Grading for Learning

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Grading for Learning

• Based on
• How To Grade For Learning
• By Ken OConnor

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Objective

• To consider effective grading practices to
  encourage student learning.

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What does a grade mean?

• What does a grade tell you about a student?
• What is the difference between 93 and 94?

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How it started

• June 10-11, 2003 Ken OConnor
• Standards Based Grading and Reporting
• Bret, Kristi, Jen, Toby, Dan, Phil
• 2003-2004 school year
• Classroom adaptations to grading policies
• Summer 2004
• Math curriculum meeting
• ESU 6, Classroom Instruction that Works (further
  discussion)

• August 2004
• Math department established common grading
  principles
• September 27-28, December 7-8, 2004
• Grading Reporting workshop
• Jean, Bret, Norris
• August 15, 2005
• Grading for Learning in-service for Waverly HS
  (postponed from Jan. 5, 2005)

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Who would you hire for a job at a local repair
shop?
This case study illustrates the critical
connection between teachers intent and how
grades are actually calculated (OConnor 31).
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Case Study
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Which student would you want to pack your
parachute?
Chronological trails
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Grading Practices that Inhibit Learning

• Inconsistent grading scales
• Worshipping averages
• Using zeroes indiscriminately
• Following the pattern of assign, test, grade,
  teach
• Failing to match testing to teaching
• Ambushing students

• Suggesting that success is unlikely
• Practicing gotcha teaching
• Grading first efforts
• Penalizing students for taking risks
• Failing to recognize measurement error
• Establishing inconsistent grading criteria

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4. Dont include all scores in grades.

• Understand terms
• Score number given to any one student
  assessment
• Grade summary statement of student performance
• Types of assessment
• Diagnostic before instruction and practice
• Formative during instruction and practice
• Summative after instruction and practice
• Reconsider purpose and grading of homework.

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6. Crunch numbers carefully if at all.

• Determine vs. calculate
• Consider methods
• Mean average
• Median middle score
• Mode most frequently occurring score
• Priority goes to evidence that is most recent,
  most comprehensive, and most important learning

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From 1997 to 2002, the median home price in
Lincoln rose nearly 32 percent
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Mean vs. Median

• Student Y
• Mean 89.4
• Median 96
• Is this a B student?
• Student Z
• Mean 71.2
• Median 68
• Should this student pass?

• Student Y
• 96
• 99
• 94
• 61
• 97

Student Z 92 74 68 64 58
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6. Crunch numbers carefully if at all.

• Avoid assigning zeroes
• 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, 1996

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Case Study
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The Effect of 0

• Student A
• 86
• 86
• 86
• 0
• 86

• Mean 68.8
• Does this accurately reflect what the student
  knows and can do?
• Median 86
• Mode 86
• Mean (with 50 instead of 0) 78.8

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0 Considerations

• We need a sufficient body of evidence to
  determine what a student knows and can do.
• Alternatives
• 50 rather than 0
• Incomplete (especially for critical assessments)
• Calculate using median or mode
• Drop lowest scores
• Report and communicate behavioral aspects
  separately

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Math Department
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• Waverly High School Math Department
  August 9, 2004
• These are some policies that as a department we
  have agreed to all abide by
• Retakes of tests are permitted. Make
  arrangements with your teacher.
• The focus of homework is not for the students
  report card grade. The emphasis of homework is
  on student practice, preparation, and feedback of
  student progress.
• Summative assessments will be the largest part of
  students report card grade.

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Discussion of Individual Teacher Grading policies

• Retakes of tests are permitted. Make
  arrangements with your teacher.
• The focus of homework is not for the students
  report card grade. The emphasis of homework is
  on student practice, preparation, and feedback of
  student progress.
• Summative assessments will be the largest part of
  students report card grade.

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Mathematics Bret Harpster 2004-2005 T
here are three types of assessment activities
that we will do for class diagnostic,
formative, and summative. diagnostic this is
to find out what you already know, see where you
are now, explore strengths and weaknesses, and to
check for understanding. formative this is to
find out how well you know and can do class
learning objectives. This is still considered in
the practice and progress phase. summative
this is the formal assessment for your grade.
This is after you have received instruction and
learning activities, had your progress assessed
with opportunities for reteaching, and now you
demonstrate what you know and what you can
do. Your grade for this class is intended to
reflect what you know and can do, so it is
mostly determined by your summative assessments.
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Grading Formative 15 of overall grade This
will be an average(mean) of the scores of the
formative assessments. Summative 85 of
overall grade This will be the median of the
scores of the summative assessments. Each
summative assessment will be marked with a
percentage score. With permission of the
teacher, additional chances on summative
assessments will be made available. Students
will receive the most recent, most consistent
mark for any such multiple assessments.
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Homework Practice Activity

• Have a person from your table pick up the
  worksheets for your table as directed.
• Complete your practice sheet

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Homework papers will be considered as diagnostic
assessments. They will be recorded as evidence
of student work, but will not be used to
determine the students grade in the course.
They will be marked as follows 4 complete and
on time 3 mostly complete and on time 2 late or
incomplete 1 missing On time will be considered
as within one week of when the assignment was
given or according to other instructions given
for a particular assignment. Students will
usually correct their own homework from a
projected answer key or answers read aloud. Some
problems may be checked from student solutions
presented at the board or on transparencies.
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Page 1
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Page 2
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Last page
This paper is recorded as a 4 on my Homework
rubric, complete with work clearly shown.
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This is recorded as 2 on my Homework rubric.
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Another 2 for Homework. Note This is the
same assignment as the other papers. Also note
that missing answers are on some even problems.
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Reflections

• What issues raised today intrigue you that you
  might want to examine further?
• What practices might you consider adopting?
• Opportunities Resources
• Discuss questions and comments at
  manila.esu6.org/bharpste using the discussion
  group feature
• OConnor, How To Grade For Learning
• Potential learning team (book included)
• Guskey, 0 Alternatives, Principal Leadership,
  October 2004
• Copies available