A Repair Kit for Grading-End-of-Book Relection

A Repair Kit for Grading

End-of-Book Reflection

As I conclude reading and discussing the 15 fixes for broken grades it opens my mind to analyze and address my own practices in grading.  The 15 fixes are evident in all grade books, some are clear and understandably should not reflect a student’s grade while others are just as muddy as a grade may muddy a student’s degree of mastery.

As educators, we need to continue to grow in our field while keeping diversity in mind.  Even if we do not agree on how a grade book should look or how a grade should be entered the “Repair Kit for Grading” opens our eyes and gets us thinking about our practices.  I feel the Rugby School District should adopt a policy for grading that reveals the student’s degree of learning but also allowing the teacher flexibility.  In my 20+ years of teaching and as a parent I have experienced some bad grades that have not truly reflected the student’s learning or level of mastery. 

In constructing a district grading policy, I feel Fix 1 should be the first addressed, Student Behavior.  Student Behavior is very important and should be addressed but not included in a grade.  A grade in the subject area should reveal the level of mastery NOT behavior.  The Rugby Grading Policy should reflect the difference of Subject Grade of achievement and Behavior.  Fix 2 Late Work, Fix 3 Extra Credit, Fix 4 Dishonesty, Fix 5 Attendance, Fix 6 Group Scores along with Fix 1 Behavior all distort grades of achievement and should be clarified NOT to include in a grade of achievement. 

So where do we address Fixes 1-6 because they are important and should be reflected in the student’s grade report?   That is where the district needs to organize a grade report that reveals the separation of grades of achievement with character of behavior.  This is not an easy FIX!  As a district, I feel this is where we need to start, separate Achievement from Behavior.  Once this separation is clarified the other fixes 7-15 can be addressed in the computation of assessment and what to assess.

O’Connor’s Fixes 7-10 address methods of organizing evidence showing standards/learning goals.  I feel the district has already begun tackling these fixes by introducing the PLC structure to create Power Standards and “I Can Statements.”  Now the big fix will be to create a Grade Report that reflects to the student, parent and others the grade, what is included and how obtained.  Fixes 11-15 address calculation of that grade:  mean, zeros, what assessments, student involvement in the process. 

Now the work begins, creating a grading policy that truly reflects the student’s achievement while satisfying honor roles, scholarships, college admittances, eligibility guidelines.  Hard work that needs to be done.  As educators we are changing the way we address our subject objectives now the next step is assessment and how to report the assessment.  The old Report Card does not satisfy this change so a new Grade Report with a clear policy should be a Fix the Rugby School District needs to address in the future.

Purpose of Grades

Purpose for Grades

Bailey & McTighe state, “the primary purpose….of grades is to communicate student achievement to students, parents, school administrators, post-secondary institutions & employers” RHS mission statement reads “is to promote personal & academic excellence in all students.”  To achieve this mission statement I need to assess my students on academics/grades and personal/behavior.  Currently I have not done a good job at separating the two missions.  I have been conditioned to produce a grade for the grade book and really have not been given guidelines of how to obtain that grade.  As I reflect on my current practices I get a little depressed.  I realize the many grades I’ve published really may not have reflected a true picture of that student’s achievement.  I could safely bet that most of my failing or D- students received that grade not from their performance but lack of.  So did I grade on achievement or behavior? 

I do believe that both aspects, achievement & behavior, need to be addressed in the educational setting, but I can see where there is a need to separate behavior from achievement.  As educators where do we begin if we want a report card/transcript to reflect a true achievement grade to the students, parents, school administrators, post-secondary institutions, & employers?  Clarification, I feel, is the first step. The first BIG FIX. All entities need to be on the same page when it requires documenting a grade for a student.   Achievement needs to be clearly stated that educators will give grades on clearly organized summative assessments.  Formative assessments and practice do not determine grades, nor should behavior.  If we are to adapt this policy we need to have a report card that separates achievement from behavior.  Am I sold on the “Standards Base” report card, not really, but a document that shows both aspects of the mission statement yes.  Behavior is a big part of the education system and needs to be addressed to give a whole picture of the student. 

I feel that grades are broken when they mix achievement and nonachievement elements.  The fix is to report them separately and that will be my first big fix.