Assessment and Grading

You will be evaluated based on your individual and collaborative efforts in the following areas:

• Major Assessments(50% of grade): Projects, Critiques, Exams.

(Project criteria include creativity/originality, craftsmanship, use of elements and principles of design, individual effort, punctual submission of work, and critiques).

• Minor Assessments(50% of grade): sketchbooks/thumbnail sketches, classwork, homework, class participation

Concept: You will be given a theme or concept for each project. How you interpret that project is up to you. The purpose of this course is to teach to you think creatively and critically, and your work will be evaluated based on the realization of your concept as well as your execution of the project itself.

Progress Benchmarks: Your progress on each project will be monitored through progress benchmark grades. These are deadlines by which you should have completed a specified portion of the project and count as minor assessments. For example, on a clay project, you might be given a deadline for your preliminary sketches, clay construction, first firing, glazing and finishing. You would then get a major assessment grade for the project itself, the critique and any written assignments that go along with it. Progress benchmarks are not designed just to fill the instructor’s grade book, but rather to keep you on task to complete the project and do it to the best of your ability. 

Visible progress grades are scored as follows:

A (100) = Student demonstrates understanding of concepts/skills gained and has met or exceeded progress benchmark

B (91)   = Student demonstrates adequate understanding of concept/skills gains but minor adjustments of work is required to meet progress benchmark

C (82)  =  Student demonstrates some understanding of concept/skills to be gained, but requires up to half a class period of additional time to meet progress benchmark.

D (73) =   Student has not demonstrated a complete understanding of concept/skills to be gained and requires at least a full additional class period to meet progress benchmark.

F (63) =   Student has not demonstrated understanding of concept/skills to be gained and required more than one additional class period o meet progress benchmark

F  (0)  =   Student has not demonstrated an effort to understand concept or skills to be gained and has not attempted to meet progress benchmark

Homework: Homework is infrequent, but YES, there is homework. You may be asked to do sketches, written critique or statements about your work, or written descriptions of the process used to create your work. But MOST IMPORTANTLY, you must take the initiative to take your project home (or after school) to work on it should you fall behind. 

Written Assignments: You are expected to complete written assignments punctually and completely. You are also expected to follow all of the rules of formal writing, including proper grammar, spelling and punctuation. 

Late Assignments: Late assignments will be penalized 10 points for each school day they are late. Assignments submitted 5 or more days later will receive an automatic failing grade.