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How to Grade for Learning

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How to Handle the Toughest Grading Challenges to Keep the Focus on Student Achievement

Ken O’Connor

www.ernweb.com

Assess for Success Consulting

[email protected]

www.oconnorgrading.com

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“Terms (are) frequently used interchangeably, although they (should) have distinct meanings.”

McTighe, J., and Ferrara, S., “Assessing Learning in the Classroom”, Journal of Quality Learning, December 1995, 11

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What Do These Terms Mean?

the number (or letter) reported at the end of a period of time as a summary statement of student

performance

GRADE(S) (grading)

the number (or letter) "score" given toany student test or performance

MARK(S)/SCORE(S) (marking/scoring)

7/ 410 3

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A 91 4 EB 78 3 GC 64 2 SD 57 1 N F 42

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The Essential Question:How confident are you that the grades

students get in your school are:� consistent� accurate

� meaningful, and� supportive of learning?

If grades do not meet these four conditions of quality they are “broken” i.e. ineffective.

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“The real voyage of discovery consists not of seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

Marcel Proust

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“Why . . . would anyone want to change current grading practices?

The answer is quite simple: grades are so imprecise that they are almost meaningless.”

Marzano, R. J., Transforming Classroom Grading,ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 2000, 1

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Purposes for Grading

A Communicate the achievement status of students to parents, (students), and others.

B Provide information that students can use for self-evaluation.

C Select, identify, or group students for certain educational paths or programs.

D Provide incentives to learn.

E Evaluate the effectiveness of instructional programs

Guskey, Thomas R. (Editor), Communicating Student Learning:The 1996 ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 17 10

“the primary purpose of . . . grades . . . (is) to communicate student achievement to students, parents, school administrators, post-secondary institutions and employers.”

Bailey, J. and McTighe, J., “Reporting Achievement at the Secondary School Level: What and How?”, in Thomas R. Guskey, (Ed.) Communicating Student Learning: ASCD Yearbook 1996, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 120

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Grading Issues

•Achievement (only)•Evidence (quality)•Calculation•Learning (support)

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Grades are broken when they -• include ingredients that distort achievement

• arise from low quality or poorly organized evidence

• are derived from inappropriate number crunching,

• do not support the learning process.

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Grading fixes for factors that don’t measure achievement

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

2. Don’t reduce marks on ‘work’ submitted late; provide support for the learner.

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.

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Grading fixes for factors that don’t measure achievement

4. Don’t punish academic dishonesty with reduced grades; apply other consequences and reassess to determine actual level of achievement.

5. Don’t consider attendance in grade determination; report absences separately.

6. Don’t include group scores in grades; use only individual achievement evidence.

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Grading fixes for low-quality and poorly organized evidence

7. Don’t organize information in grading records by assessment methods or simply summarize into a single grade; organize and report evidence by standards/learning goals.

8. Don’t assign grades using inappropriate or unclear performance standards; provide clear descriptions of achievement expectations.

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Grading fixes for low-quality and poorly organized evidence9. Don’t assign grades based on student’s achievement compared to other students; compare each student’s performance to preset standards.

10. Don’t rely on evidence gathered from assessments that fail to meet standards of quality; rely only on quality assessments.

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Grading fixes for inappropriate number crunching11. Don’t rely on the mean; consider other measures of central tendency and use professional judgment.

12. Don’t include zeros in grade determination when evidence is missing or as punishment; use alternatives, such as reassessing to determine real achievement or use “I” for Incomplete or Insufficient evidence.

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Fixes to support the learning process

13. Don’t use information from formative assessments and practice to determine grades; use only summative evidence.

14. Don’t summarize evidence accumulated over time when learning is developmental and will grow with time and repeated opportunities; in those instances emphasize more recent achievement.

15. Don’t leave students out of the grading process. Involve students - they can - and should - play key roles in assessment and grading that promote achievement.

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5 grading challenges1. Late assignments

2. Missing ‘work’/zeros

3. Academic Dishonesty

4. Reassessment

5. Homework

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3 Critical Issues1. Base for grades

2. Performance standards

3. To be mean or not

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Beliefs/Guiding Principles1. We are working with children/teenagers

NOT adults.2. Schools should be educative, i.e.,

everything should focus on supporting learning.

3. Responsibility and Compliance are not the same.

4. Fairness is equity of opportunity NOT uniformity.

5. We should strive to maximize intrinsic motivation and minimize extrinsic motivators. 22

Challenge #1. Late assignments

Traditional approach - penalties

Learning approach - support

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Dealing with Late Work

1. Behaviour/Learning Skill

2. Clarity/Support

3. Communication

4. Consequences

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Getting Work In On Time

1.Set clear and reasonable timelines with some student input.

2.Ensure that the expectations for the task/ assignment are clearly established and understood.

3.Support the students who will predictably struggle with the task without intervention

4.Find out why other students’ work is late and assist them.

“Creating a Culture of Responsibility,” York Region District School Board in How to Grade for Learning: Linking Grades to Standards, Third Edition, Corwin. 2009.102

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5. Establish the consequences for late work, e.g.,

• After school follow-up

• Make-up responsibility within a supervised setting

• Parent contact

• Notation in the mark book for each assignment which is late

•“Grades” on a learning skills/ work habits section of the report card

• Comments on the report card that reflects chronic lateness

26“Creating a Culture of Responsibility,” York Region District School Board in How to Grade for Learning: Linking Grades to Standards, Third Edition, Corwin. 2009.102


6. Provide the opportunity for students to extend timelines:

•Student must communicate with the teacher in advance of the due date

•Student must choose situations carefully as this extension may only be used once/twice per term/semester

“Creating a Culture of Responsibility,” York Region District School Board in How to Grade for Learning: Linking Grades to Standards, Third Edition, Corwin. 2009.102

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Fix #2

Firm Due DatesBased on 3-5 summative assessments each reporting p eriod

1. Few days prior to due date - “full court press”

2. Day after due date some or all of:• completing the work under supervision -

activity period, lunchtime, after school,

• Saturday morning work session

• removal from extra-curricular activities

• Last resorts - removal from class

- in-school suspensionSource: Branksome Hall

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Two minute pause

� What do you think – Plus, Minus, Interesting

� Where are you/school/district now?

� How would you present this issuein your school/district.

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Challenge # 2. Missing ‘work’/zeros

Traditional approach - zeros

Learning approach - support and/or equal difference grading scale

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Problems with zeros� “Zeros give a numerical value to something that has never

been assessed and that therefore has no basis in re ality.

� They can have a counterproductive effects on studen t motivation.

� They involve inappropriate mathematics.

. . . zeros in the record (thus) render grades inef fective as communication.”

O’Connor, K., A Repair Kit for Grading, Pearson, Boston, MA 2011, 96

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“Assigning a score of zero to work that is late, missed, or neglected does not accurately depict students’ learning. Is the teacher certain the student has learned absolutely nothing, or is the zero assigned to punish students for not displaying appropriate responsibility?”

Guskey, Thomas R. (Editor), Communicating Student Learning: The 1996 ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 21

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“Most state standards in mathematics require that fifth-grade students understand the principles of ratios - for example, A is to B as 4 is to 3; D is t o F as 1 is to zero. Yet the persistence of the zero on the 100-point scale indicates that many people with advanced degrees , . . . have not applied the ratio standard to their own professional practices.”

Reeves, D.B., “ The Case Against the Zero,” Kappan, December 2004, 324-325

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A 90-100; B 80-89; C 70-79; D 60-69; F <60

‘the interval between grades through A-D is 10 poin ts, yet the potential interval from D to F is 60 points . The result is . . . the 0 grade has a disproportion ate impact on the average grade. If educators must use a numerical scale then the lowest possible number on the scale should be one grade value lower than a D.”

Adapted from Reeves, D., “ Standards are Not Enough: Essential Transformations for School Success,” NASSP Bulletin, Dec. 2000, 11-12

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5 point scale 101 point scale

4 (A) 90-100 11 95 95

3 (B) 80-89 10 85 85

2 (C) 70-79 10 75 75

1 (D) 60-69 10 65 65

0 (F) <60 60 0 50

2 (C) 64 (D) 74 (C)

The Effect of Zeros

36O’Connor, K., A Repair Kit for Grading, Pearson, Boston, MA 2011, 98

101 point scale 5 point scale

95 4

0 0

0 0

0 0

85 3

0 0

0 0

80 3

0 0

0 0Total 260 10Mean 26 1.0Letter Grade F D

What grade should this

student get?

36O’Connor, K., A Repair Kit for Grading, Pearson, Boston, MA 2011, 99


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“The use of an “I” or “Incomplete” grade is an alternative to assigning zeros that is both educationally sound and potentially quite effective.”

Guskey and Bailey, Developing Grading and Reporting Systems for Student Learning, Corwin Press, 2001, 144

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At George P. Vanier Junior High, students receive percentage grades in their core subjects and letter grades in their Option Classes. We have a “NO ZERO” policy in term evaluation. This means teachers do not calculate a “zero” into the overall average for an assignment that was not completed by a student. The (grade) that the student receives is a reflection of the curriculum outcomes that have been achieved that term, and the student’s understanding of the curriculum concepts.

Source: George P. Vanier School, School Handbook, 2008-09, 7

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“Because we have the “NO ZERO” policy, students are required to complete their assignments. We keep the library open after school until 4:00 Monday to Thursday and there is a teacher available to help students with their assignments. When students do not complete their work we require that they stay after school till the work is submitted. If they ar e unable to stay after school, or if the work is stil l not completed, they may be removed from option classes till the work is done.”

Source: George P. Vanier School, School Handbook, 2008-09, 7

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The Last Word(s) on Zeros

“A zero has an undeserved and devastating influence, so much so that no matter what the student does, the grade distorts the final grade as a true indicator of mastery. Mathematically and ethically this is unacceptable .”

Rick Wormeli quoted inO’Connor, K., A Repair Kit for Grading, Pearson, Boston, MA 2011, 101

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Two minute pause




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Challenge #3. Academic Dishonesty

Traditional approach -zeros, suspension, expulsion

Learning approach - behavioral consequences and do it

again - Honestly.

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� Schools and districts need procedures to deal fairly and appropriately with academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism. This can be achieved by having a clear district or school policy on academic dishonesty.

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“Effective policies first and foremost recognizethat academic dishonesty is a very seriousinappropriate behaviour (maybe) equivalent totheft, and as such requires primarily behavioralconsequences. These policies also recognizethat academic dishonesty deprives everyone ofquality evidence of student achievement. Theappropriate assessment consequence is tohave students redo the work with honesty andintegrity.”

O’Connor, K., A Repair Kit for Grading, ETS/ATI, Portland, OR, 2007, 39

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“Prevention is better than cure” is an old but true saying, and it certainly applies here. Tom Solyom, an assistant principal, and teacher-librarian Dawn Kee r at Archbishop MacDonald High School in Edmonton, Alberta, have led the development of a policy aimed at decreasing cheating. They believe that:

*teachers must make their expectations clear and explicit and that

*teachers should talk about academic integrity with their students to help them understand why it is so important in a learning community. They also believe that

*we should not assume that students understand exactly what you mean you say plagiarism is cheating.

O’Connor, K., How to Grade for Learning, Third Edition, Corwin, 2009, 93-94

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“An Insider’s Guide to Cheating at Lakeview High School” provides, in a very student-friendly manner,

� A definition of cheating,� Examples of cheating, and sections on� Why you shouldn’t cheat� How we know you cheat� How you get caught� Consequences of cheating, and� How to avoid cheating

O’Connor, K., How to Grade for Learning, Third Edition, Corwin, 2009, 93-94 46

Academic dishonesty and plagiarism will be treated as a behavioral issue and not included in a student’s mark (grade).

When an incident has been discovered;a) the student will be required to re-submit the work in question in order to demonstrate mastery of the skills and c ontent.b) The format and timing of the submission will be at the discretion of the teacher and will likely result in a loss of discretionary time privileges for the student.

Students who are found to have committed academic d ishonesty on more than one occasion will have more severe consequences applied in a manner commensurate with the incident(s) in question.

A clear statement of policy on plagiarism and acade mic dishonesty will be added to the student code of conduct.

St. Michaels University School, Victoria, BC

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“Words such as lying, dishonesty, misrepresenting, deception, and morality appear in the literature on cheating and may be applied to situations in which students do not realize that they are “wrong” in school terms. The line between helping (an ethical behavior) and cheating (an unethical behavior) is culturally marked and variable. Where the line is drawn is related to cultural differences in the purposes of schooling, notions of how knowledge is constructed, the nature and meaning of assessment, and the relationship between the individual and the group.”

Source: Rothstein-Finch, C. and Trumbull, E. 2008 Managing Diverse Classrooms, 158 in O’Connor, K., How to Grade for Learning, Third Edition, Corwin, 2009, 95 48


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“ Don’t use grades punitively… Without exception, experts in the area of student grading recommend that grades not be used in a punitive sense. When a teacher uses grades as punishment for student behaviors, the teacher establishes an adversarial relationship in which grades are no longer meaningful to students as indicators of their accomplishments. The punitive use of grades only increases the likelihood that students will lose respect for the evaluation system; consequently the appeal to students of subverting such a system will be heightened.”

Source: Cizek, G. J. 2003.Detecting and Preventing Cheating; Promoting Integrity in Assessment, Corwin, Thousand Oaks, CA, 2003, 100 in O’Connor, K., A Repair Kit for Grading,ETS Portland, OR, 2007, 42

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An ASSESSMENT PLAN should start with the � desired results (learning goals, standards, etc), then the � summative assessments that are going to be used to determine whether the student ‘knows and can do,’ next should

be the� diagnostic assessment(s) that are going to help to determine the what and how for teaching and learnin g,

then should come the� formative assessments that are going to help students achieve the learning goals and that are going to ca use the teacher to adjust teaching and learning activit ies.

homework, quizzes testspractices performancesfirst draft, second draft product(s)

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A vital part of the ASSESSMENT PLAN is

how much evidence and

which assessments

are critical to being able to determine student achievement/grades, e.g., there will be 9 summative assessment opportunities, of which at least six , (including the third, fifth and ninth ) must be done.

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Two minute pause




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Challenge # 4. Reassessment

Traditional approach - none or scores averaged or ceiling

Learning approach - many, more recent score ‘counts’

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“We know that students will rarely perform at high levels on challenging learning tasks at their first attempt. Deep understanding or high levels of proficiency are achieved only as a result of trial, practice, adjustments based on feedback and more practice.”

McTighe, J., “What Happens Between Assessments”, Educational Leadership, Dec. ‘96 - Jan. ‘97, 11

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IF: Educators generally recognize learning is a progressive and incremental process. Most also agree that students should have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning…

THEN: Is it fair to consider all their learning trials in determining students’ grades?

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Conditions for‘Second Chance” Assessment

Always - evidence of ‘correctives’

Optional - opportunity cost

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Two minute pause




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Challenge # 5. Homework

Traditional approach - everything is included in grades regardless of

purpose

Learning approach - depends on purpose, most homework NOT

included in grades

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“The ongoing interplay between assessment and instruction, so common in the arts and athletics, i s also evident in classrooms using practices such as nongraded quizzes and practice tests, the writing process, formative performance tasks, review of drafts and peer response groups. The teachers in such classrooms recognize that ongoing assessments provide feedback that enhances instruction and guides student revision.”

McTighe, J., “What Happens Between Assessments,” EducationalLeadership, Dec. ‘96-Jan. ‘97, 11

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Students should be assessed or checked on everything (or almost everything) they do

BUT

everything that is assessed and/or checked does not need a score

AND

every score should not be included in the grade.

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“The research indicates that improving learning through assessment depends on five, deceptively simple, key factors:

� The provision of effective feedback to students� The active involvement of students in their own learning� Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment� A recognition of the profound influence assessment has on the

motivation and self- esteem of students, both of which are crucial influences on learning

� The need for students to be able to assess themselv es and understand how to improve”

Source: Black and William, 1998, summarized by Ruth Sutton

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PURPOSES OF HOMEWORK

� PREPARATION – introduces material presented in future lessons. These assignments aim to help students learn new material when it is covered in class.

� PRACTICE – to reinforce learning and help students master specific skills.

� EXTENSION – asks students to apply skills they alread y have in new situations.

� INTEGRATION – requires students to apply many different skills to a large task, such as book repo rts, projects, creative writing.

Source: NCLB website –Homework Tips for Parents

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Two minute pause




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Critical Issue #1. Base for Grades

Traditional approach - assessment methods/activities

Learning approach - standards (learning goals, outcomes)

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Traditional Guideline For GradingEvaluation Category Expected % Range1. Quizzes/Tests/Exams 20-30%2. Written Assignments 15-25%

Creative or explanatory paragraphs, essays, notes, organizers, writing folios or portfolios

3. Oral Presentations or Demonstrations 15-25%Brief or more formal presentations or demonstrations, role-playing, debates, skits etc.

4. Projects/Assignments 10-20%Research tasks, hands-on projects, video or audio tape productions, analysis of issues etc.

5. Co-operative Group Learning 5 -15%Evaluation of the process and skills learned as an individual and as a group member

6. Independent Learning 5 - 15%Individual organizational skills, contributions to classactivities and discussions, homework, notebooks

70-130%

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Stiggins, et al,Classroom Assessmentfor StudentLearning, ETS,Portland, OR,2004, 289 71

Stiggins, et al,Classroom Assessmentfor StudentLearning, ETS,Portland, OR,2004, 289 72


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“The use of columns in a grade book to represent standards, instead of assignments, tests, and activities, is a major shift in thinking . . . Under this system, when an assessment is designed, the teacher must think in terms of the standards it is intended to address. If a (test) is given that covers three standards, then the teacher makes three entries in the grade book for each student - one entry for each standard - as opposed to one overall entry for the entire (test).”

Marzano, R., and J. Kendall, A Comprehensive Guide to Developing Standards-Based Districts, Schools, and Classrooms, McREL, Aurora, CO, 1996, 150 75


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“Systems that are aligned - curriculum, teaching, and assessment - have a greater chance of success for students.”

Glenda Lappan, NCTM News Bulletin, October, 1998

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“The principal limitation of any grading system that requires the teacher to assign one number or letter to represent . . . learning is that one symbol can convey only one meaning. . . . One symbol cannot do justice to the different degrees of learning a student acquires across all learning outcomes.”

Tombari and Borich, Authentic Assessment in the Classroom,

Prentice Hall, 1999, 213

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Shorewood, WI. Standards-Based Expanded Format Repo rt Card

O’Connor, K., How to Grade for Learning, Third Edition, Corwin, 2009, 222-22378


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2. Focus on Outcomes (Standards)2.1 All grading procedures will be linked to

curricular goals/standards and/or outcomes as determined by Manitoba Education, C & Y.

2.3 When tracking student results, teacher’s grade books will indicate student achievement by goal or outcome as opposed to by the method of assessment.

Source: Sunrise (MB) School Division, Grading Guidelines 6-12 79

1.1 Teachers grade and report student progress and achievement based on Florida standards/benchmarks therefore the Sunshine State Standards are the grading variables.

1.3 Teachers measure student attainment of standards and assign grades based on predetermined, consistent grading procedures in the same courses and across grade levels.

Source: Bay District Schools, FL Classroom Assessment Guidelines (CAG)

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Two minute pause




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Critical Issue # 2. Performance Standards

Traditional approach - points and percentages

Learning approach - levels based on proficiency

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� “Performance standards specify ‘how good is good enough.’ They relate to issues of assessment that gauge the degree to which content standards have been attained. . . . They are indices of quality that specify how adept or competent a student demonstration should be.”

Kendall, J., and R. Marzano, Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education, First Edition, McREL, 1997, 16-17

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Performance StandardsHow good is good enough?Traditional School Approaches

� A 90 – 100% Outstanding Excellent

� B 80 – 89% Above Average Good

� C 70 – 79% Average Satisfactory

� D 60 – 69% Below Average Poor

� F < 60% Failing Unacceptable

Standard-based approachesShould be described by levels and linked to a symbol

� Advanced Above standard

� Proficient Meets standard� Developing Below but approaching standard

� Beginning Well below standard

O’Connor, K., How to Grade for Learning, Third Edition, Corwin, 2009, 72

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Wow!

Got it!

Nearly there!

Oh no! Oops!

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For classroom assessment

Performance Standards=

performance descriptors(school, district, state or provincial

e.g., A B C D; 4 3 2 1; E M N U)

scoring tools (rubrics, etc)+

work samples (exemplars)+

commentaries on the work samples

Adapted from New Standards Sampler, National Center on Education and the Economy, www.ncee.org

OVERALL

TASK/SUBJECTGRADE LEVELSPECIFIC

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I I I . Aca d emi c Ac hi eve m en t• Th e A c a d e mi c Ac hi e ve m ent gr a d e is a n indi c a t or o f a s tud e nt’ s m as te ry

of

gr a d e - l e v e l Po we r St a nd a rd s . S t udent s d e mon s tr a te w h a t th e y kno w ,und e r s tand

a nd ca n do a s me as ur e d th r ough mul t ipl e a s se s s m e nts a ndob s e r vat i ons .

4E xemp l ar y( exceed s)

3P ro fi c i en t

(m ee t s )

2P ar ti a ll y P ro fi c ien t

( appro a ch ing)

1Non -P ro fi c ien t

( be l ow)

4 Ex e mp la r y : T he st uden t de m on st ra te s ma s t e r y, w it h ex c e ll ence, o f the gr a de lev els ta ndard s w it h re lat iv e e a se and c ons is ten c y, and oft en exceed s t he cogn iti ve le ve l o f t hes ta ndard s . T he s t uden t app l ie s and e xt e nds th e key concep ts , pro c es s es and sk ill s . Thes tud e nt i s wo r king a t g r ade le ve l ye t a t a h ighe r lev e l o f B loo m’ s T a xonomy . T her e i s nom a r k o f 4 + o r 4_ .3 P r of i c i e nt : T he st uden t de m on st ra te s ma s te r y o f t he g r ade le ve l st anda r ds a t t hecogn iti ve le ve l the s tand a rd i s wr itt en . The s tuden t cons ist en tl y g r a s ps a nd app li e s keyconc e pt s , p r oces s e s and sk ill s w it h limit ed e r r or s . Th e re i s no m a r k of 3+ o r 3_.2 Pa r ti a ll y P r of i c ie n t : T he st uden t de m on st ra te s ma s te r y o f s o m e g r ade l eve l s tanda r d s .T he st uden t i ncon si s ten tl y g r a s ps and a ppl ie s so m e of t he key conc e pt s , p r oces s e s andsk ills w it h si gn i f i c a n t e rr or s . T he r e is no m a rk of 2+ or 2_.1 No n- P r of i c i e nt : T he st uden t ha s no t de m ons tr a ted m a s t e r y o f g r ad e leve l s tanda r d sand i s not ye t per f o rm ing a t grad e leve l. T her e i s no ma rk of 1+ or 1_.

87Source: El Monte School District, CA


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88O’Connor, K., How to Grade for Learning, Third Edition, Corwin, 2009, 76

IV. Progre ss Towar d Pro fi ci en cyT hese m arks rep resen t the m ea sure me nt o f a s tuden t’s gro w th towa rd andatt a inm en t of m as tery o f each d istr ict Powe r St anda rd in Re ading, Wr iti ng andM at h. Prog ress is m easu red by a va ri e ty o f ev idence, wh ich inc lude qu alitysta ndard s-al ign ed asse ssm en ts , por tf o lios and o the r m ul tip le m ea sure s.

¦Me ets St an d ar d

^A d equ at e P rogre ss

__Insu ffi cien t

P rogre ss

XSta nd ar d Not

A sse sse d

Ć Me ets or Exc eed s S tand ar d –The s tuden t has m as tered t he ent ir e standa rd . Un less re asses sm en t ind ica tes o the rw is e, t he ¦ is repea ted i n subsequ ent tr ime sters.

^ A dequ at e P rogre ss (U sed 1st and 2nd T ri m ester on ly ) – B ased on wha t ha s beentaugh t and asse ssed, the studen t is on t rack to m as ter the s tandard by the end of the y ear .T his sy mb o l is n ot u sed th ird tr im este r._ Insu ffi c ien t P rogre ss – B ased on wha t ha s been taugh t and asse ssed , the studen tha s no t de m ons tr ated tha t s/he is on tr ack to m ast er t he st anda rd by t he end of the yea r.F or thi rd tr im ester , thi s sym bo l re p re sen ts th at the s tud ent h as N O T demo ns tra tedm as tery of th e stand ar d in it s ent ir ety.

X S ta nd ar d Not As sesse d – (Used 1st and 2nd T ri m ester on ly ) St anda rd has no tbeen t augh t and/o r m easu red t o da te. T hi s sy m bo l i s no t used thi rd tr im es ter .

89Source: El Monte School District, CA

Two minute pause




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Critical Issue #3. Determining Grades‘To be mean or not’

Traditional approach - calculate the mean (average)

Learning approach - professional judgment based on clear

performance standards and published guidelines

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“Averaging falls far short of providing an accurate description of what students have learned. . . . If the purpose of grading and reporting is to provide an accurate description of what students have learned, then averaging must be considered inadequate and inappropriate”.

Guskey, Thomas R. (Editor), Communicating Student Learning: The 1996 ASCD Yearbook, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, 1996, 21

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“Educators must abandon the average, or arithmetic mean, as the predominant measurement of student achievement.”

Reeves, D., “ Standards are Not Enough: Essential Transformations for School Success,” NASSP Bulletin, Dec. 2000, 10

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“Most fifth-grade students learn the difference between mean, median, and mode, and thus gain the insight that the arithmetic mean or average, may not be the best representation of a set of data . Yet the teachers of those students remain stubbornly allegiant to the average.”

Reeves, D., Ahead of the Curve, Solution Tree, 2007, 230

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Letter to the Editor

Toronto Globe and Mail, October 15, 2003

Whenever I hear statistics being quoted I am reminded of the statistician who drowned while wading across a river with an average depth of three feet.

GORDON McMANNCampbell River, B.C.

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898989 Mean or Average = 75.2208989 Median = 8989208989

Total 752

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"Grading by the median provides more opportunities for success by diminishing the impact of a few stumbles and by rewarding hard work."

Wright, Russell. G., "Success for All: The Median is the Key", Kappan, May 1994, 723-725

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First test

Second test

Third test

Fourth test

Fifth test

Sixth test

Source: AnAlberta High

School Teacher

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O’Connor, K., How to Grade for Learning, Third Edition, Corwin, 2009, 155 99


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“Data should be used to INFORM

not determine decisions”

Management Consultant, The Hay Group, personal conversation, January 2002

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Think about this…

“We have to see grading not as simply a numerical, mechanical exercise, but as primarily an exercise in professional judgment. It calls for teachers to demonstrate two key aspects of professional behaviour - the application of craft knowledge of sound assessment practice, and the willingness and ability to make and defend one’s professional judgement.”

O’Connor, K., A Repair Kit for Grading, Second Edition, Pearson, Boston, MA 2011, 92

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Two minute pause




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35

SUMMARY

AND

REFLECTION

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Grades should come from

Professional JudgmentNOT

just number crunching

A Body of Evidence

Performance Standards Fixes

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McTighe, Jay and Ferrara, Steven, “Performance-Based Assessment in the Classroom”, Pennsylvania ASCD

Jay McTighe and Steven Ferrara state,

“. . . the primary purpose of classroom assessment is to inform teaching and improve learning , not to sort and select students or to justify a grade.”

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Grading/Reporting Reflections

Reflect on what you have learned and apply it to the grading and reporting practices in your school and/or district.

• Practices reinforced• Possible revisions in grading/reporting practices• Actions• Any other comments

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Assess for Success Consulting

[email protected]

www.oconnorgrading.com

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