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OH 1
The Challenge
Aim
To provide results
In brief,
understandable form
for varied users.
The big questions
1. What should I count—just achievement, or effort too?
2. How do I interpret a student’s score? Do I compare it to:
other students’ scores (norm-referenced),
a standard of what they can do (criterion-referenced),
or some estimate of what they are able to do (learning potential, or self-
referenced)?
3. What should my distribution of grades be, and how do I determine it?
4. How do I display student progress, or strengths and weaknesses, to students and their
parents?
Where do I get the answers?
Your school may have some policies or guidelines
Apply what you learn in this chapter
Consult your teaching colleagues, and then apply your good judgment
Learn from first-hand experience
OH 2
Functions of Grading and Reporting Systems
2. Reports to parents/guardians
OH 3
Types of Grading and Reporting Systems
1. Traditional letter-grade system
o Easy and can average them
o But of limited value when used as the sole report, because:
a. they end up being a combination of achievement, effort, work
habits, behavior
b. teachers differ in how many high (or low) grades they give
c. they are therefore hard to interpret
d. they do not indicate patterns of strength and weakness
2. Pass-fail
o Popular in some elementary schools
o Used to allow exploration in high school/college
o Should be kept to the minimum, because:
a. do not provide much information
b. students work to the minimum
o In mastery learning courses, can leave blank till “mastery” threshold
reached
3. Checklists of objectives
o Most common in elementary school
o Can either replace or supplement letter grades
o Each item in the checklist can be rated: Outstanding, Satisfactory,
Unsatisfactory; A, B, C, etc.
o Problem is to keep the list manageable and understandable
4. Letters to parents/guardians
o Useful supplement to grades
o Limited value as sole report, because:
a. very time consuming
b. accounts of weaknesses often misinterpreted
c. not systematic or cumulative
o Great tact needed in presenting problems (lying, etc.)
5. Portfolios
o Set of purposefully selected work, with commentary by student and
teacher
o Useful for:
a. showing student’s strengths and weaknesses
b. illustrating range of student work
c. showing progress over time or stages of a project
d. teaching students about objectives/standards they are to meet
6. Parent-teacher conferences
o Used mostly in elementary school
o Portfolios (when used) are useful basis for discussion
o Useful for:
a. two-way flow of information
b. getting more information and cooperation from parents
o Limited in value as the major report, because
a. time consuming
b. provides no systematic record of progress
c. some parents won’t come
OH 4
Systems with Multiple Forms of Grading and Reporting
OH 5
Assigning Letter Grades
What to include?
Only achievement
Avoid temptation to include effort for less able students, because:
a. difficult to assess effort or potential
b. difficult to distinguish ability from achievement
would mean grades don’t mean same thing for everyone (mixed message,
unfair)
OH 6
Guidelines for Effective Grading
1. Describe grading procedures to students at beginning of instruction.
2. Clarify that course grade will be based on achievement only.
3. Explain how other factors (effort, work habits, etc.) will be reported.
4. Relate grading procedures to intended learning outcomes.
5. Obtain valid evidence (tests, etc.) for assigning grades.
6. Try to prevent cheating.
7. Return and review all test results as soon as possible.
8. Properly weight the various types of achievements included in the grade.
9. Do not lower an achievement grade for tardiness, weak effort, or misbehavior.
10. Be fair. Avoid bias. When in doubt, review the evidence. If still in doubt, give the
higher grade.
OH 7
Conducting Parent-Teacher Conferences
Productive when:
Carefully planned
Teacher is skilled
Guidelines for a good conference
1. Make plans
Review your goals
Organize the information to present
Make list of points to cover and questions to ask
If bring portfolios, select and review carefully
2. Start positive—and maintain a positive focus
3. Present student’s strong points first
Helpful to have example of work to show strengths and needs
Compare early vs. later work to show improvement
4. Encourage parents to participate and share information
Be willing to listen
Be willing to answer questions
5. Plan actions cooperatively
What steps you can each take
Summarize at the end
6. End with positive comment
Should not be a vague generality
Should be true
7. Use good human relations skills
DO
Be friendly and informal
Be positive in approach
Be willing to explain in understandable terms
Be willing to listen
Be willing to accept parents’ feelings
Be careful about giving advice
DON’T
Argue, get angry
Ask embarrassing questions
Talk about other students, parents, teachers
Bluff if you don’t know
Reject parents’ suggestions
Be a know-it-all with pat answers
OH 8
Reporting Standardized Test Results to Parents
Aims
Present test results in understandable language, not jargon
Put test results in context of total pattern of information about the student
Keep it brief and simple
Actions
1. Describe what the test measures
o Use a general statement: e.g., “this test measures skills and abilities that
are useful in school learning”
o Refer to any part of the test report that may list skill clusters
o Avoid misunderstandings by:
a. not referring to tests as “intelligence” tests
b. not describing aptitudes and abilities as fixed
c. not saying that a test predicts outcomes for an individual person
(can say “people with this score usually….”
o Let a counselor present results for any non-cognitive test (personality,
interests, etc.)
OH 9
Decisions in Assigning Grades