumptions about grades -

• Our current grading system provides a clear indicator of student understanding!
• Points allow me and my student to clearly know what needs to be done to learn the material!
• Homework is important for learning, and it should be graded for points!
• There is not going to be another opportunity to display my learning!

Our current grading system gives a clear indicator of student learning!

After years of seeing an A, B, C, D or F on a report card we gain a sense of comfort from those letters, but what do they actually mean? We assume that when we see a B-, or any other grade for that matter, that it means we know a B- worth of that course. However, it is often times the case that several factors mask the true meaning of the grade. First, we know there are many concepts that need to be understood during individual courses, but the traditional model lumps all of that information together. That means a student may be great at one skill, terrible at another, and just okay in a third skill. Average them together and the student will look, average. Worse yet, a student is unable to demonstrate any of the concepts when asked to do so on a final assessment, but points from worksheets, group work, attendance, etc. allow the student to pass the course. The grade indicates the student understands the subject matter when really they are lost with little to no knowledge of the material or standard.

Points allow me, or my child, to clearly understand what needs to be done to learn the material!

Points make things black and white, I know how many points I need to get an A, B, C, D or F! We've heard it before, and again we are used to this mindset. Unfortunately, it is a mindset focused on a grade only, with little regard for actually learning and knowledge. Instead of talking about the learning that needs to take place for the student to better themselves, more often than not students and parents work to understand where point values are highest or easiest to attain regardless of whether or not those points are associated with the learning deficits.

Homework is important for learning, and it should be graded for points!

What is homework, really? Homework is, and always has been, an exercise of practice and repetition. Much like an individuals time on the basketball court or in the band room, practice is an essential component to success. However, traditional classrooms miss the mark when that homework, or practice, is entered into the grade book for points. The decision is similar to saying, all of your practice successes and failures are going to be logged in QuickStats. Practice should be what it is intended for, a chance to learn, make mistakes, try it again, and grow. Practice is there to help us see where we need to improve. When practice is graded we are penalizing students for not understanding the concept when we don't intend them to know until the final assessment anyway! Let's make practice, practice! A time of mistakes, learning, and growth!