1. Grading and Reporting Chapter 15
Katie Binkley and Jane Casey

2. Grading and Reporting
This can be one of the more frustrating and time consuming areas of teaching.
How should all of student achievement be measured…is it just the end result or should we also look at time and effort as a part of the grading process?
We are going to look at 3 different types of grading. We will also discuss various reasons and ways you might report information to parents/guardians.

3. Why do we grade? Helps enhance student achievement.
Parents need to know how their child is performing.
Helps students see their areas of strengths and weaknesses.
If done correctly, grading and progress reports can also help teachers see areas where they need to enhance their teaching or make revisions to the lesson plan.

4. Three types of Grading Traditional Letter Grade-
A, B, C, D, F or numbers 100, 89, 75, 65 etc.
Concise, convenient and grades are easy to figure
Weaknesses as the only grading:
Combination of effort, work habits, and good behavior
Proportion of students assigned each letter grad varies for every teacher
Do not indicate students areas of strengths or weaknesses.

5. Pass/Fail System Two category: pass or fail
Used in high schools for elective courses
Does not offer any indication of students level of learning
Students may often just study to pass rather than study to learn.
Students are just expected to show mastery of a particular area.

6. Checklist of Objectives
Uses a check list and a letter is assigned to each task depending on how well the student performed.
Ex: Reading
Reads with understanding
Works out meaning and use of new words
Reads well to others
Reads independently for pleasure

7. Check list continued…
The teacher would then apply a letter from one of the following:
O (outstanding)
S (satisfactory
N (needs improvement) OR
P (proficient)
PP (partially proficient)

8. Multiple Grading System
A typical multiple grading system will use the traditional letter/number grade system, and then incorporate the checklist method.
This will often mean that two grades will be assigned. One for achievement and one for effort, improvement or growth.
This allows teachers a little more leeway when grading. (example p. 374)

9. Guidelines for developing a multiple grading system
The development of the grading and reporting system should be guided by the functions to be served.
The grading and reporting system should be developed cooperatively by parents, by students, and school personnel
The grading and reporting system should be based on a clear statement of educational objectives.

10. Guidelines continued…
4. The grading and reporting system should be consistent with school standards.
5. The grading and reporting system should be based on adequate assessment.
6. The grading and reporting system should be detailed enough to be diagnostic and yet compact enough to be practical.
7. The grading and reporting system should provide for parent-teacher conferences as needed.

11. Assigning letter grades
“Teachers often are comfortable with the notion that grades should be based strictly on achievement for students that they judge to be highly able. But they feel that effort should be considered along with achievement for students whom they judge to be less able.” p. 377

12. Drawbacks… This notion has some major drawbacks…
It is difficult, if not impossible, for a teacher to adequately assess a student’s effort of potential.
It is difficult to distinguish between aptitude and achievement even with the most sophisticated measures, as both depend on student learning.
Using different bases of grading for different students sends a mixed message and may be unfair to students who are perceived as being more able than they are.

13. Validity
As we have previously discussed tests need to be valid and based on the material covered.
Grading is much the same. It needs to be valid, and based on the objectives that are set forward by the teacher. There should be specific guidelines that the student knows they must accomplish to get a specific grade. This way students know in advance what their grade is based on.

14. Guidelines for Effective Grading
Describe your grading procedures to students at the beginning of instruction.
Make clear to students that the course grade will be based on achievement only.
Explain how other elements (effort, work habits, and personal-social characteristics) will be reported.

15. Guidelines…
4. Relate the grading procedures to the intended learning outcomes (I.e. instructional goals and objectives).
5. Obtain valid evidence (e.g., tests, assessments, reports, or ratings) as a basis for assigning grades.
6. Take precautions to prevent cheating on tests and assessments.

16. Guidelines…
7. Return and review all test and assessment results as soon as possible.
8. Properly weight the various types of achievement included in the grade.
9. Do not lower an achievement grade for tardiness, weak effort, or misbehavior.
10. Be fair. Avoid bias, and when in doubt(as with a borderline grade) review the evidence. If still in doubt assign the higher grade.

17. Reporting Letters to parents/Guardians Portfolios
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Reporting test results to parents

18. Letters home to parents
Provides greater flexibility.
Allows for more detail about student achievement, not just a letter/number grade.
Can include students strengths and weaknesses.
Problems can include: time consuming, information could be misinterpreted, don’t provide cumulative information.

19. Portfolios
Purposely selected materials that best reflect the students work.
Items should reflect a variety of work not just one specific area.
Should also show the growth the student has made throughout the year.

20. Parent Teacher Conferences
7 tips:
Make plans for the conference.
Begin the conference in a positive manner.
Present the student’s strong points before describing the areas needing improvement.
Encourage parents to participate and share information.
Plan course of action cooperatively.
End the conference with a positive comment.
Use good human relation skills during the conference. P. 387

21. Do’s and don'ts of conferences
Be friendly and informal
Be positive
Be willing to explain in understandable terms.
Be willing to listen
Be willing to accept parents’ feelings
Be careful about giving advice
Don’ts:
Don’t argue or get angry
Don’t ask embarrassing questions
Don’t talk about other students, parents, or teachers.
Don’t bluff if you don’t know the answer
Don’t reject parents’ suggestions
Don’t be a know-it-all
p. 387

22. Reporting Standardized Test Results
Describe what the test measures
Do not call aptitude or learning tests intelligence tests.
Do not tell parents that aptitude tests measure fixed material, they measure learned abilities
Do not tell the parents that the test will measure and tell them how well their child will do in school.

23. Reporting continued…
Be able to explain to parents how the tests are scored and what their child’s score means. The percentiles and percentages are often confusing and misunderstood.
Make sure parents know the accuracy of the tests being given.
Discuss with parents how the test results might be used in reference to their child.