1. Grades And what they mean

2. What Grades are NOT: Punishment or Reward Compliments or Insults Kindness or Meanness Indication of how well you are liked

3. What Grades Are: An evaluation of work (not effort) An appraisal of success achieved on the assignment A measure of how closely you met assignment requirements and objectives

4. Everyone wants an A A’s are not given for effort A’s are given for results

5. What does an A mean? If you receive a grade between 90 and 100, you did an excellent job. A grade of 96 – 100 means you mastered the requirements for the assignment. A grade of 90 – 95 means you mastered most of the assignment requirements. A grade of 90 – 100 means your work is outstanding, with minimal error and only minor need for revision. A’s are not impossible to achieve, but they represent only the absolute best work. Don’t expect to receive them on every assignment.

6. Getting an A I do not GIVE A’s, you EARN them. Grades evaluate results, not effort. While I appreciate hard work, trying hard does not guarantee an A. This is a writing class, so excellent work means excellent writing. Work with significant errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure will not receive an A.

7. Getting a B A grade between 80 and 89 means you did a good job on the assignment. B’s should never leave you upset or in tears.

8. What does a B mean? A B means you did a good job. You met most of the requirements for the assignment, but some areas could use additional detail or revision. B is better than average, but not quite excellent. A B means general mastery of the skills evaluated in the assignment. A B is a good, solid grade that you can be proud to receive.

9. Getting a C A grade between 70 and 80 means you did an average job on the assignment. A C means you probably have some areas where you could improve.

10. What does a C mean? Your work is respectable, average but not extraordinary. You have done some things well, but some areas are missing or may need revision/improvement. You should review areas where improvement or revision is needed and work on those areas.

11. Getting a D A grade of 60 – 70 means your work is not up to average expectations. You probably have missed some critical part of the assignment or not demonstrated comprehension of critical course concepts. You are just barely passing.

12. What does a D mean? You may not fully understand course concepts or the requirements for a specific assignment. You may understand but have difficulty applying this comprehension in your writing. You may have some strong points in your work, but the weak points outweigh the strengths. Your work has a great deal of room for improvement.

13. Getting an F Grades below 60 represent failure. Your work does not demonstrate attention to and/or comprehension of basic course concepts.

14. What does an F mean? Your work does not demonstrate that you are able to apply the concepts taught in the class. Your work does not demonstrate effort or attention to learning the course material. You should apply much more effort toward learning and applying what you learned in your assignments.

15. A Exceptional work which goes beyond the expectations of the course A- Superior work, very high quality B+ Work of high quality, much better than average B Very good work, meets all expectations B- Good work What do grades mean?

16.  C+ Satisfactory work that indicates a basic understanding of the course material  C Satisfactory work, passable  C- Passing work, but below reasonable expectations  D Barely passing, less than satisfactory  F Failure.

17. When I assign grades, I assess how well you demonstrated comprehension and application of the course materials. I assess your skills at meeting the assignment requirements. I assess your skills at delivering your message clearly and concisely, without errors in grammar, style, punctuation, spelling or sentence structure.

18. When I assign grades, I do NOT assess you personally, only your skill level at completing the assignment. I do NOT penalize for personal reasons. I do NOT reward for effort, only for results.

19. When I assign grades, I try to provide significant feedback that indicates areas where you can improve. I try to identify areas where your work did not meet expectations or needs revision.

20. When I assign grades, I do NOT expect an argument from students. I will NOT change the grade unless I have made an error in calculation or in entering points in the grade book.

21. When you receive your grade, Review my feedback and examine areas where I suggested revision or improvement. Review the assignment description to see if you missed any specific requirements. Begin developing ideas for improving targeted areas.

22. When you receive your grade, Do NOT complain to me that you think your grade should be higher. Contact me only if you are confused about my comments or if you see a clear error in my calculation.

23. I will be happy to: Explain in more detail about areas where you can improve. Clear up any confusion you have about assignment requirements and your performance. Review your grade if you believe a significant error was made. Take another look if you submitted the wrong assignment by mistake.

24. I will NOT Engage in an argument about the grade you received. Revise a grade just because it makes someone unhappy. Accept extra credit to raise grades. Apply the extra effort to the original work.

25. I am not: MeanUncaringBiased Dead-set on ruining your GPA Doing my best to assess your work objectively based on the skills you demonstrated and what is required for each assignment. Doing my best to explain the assessment you received and how you might improve. I am:

26. Stay focused… Try to avoid focusing too much on individual grades you receive during the process. Focus instead on what you are learning in the course and how to improve as you move through each unit.

27. Any Questions?