Here is another great article from Anne Davies on Grading. The article also comes with an activity one can try with a group to tap their opinion on certain aspects such as homework and the use of zeros. The following is an excerpt from a recent article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix newspaper: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=PDaDJ&m=1bIxWAcVbXAMmr&b=R46.IQPmTH93FM5rEY3e9w ** I remember being at a track meet as a Grade 9 student. Our school's entry in the 100-yard dash didn't show up, so I was asked to take her place. I was not a sprinter so, of course, I crossed the finish line far behind the other runners. Was that a good assessment of my ability as an athlete? No. I hadn't trained for it, I wasn't ready for it - the competition was completely inappropriate. In much the same way, standardized tests and the resulting letter grades aren't always a true reflection of what a student has learned, or better yet, could learn. Today's society wants everybody ranked, so a lot of our high schools have to be set up to value marks more than learning. Your most successful students can take their mark and decode it. They figure out for themselves what got them to that mark and what they didn't do that they need to do next time. Your struggling learner doesn't have the skills to decode it, so when they get an F, they don't know what got them there. Many educators at the high school level are making a great effort to move beyond traditional teaching methods and better engage students, using assessment FOR learning. These assessment and evaluation practices allow students to participate in the assessment discussion, helping them to set goals for their own learning and to understand what constitutes quality academic work. Academic success becomes possible even for those who are struggling in school because they not only understand the expectations, but they also develop the skills to achieve the learning goals. ** If you and your colleagues are rethinking what you include as part of a student's grade or mark, consider tapping your own wisdom and using this Grading Debate Activity on our website at http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=PDaDJ&m=1bIxWAcVbXAMmr&b=chwqy64d47GY5zVAKRQfgg. It is from a video resource by Rick Stiggins entitled, GRADING AND REPORTING. (The resource is no longer available for purchase, but you might want to check out your resource center.) Take some time and invite your colleagues to think through all the grading issues they are struggling with; list them; and then, working in groups, decide the best way to approach the issue, given what we know about emerging evaluation practices. All my best, Anne www.annedavies.com
