Whitworth Weekly

A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades, Ken O’Connor

Chapter 1:  Setting the Stage

The traditional purposes for grading were communications, fostering student self-assessment, sorting and selecting, motivation and punishment, teaching/program evaluation.

Bailey and McTighe define the purpose of grades is to communicate about achievement. Achievement as defined by O’Connor being defined as performance as measured against accepted standards and outcomes.

Four Criteria:

• Consistent:  It shouldn’t matter whose class they’re in the grades should be consistent.  An example is that we should be able to trade papers and grade one another’s class papers.   Teachers can be considered “hard” or “easy” graders.  Sometimes hard graders have more hoops or requirements.
• Accurate:  This should reflect achievement.  Teachers often blend achievement with behaviors.  Grades should reflect the academic standards. Assessments could be of poor quality. Another example of inaccurate grading practices use of the mean to determine grades.  It also can reflect practice instead of where they are as a learner at the end of the teaching period.
• Meaningful:  Grade books should reflect goals and standards. The books give examples for math.  Categories may include develops and uses number strategies as grade book entries.
• Support Learning:  It shouldn’t be about accumulating points; it should be about the quality of the work.  Formative assessments are for learning.  Summative assessments should be based on the standards and should be about learning. We want students to understand that school is about learning.  Grades are an artifact of learning.  They should only reflect student achievement.
• Underpinning Issues:
  • Fairness: “Fair does not mean equal”. We provide adaptations for students with learning disabilities and students that would benefit from it.  For example, giving a test in a different format.  Fairness is about equity of opportunity. 
  • Motivation:  Grades can be discouraging.  Failing grades don’t necessarily motivate students to do better.  We know that sometimes it does matter.  Grades can translate to college acceptance, etc.  How do we balance what effects grades might have with the reality of how grades are used?  Students who get good grades take risks; kids who don’t get high grades may not take challenges.
  • Objectivity and Professional Judgment:  Grades vary across classrooms, schools, etc.  An A in one school isn’t an A in another.  

When students are involved in their assessment, they have positive attitudes and have improved  academic achievement.

Chapter 2:  Fixes for Practices That Distort Achievement

Fix 1:  Don’t include student behaviors (effort, participation, adherence to class rules, etc.) in grades, include only achievement.

When grades take behaviors into account, the correlation between grades and how they do on achievement tests.

Grades should communicate achievement (what students know and are able to do).  They should communicate achievement with clarity.  Behaviors can be clearly articulated as well through comments and effort/citizenship grades.

The author suggests using a more expanded report card that lists homework, preparedness, citizenship, etc. as separate grades.  These items would not be included into the academic grade given to the student for each class.

Fix 2:  Don’t reduce marks on “work” submitted late; provide support for the learner.

Don’t use penalties but set up support systems.  Penalties distort grades representation of achievement, punishment is negative and tends to opposite behavior, and penalties don’t always lead to changed behavior.

In real life there are not absolute deadlines.  Teaching kids to advocate for time would help.  Teachers being flexible would give students opportunity to get extra help if necessary.  We want to foster an environment where students can talk with teachers. “This is an important assignment, but because you didn’t get it in on time then we’re not going to accept it.”  Will this really change behavior?   Student involvement is key. Teach kids to communicate and foster an atmosphere where they are a part of the solution.  There are kids who know they can’t pass after a quarter.  We’re not saying you can turn work in late, but we need to provide supports.  Assignments should truly be important. 

Fix 3:  Don’t give points for extra credit or use bonus points; seek only evidence that more work has resulted in a higher level of achievement.

Anything that distorts communication of student achievement shouldn’t be included.  This includes “extra credit” for more points.  Extra credit can be given for students to demonstrate higher levels of learning.   Making parallel opportunities to show you can meet standard or a higher standard.   Look at this as additional opportunities to demonstrate standards.