The Crux of the Matter

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The Crux of the Matter

• Grading and Reporting

Linn and Gronlund Chapter 15
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But first, from chapter 14

• 339 arrangement suggestions
• 343 guessing comments
• 346 no-no s
• 348 correcting for guessing

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On a nameless, clean sheet of paper

• Write for me a story of the worst grading
  travesty you have ever been a part of

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Answer these questions

• Should a grade represent ones achievement? Work
  habits? Improvement?
• How do you weight the assignments?
• Does one rate kids against other kids, against a
  standard, or against a kids potential?
• How will you distribute grades?
• How can you relate all of this info clearly to a
  parent?

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Functions of Grades

• Instructional Uses
• Ok, lets improve student learning
• Reporting to Parents
• Good communication can provide you help from
  home
• Administrative
• Care to graduate? Play ball? Employment? The
  court system?

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Types of Grading

• Traditional Letter Grades
• Disadvantages
• They must combine many things
• of As and Bs vary from teacher to teacher
• They dont show a students strengths and
  weaknesses
• Pass-Fail System
• My own little story
• Checklists
• Merit badge-esque
• Script you gotta see page 372
• Portfolios
• Conferences

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Multiple Reporting

• See page 374

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Assigning Letter Grades (4 things)

• What is included in this letter grade?
• Attendance
• Participation
• Other things?
• Did you ever make a B because
• Or how about a C because

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2. Combining Data

• Careful when you weight assignments

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3. Assigning the grade based on

• Relative to other class members?
• Relative to a standard?
• Relative to ability or improvement?

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4. And finally, distribution

• If you use relative grading
• What proportion of As Bs Cs?
• Set this is stone prior to teaching
• Absolute
• OK buddy, so where do you put the cut offs?

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Linn and Gronlunds Suggestions for
Parent-Teacher Conferences

• Plan ahead
• Start positive
• Get the parents to talk
• Plan with the parents
• End positive
• Work on your human relation skills

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Finally

• 388-391 (386ff) give suggestions on how to report
  standardized test scores to parents. KEEP THIS
  BOOK!