What does a grade mean in
your classroom?
Is an “A” , really an “A” ?
A Workshop Presented by
Amy Hammer-Scronce
A little history on grading….
Prior to the 1700’s, qualitative feedback
was used as a grading method
 Around 1780, Yale introduced first
formalized point grading system
 In the early 1800’s, Harvard developed
a numerical system that closely
resembles our own (Marzano, 2000)

Three “eras” of education
Mid 1800’s to early 1900’s- Focused on
the three “R”s, and were taught in a
structured, religion based environment.
 1910-1975- Focused on intelligence and
aptitude
 The 1970’s- “Decade of state
assessment”

( Robinson, 1986 & Stiggins, 2004)
Some things to think about..
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How many of you feel your grades in school
were a true reflection of your knowledge
learned?
How many of you feel that your grades
awarded to your current students actually
reflect their learned knowledge?
How do you feel about grading students
based on ability, behavior, or motivation?
Objectives of this workshop
To help educators take a closer look at
their own grading practices
 To help determine what should be
graded
 To remind educators of the impacts
grades have on our students’ lives
 To compare current grading practices
with recommended research

What makes up a student’s
grade in your classroom?
Homework?
 Quizzes/tests?
 Projects?
 Effort?
 Attendance?
 Behavior?
 Journals?

Philosophy…
“Grading should be closely correlated
with class goals based upon a
philosophy of learning and teaching and
should reflect what a teacher believes
about learning.”
(Tomlinson, 2000)
So what does that mean?

Philosophy should be clearly communicated
to all students, preferably in writing.
(Friedman & Troug, 1999).


Educators should grade solely on
achievement, to provide a clear accurate
account of a student's growth.
Educators need to design an approach to
grading that supports rather than discourages
student learning. (Friedman, 1995).
What do grades mean to our
students?
How he compares to his/her peers?
 How much a student has
learned/mastered?
 Will he get into the college of his/her
choice?
 Will he get the scholarship of his/her
dreams?

The most common, current flaws in
educators’ grading policies
today…and what research has to say
about it…
Grading students based on characteristics,
such as behavior, effort, or attitude
Research says…It clouds the accuracy of the
grade, allowing a teacher’s judgment to
intercede…

(Stiggins, Frisbie, & Griswold, 1989)
Continued…
Misuse of assessments such as pop
quizzes….
Research says… “No teaching and
learning takes place when pop quizzes
are given, nor can they be justified as
motivational” Studies reveal that the
threat of low grades only motivates
high achieving students.

(Canady & Hotchkiss, 1989).
Continued…

The assignment of zeros…
Research says… A zero for work not
turned in penalizes a student 10xs more
severe than work assessed.
Cures for the Common
ailments…

Student Characteristics???
Assess them and use it as an additional grade,
reflected by itself on the report card.

Pop quizzes???
Use them as feedback only or simply announce
the test.

Zeros???
Require students to do the work, assign an IC
until the work has been finished.
What should we be assessing?
Learned Content Knowledge
Big Ideas
worth
understanding
Important to Know
And Be Able to do
Nice to
know
(Center for K-12 Education)
Good Teaching Practices to
Consider…
Test only what has been taught well
 Never test students on skills which they
have not had opportunities to practice
 Try to never let students practice
failures
 Keep student characteristics separate

(Canady)
Activity…

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You are keeping a record of the cost for
heating your house this winter. Using the
following months, what would your average
be?
Dec. $168.00
Jan. $142.00
Feb. $218.00
March $179.00
Average $176.75
Now… average those
numbers again, because you
forgot to record a month…..




Dec. $168.00
Jan. $142.00
Feb. $0.00
March $179.00
Average $122.25
This reveals the real damage of a zero
Another Activity…

McTighe and Ferrara once said….
“We take the position that the primary
purpose of classroom assessment is to
inform teaching and improve learning,
not to sort and select students or to
justify a grade.”
Do you agree or disagree? Why?…..
Tips for making grades reflect
learned knowledge….
 Give
Effective Feedback:
 Specific
 Understandable
 Descriptive
 Given
in a timely manner
Cont….
More tips…
 Test
only what has been taught,
and taught well.
 Behavior, participation, attitude
etc… should be reported
separately.
 Provide ample practice time
and more tips…
Help the student to become an
active learner.


Appropriate difficulty level.
Don’t allow students to accept
zeros. Require them to do the work
or IC will be given.

Learn and Use accurate
assessment skills

One Final Thought…
“There is no place for “mystery” in
effective classroom assessment.
No mystery/no excuses-let kids in on
what is expected”
(Jay McTighe)
References
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Canady, R. L., & Hotchkiss, P. (1989, September ). It's a good
score! Just a bad grade. Phi Delta Kappan, Retrieved Jan 10,
2006.
Friedman, S. (n.d.). Grading teacher's grading policies.
Retrieved Jan. 10, 2006, from Principal's Guide to Teacher
Grading Policies Web site: www.middleweb.com.
Friedman, S. J., & Troug, A. L. (1999). Evaluation of high school
teachers' written grading policies. ERS Spectrum, 17. Retrieved
Jan 11, 2006.
Marzano, R.J. (2000). Chapter 2. What are Grades For?
Transforming Classroom Grading. Retrieved Jan. 18, 2005 from
http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/template.chapter.shtml.
References
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Robinson, G. E. (1986). Learning expectancy: A force changing
education. Concerns in Education. Educational Research
Service.
Stiggins, R. J. (1999, Nov. 1). Assessment, student confidence,
and school success. Phi Delta Kappan, 81. Retrieved Jan 11,
2006.
Stiggins, R. J., & Griswold, P. A. (1989). Inside high school
grading practices: building a reseach agenda. Educational
Measurement: Issues and Practice, Retrieved Jan 14, 2006.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2001, March ). Grading for success.
Educational Leadership, 58. Retrieved Jan 12, 2006.