Grading Policy Assignment
At some point, all of the assessment you conduct will have to be turned into a single score
representing the total picture of a student's achievement. The goals and objectives that you
developed at the beginning of this course represent the "blue print" of what your students should
be learning about in your class for an entire grading period.
Assuming that you will be using each of the assessment types we have discussed in class you
will need to determine the quantity of evidence your will collect through these assessments will
be used to determine final grades. You should use your goals and objectives to decide what
assessment evidence will be utilized for each. The types of assessments you should consider
include observational assessments, performance assessments, and traditional types of
assessments including worksheets, assignments from textbooks, and tests. Be sure to provide me
with the quantity of assessments as well as what type of assessment will be used to evaluate
learning of each of your objectives.
It is all right to say that you will NOT be using one of the assessment types, however be sure to
state this rather than leaving it to the reader to determine whether you have purposefully or
accidentally ignored a particular assessment type. Also, if you will not be using a particular
assessment type be sure to state why.
Once you figure out the types of assessments you will use for each of your goals/objectives you
will need to decide how you will weight and use each to determine grades for the entire grading
period. You will also need to consider your grading philosophy. How will you handle late or
missing work? Will you allow revisions? Will you use group grades? Will you use a criterion
or norm referenced grading schema? Will you grade on the curve? Will you use the same
standard for everyone? Will you grade based on effort? You will also need to determine your
overall grading policy. What overall score will result in a student obtaining an A, B, C, D, or F
(or whatever grading scheme is used by your school)?
To help you conceptualize different grading policies it will be helpful to come up with scores for
one or more fictitious students and apply your grading policy to them. Be sure the grades
represent realistic patterns of performance for students whom you would consider to be at
different levels of understanding. What happens if one of your students forgets to turn in an
assignment? How does this affect their overall grade?
So, to summarize, your grading policy should include the following:
 Your goals and objectives linked up to assessment types you will use to assess each of
them with the quantity of assessments provided.
 How each of the assessment types will be weighted for grading purposes.
 A final grading scale (i.e. what overall score constitutes an A, B, C, D, F?)
 Your grading philosophy (be sure to address each of the questions posed above).
 A grade calculation for one or more students.
Your final paper will be evaluated using the following holistic rubric:
4.0
Final paper includes goals and objectives and a table linking up each of the objectives to
the type of assessment that will be used to evaluate student learning. The assessment
type chosen for each objective is appropriate and there is enough information provided to
result in reliable grades. Final weights are given for each assessment type and these
weights are appropriate and representative of the validity/reliability of the assessment
type. Final grading scale is provided and the overall scores used for each grade represent
distinct levels of student understanding and learning. Each aspect of your grading
philosophy has been thoughtfully considered. Grades are calculated for more than one
student and the scores considered for each student are realistic and represent different
levels of student understanding.
3.5
Final paper includes goals and objectives and a table linking up each of the objectives to
the type of assessment that will be used to evaluate student learning. The assessment
type chosen for most objectives is appropriate but there is not enough information
provided to result in reliable grades for a few objectives. Final weights are given for each
assessment type and these weights are appropriate and representative of the
validity/reliability of the assessment type. Final grading scale is provided and the overall
scores used for each grade represent distinct levels of student understanding and learning.
Each aspect of your grading philosophy has been thoughtfully considered. Grades are
calculated for more than one student and the scores considered for each student are
realistic and represent different levels of student understanding.
3.0
Final paper includes goals and objectives and a table linking up each of the objectives to
the type of assessment that will be used to evaluate student learning. The assessment
type chosen for some objectives is appropriate but there is not be enough information
provided to result in reliable grades for some objectives. Final weights are given for each
assessment type and these weights are appropriate and representative of the
validity/reliability of the assessment type. Final grading scale is provided and the overall
scores used for each grade represent distinct levels of student understanding and learning.
Some aspects of your grading philosophy have not been thoughtfully considered. Grades
are calculated for more than one student and the scores considered for each student are
realistic but may not represent different levels of student understanding.
2.0
Final paper includes goals and objectives and a table linking up each of the objectives to
the type of assessment that will be used to evaluate student learning. The assessment
type chosen for some objectives is appropriate but there is not be enough information
provided to result in reliable grades. Final weights are given for each assessment type
and these weights are appropriate and representative of the validity/reliability of the
assessment type. Final grading scale is provided but the overall scores used for each
grade do not represent distinct levels of student understanding and learning. Some
aspects of your grading philosophy have not been thoughtfully considered. Grades are
calculated for more than one student but the scores considered for each student are not
realistic and do not represent different levels of student understanding.
Note: Intermediate grades may be given at the discretion of the instructor. Omissions will
result in a lower grade.