Quality Grading
Physical Education
August 29, 2013
Evaluating Student Achievement-OAISD
Workshop
Colleen Lewis,Ph.D and Ingrid Johnson, Ph.D.
Grand Valley State University
Grading and Assessment
 Grades, progress reports, and report cards are related to
assessment because each is usually (and should be)
derived from a variety of assessment scores.
 Teachers need to assess accurately and use assessment
to benefit students, not merely to sort and grade
students
 You need to have a clear purpose – why is the
assessment being conducted? How will that be related to
a grade for that student?
 Is there a clear picture of what is being measured?
 Do the assessments accurately reflect student learning?
All three domains? Fitness? Again, how does this turn
into a grade?
 Assessment is more than grading! Assessments
should demonstrate what students KNOW or are
able to do. Assessments can "show off" learning in
your program.
 SHARE the information with students,
administrators, other teachers, and parents as
appropriate. (This will lend credibility to your
program.)
 Start small (your most cooperative group, one
group, one class, one grade level, a few students).
 Be CLEAR about the criteria (rubric standard,
exemplary model, etc.) for making judgments.
 Allow students in on the process. (a. Using your
criteria they can evaluate self, partner or others; b.
allow students some choices in the manner in
which they want to be assessed--include the
criteria for each assessment.)
 Authentic assessment can be real or perceived. The
more real-life, the more authentic.
 There are many TYPES of assessments (peer,
group, projects, oral response, observation,
debate, video, paper/pencil).
 If you are strapped for time to have students
complete paper and pencil assessments, consider
asking classroom teachers to help administer
assessments in their classrooms.
Challenges to Effective
Grading Practice
What to Grade? Vague or
immeasurable goals/objectives
Process vs. Product?
Effort vs. Achievement?
How to Grade? Valid
Assessment tools, Criteria for
evaluation, weighting of
multiple measurements
Meeting The Challenge:
Develop Your
“Philosophy of Grading”
Develop Your “Grading
System”
Develop a Method to
Calculate Final Grades
Efficiently
BEFORE YOU TEACH:
Before you
ever set foot
in the school,
HAVE A PLAN!
*Philosophy
*Objectives
*Weighting
*Methods
Establishing a Grading
Philosophy:
Identify the Purposes for Grades
Enhance Learning
Support Achievement of
Goals/Objectives
Compare Grades in PE/Health
vs. “Other Classes”
All 3 Learning Domains- what about
Fitness?
Ability Grouping? Other Issues?
Grades Must be Related
to Stated Objectives:
Final grade
reflects a
combination
of
psychomotor,
cognitive and
affective
achievements
List Examples of PE Objectives:
 Do this at your table/small group
 Did you address all the learning domains?
 Do they line up with the MI or NASPE standards?
Looking at Those Objectives:
How Do You Measure Them?
 Discuss at your table
 Try to come up with a variety of methods for evaluation
 Are they realistic for your situation?
 Do they really measure what you want them to
measure? Student learning?
“Weighting” the
Domains
 Three Domains
and Fitness
 Different
“Importance”
 Different
“weights” reflect
the “importance”
Let’s Take a HS
Volleyball Unit:
Objectives: what are they?
Skills
Knowledge
Team Work
How Would YOU Weight
their relative
importance?
WHAT you grade and HOW you
grade will affect the value that
students, parents and teachers will
put on your PE Program! Because it
REFLECTS the value YOU and your
colleagues put on it!
Develop Your System:
Criteria for
Good
Practice:
Validity,
Reliability,
Objectivity,
Simplicity
In Short:
FAIR
If the final grade is
“FAIR”
It will be based on a number
of VALID measures based on
GOOD TESTS!
It will be based on learning
objectives in all 3 domains
(and fitness)
It will be accurately
calculated and clear to
students
Grades Should Accurately Reflect
True Achievement
Validity!
For Example:
Objective: Students will
master the underhand VB
serve:
Measure: Mechanics of VB
serve or number of
serves/attempts (!)
CHALLENGE: How do you
measure “effort”?
The Test Will be
Consistent:
Reliability!
The more consistent the
scores are, the more
reliable the grade is!
Grades Won’t Reflect
“Personality
Conflicts”…
Objectivity:
Interpretation of “good
form” may vary from
teacher to teacher…
Rating scales and
checklists “objectify”
otherwise subjective
measurements
Teachers Should Teach
– Not Grade…
Grades are
important!!!
– But should
never
interfere with
teaching and
learning!
Think of ways
to simplify
the task
Keep It Simple
Have a System
Explain the System
If a student is ever
“surprised” by his/her grade
– could it be that “The
System” was either too
confusing or too
mysterious?
Variety is Good:
Formal vs. Informal
Assessment
Daily grades
Quick Quizzes: P/F
Student Portfolios
Formal Skills Tests
One Last Word:
You don’t
have to
reinvent the
wheel- there
are great
resources out
there!