1. DAY 5 Assessment & Grading Homework

2. Questions, Comments, Concerns 3-Ball Toss

3. What should go into a student’s grade? How should a teacher determine a student grade? Pick your ideal middle school grade and subject and write down how you would break down a student grade. (What % would be homework, tests, quizzes, etc…)

4. Discussion Questions??? Should effort be apart of a student grade? Is responsibility part of a student grade? How should late work or incomplete work affect a student grade? Should a student ever earn an F? How should extra credit affect a student grade?

5. Teaching behaviors consistent with a teaching and learning focus A paper/project/ homework can be redone- redo until an acceptable grade is earned A test can be retaken- goal is to keep students wanting to do better & LEARN A passing grade can be given if student has shown content mastery- low marks can be given for late work, incomplete work on a different section of the report card.

6. Teaching behaviors consistent with a teaching and learning focus Students should be allowed to use their text and notes for a max amount of time- goal is to study and organize not just memorize random pieces of information Teacher should feel responsible for student learning Work is graded only after nonacademic standards are met

7. Teaching behaviors consistent with a teaching and learning focus Teacher takes pride in the number of students who attained an acceptable grade Teacher outlines objectives, highlights material to be tested, and makes tests similar to what was covered in class

8. Types of Testing Norm-reference: assessments that compare students to teach other and attempts to discriminate between better and poorer learners Criterion-referenced: assessments that judge learners individually against the same criteria for learning.

9. Assumptions in a traditional approach to assessment 5 assumptions inherent in traditional approaches to assessment

10. 1. All students learn the same way and at the same speed We all know this is not true, YET most teachers continue to test all the students at the same time What can we do about this as teachers?

11. 2. Grades are essential to learning What do grades really mean? Do grades tell us anything about what a student learned or what a student needs to work on? Grades are considered to be destructive for creativity and higher order thinking Students are found to be avoid more challenging tasks if they know they are being graded Students are less apt to find a task interesting if they know they are being graded

12. 3. Grades motivate learners Stiggins: this assumption that motivation exists because a student has it or not and grades are a way to manipulate that motivation This assumption implies that grades will get you a punishment or a reward Students needs to coerced into learning and grades are the method of coercion

13. 4. Grades are necessary for control Since discipline is an issue for many middle school teachers, often teachers will use grades to control student behavior Once a student is failing, threatening with a failing grade doesn’t matter- giving a student a zero will only work for so long This behavior will damage the student- teacher relationship

14. 4. Grades are necessary for control Ways that grades are used to punish Taking off points for tardiness, talking, not having a pencil, no name on paper, using pen instead of pencil THESE PUNISHMENTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH LEARNING- YET MAY DRASTICALLY AFFECT A STUDENT GRADE Ways that grades are used for reward Hard work Effort Neatness Following the rules Conformity Compliance

15. 5. Good teachers give bad grades Bell curve: a good teacher only gave a few good grades and many poor grades

16. Averaging How should a teacher calculate a student grade? Averaging is a problem for calculating grades because a low grade will continue to greatly affect a student grade for a long time (0 – 65% F) Giving a student a zero is a bad practice- extreme grades skew the average

17. Activity: Celebrity…Who am I?

18. HOMEWORK Read chapter 2 from The Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn What is your reaction to this chapter? Does homework improve learning? Why do teachers assign homework?

19. History & Homework… Late 19 th Century FOR homework (Discipline the mind) 1930’s AGAINST homework (threat to emotional and physical health) 1950’s FOR homework (launch of Sputnik) 1960’s AGAINST (Too much pressure to achieve) 1980’s FOR (A Nation at Risk was published) 2000’s FOR & AGAINST

20. HOMEWORK Homework has not been designed well Results are inconclusive, sometimes contradictory Studies cannot show that homework causes higher achievement

21. Homework 10-Minute Rule All homework for all curricular areas should not exceed 10 minutes times the grade level: –EXAMPLE: 10 min X 6 th grade = 60 total homework minutes for ALL subjects Cooper: this is a maximum for time that should be spend on homework; assignments that went beyond these limits did not improve achievement

22. Homework & Adolescent Needs Socially interact Allow students to feel competent Allow the expression of feelings, opinions Share information about themselves Hands-on or physical activity Positive contact with adults Allow choice Adaptable to individual needs

23. What can a teacher do when students do not turn in their homework? Get it first thing in the morning Allowing students to turn in work late Giving time in class to get caught up (make-up day, can use to differentiate) Offer after school help Assign a detention- lunch or after school Pull students out of other classes or at other times in the day to get caught up

24. Grading homework Should homework be graded? If a student does not do homework should they fail? What is the purpose of homework? Does homework teach responsibility?

25. Bottom line: Homework should not cause a student to fail Make homework worth less Homework does not need to be collected everyday Homework can be part of a contract: to get an A all homework is complete Be available after school for help- homework club Give a list of homework weekly/ monthly

26. Formative Feedback Formative feedback provides the student with information about the quality or correctness of his work without the permanent consequence of a grade. Provides information without judgment making the purpose that students are allowed to continue to learn and improve Feedback that is not necessarily permanent- lets students know their progress

27. The Theory of Mastery Learning- Thomas Guskey Uses formative feedback- assumes that continuous improve is desired Correcting work will allow a student to learn Offer students the opportunity to correct and redo work to raise their grade There should be a limit to the number of redos Effort should not be taken into account when grading redos EXAMPLES

28. Additional Thoughts on Assessment Don’t assume that students know how to take a test Keep in regular contact with parents about progress and grades Students should always know their grade Don’t be afraid to try something new with assessment or grading Change assessment policies at quarter or semester if they are not working

29. Additional Thoughts Don’t forget what it is like to take tests and quizzes Feedback should follow the next day Most teachers in the field are VERY TRADITIONAL when it comes to assessment

30. Grading & Homework Take out the paper that you wrote down how you would calculate a student grade. Would you keep the percentages the same? Would you change them? WHY? Take a few minutes to jot down your homework policy.

31. Ticket out the Door!