4. Grading and reporting students progress is one of the
more frustrating aspects of teaching, there are so many
factors
to consider and so many
decisions to be made.
This chapter removes some
of the complexity by
describing the various
types of grading and
reporting systems
and providing guidelines
for their effective use.
5.
6. School grading and reporting systems are
designed to serve a variety of functions in
the school. These include
Instructional use
Reports to parents
Administrative and guidance uses
7. The focus of grading and reporting system should be
the improvement of student learning and development.
This is most likely to occur when the report
a) Clarifies the instructional objectives.
b) Indicates the student’s strengths and weaknesses in
learning.
c) Provides information concerning the student’s
personal-social development.
d) Contributes to the student’s motivation.
8. Informing parents of their children’s school
progress is a basic function of a grading and
reporting system. These reports should help
parents understand the objectives of the school
and how well their children are achieving the
intended learning outcomes of their particular
program.
9. Grades and progress reports serve a number of
administrative functions. They are used for
Determining promotion.
Awarding honors.
Determining athletic eligibility.
Reporting to other schools and prospective
employers.
Counselors use reports on student achievement and
development, along with other information, to help
students make realistic educational and vocational
plans.
10.
11. Traditional Letter-Grade System
Pass-Fail System
Checklist of Objectives
Letters to Parents
Portfolios of Student Work
Parent Teacher Conferences
12. The traditional use of letter grade system is to assign a
single letter grade (e.g, A, B, C, D, E, F) for each
subject. In some cases a single number (5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or
100, 95, 90) is used instead of a letter, but the grading
system is essentially the same. This system is concise
and convenient, the grades are easily averaged, and
they are useful in predicting future achievement, but
they have the following short-comings when used as
the sole method of reporting.
13. They typically are a combination of
achievement, effort, work habits and good
behavior.
The proportion of students assigned each letter
grade varies from teacher to teacher.
They do not indicate the student’s specific
strengths and weaknesses in learning.
14. A two category system (e.g, satisfactory-unsatisfactory,
pass-fail) has been used in some elementary schools for
many years. More recently, it has also been used in
some high schools and colleges. At these levels, it
typically serves as an option to the traditional letter
grades in a limited number of courses. It permits
students to take some courses, usually elective courses,
under a pass-fail option that is not included in their
grade point average.
15. To provide more informative progress reports,
some schools have replaced or supplemented the
traditional grading system with a list of
objectives to be checked or rated. These reports
typically include ratings of progress toward the
major objectives in each subject matter area.
16. For Example:
Reading
Reads with understanding
Workout meaning and use of new words
Read well to others
Read independently for pleasure
17. Some schools have turned to the use of letters to
provide for greater flexibility in reporting
student progress to parents. Letters make it
possible to report on the unique strengths,
weaknesses, and learning needs of each student
and to suggest specific plans for improvement.
18.
19. Comprehensive and thoughtful written reports
require an excessive amount of time and skill.
Descriptions of student’s learning weaknesses
are easily misinterpreted by parents.
Letters fail to provide a systematic and
cumulative record of student progress toward
the objectives of the school.
20. An effective portfolio is more than simply a file
into which student work products are placed. It
is purposefully selected collection of work that
often contains commentary on the entries by
both students and teachers.
21.
22. Some schools use regularly scheduled
parent-teacher conferences. This
reporting method is flexible that
provides for two way communication
between home and school.
23. It requires a substantial amount of time
and skill.
It does not provide a systematic record of
student progress.
Some parents are unwilling or unable to
come for conferences.
24.
25. Some schools use multiple grading and reporting
systems. The typical multiple reporting system retains
the use of traditional grading and supplements the
grades with checklists of objectives. In some cases, two
grades are assigned to each subject, one for
achievement and the other for the effort, improvement
or growth.
26. The development of the grading and reporting system
should be guided by the functions to be served.
The grading and reporting system should be developed
cooperatively by parents, students, and school
personnel.
The grading and reporting system should be based on a
clear statement of educational objectives.
The grading and reporting system should be consistent
with school standards.
27. The grading and reporting system should be
based on adequate assessment.
The grading and reporting system should be
detailed enough to be diagnostic and yet
compact enough to be practical.
The grading and reporting system should
provide for parent-teacher conferences.
28.
29. Most of the schools use the A, B, C, D, F grading system,
most teachers will be faced with the problem of
assigning letter grades. This involves questions such as
the following:
What should be included in a letter grade?
How should achievement data be combined in
assigning letter grades?
What frame of reference should be used in grading?
How should the distribution of letter grades be
determined?
30. 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.
31. Properly weight each component to create a composite
Must put all components on same scale to weight
properly:
(a) equate ranges of scores
(b)convert all to T-scores or other standard scores.
32. Relative grading: score compared to other
students(where you rank)
(a)grade (like a class rank) depends on what group you
are in, not just your own performance
(b)typical grade may be shifted up or down, depending
on group’s ability
(c)widely used because much classroom testing is norm-
referenced
33. For Example:
Now beauty of this is, it hides your score. Say you get 35
in Math and you are the highest you get an A. It is
always better to tell your parents that you got A, rather
than telling you got 35 . Relative grading is a
continuous assessment of your performance.
34. Absolute grading: score compared to specified
performance standards (what you can do)
(a) grade does NOT depend on what group you are in,
but only on your own performance compared to a set
of performance standards
(b)complex task, because must
clearly define and justify the performance standards
do criterion-referenced assessment
35. For Example:
This is how absolute grading works.
>75% you get an A.
60-75 it’s B.
50-60 it’s C .
36.
37. Relative :distribution is a big issue
(a)normal curve defensible only when have large group.
(b)when “grading on the curve,” school staff should set
fair ranges of grades for different groups and courses.
(c)when “grading on the curve,” any pass-fail decision
should be based on an absolute standard (i.e., failed the
minimum essentials).
(d)standards and ranges should be understood and
followed by all teachers.
38. For Example:
A= 10% to 20% of the students
B=20% to 30 % of students
C=30% to 50 % of students
D=10% to 20 % of students
F=0% to 10% of students
39. Absolute :distribution is not an issue.
(a) system seldom uses letter grades alone
(b) often includes checklists of what has been
mastered.
(c) distribution of grades is not predetermined.
40. For Example:
A=95% to 100% correct (Outstanding)
B= 85% to 94 % correct (Very good)
C=75% to 84% correct (Satisfactory)
D= 65% to 74 % correct (Very weak)
F= below 65% correct (Unsatisfactory)
41.
42. 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.
43. 2:Begin the conference in positive manner
e.g. Ali really enjoys helping others.
Maria is always helping.
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
44. 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
e.g. Ali has a good sense of humor, and I enjoy having him in
the class.
7:Use good human relations skills
45. Aim:
Present test results in understandable language, not
jargon.
Put test results in context of total pattern of
information(in all domains) about the student.
Keep it brief and simple.
46. 1:Describe what the test measures
Use a general statement: e.g., “this test measures skills
and abilities that are useful in school learning”
Avoid misunderstandings by:
(a) not referring to learning ability tests as “intelligence”
tests.
(b)not describing aptitudes and abilities test as measure
of fixed abilities.
(c)not saying that “these test scores predict how well
your child will do in school”.
47. 2:Explain meaning of test scores
For norm-referenced explain norm group
explain score type (percentile, stanine, etc.)
stay with one type of score, if possible.
For criterion-referenced more easily understood than
norm-referenced
describe the standard of mastery
may need to distinguish percentile from percent correct
that what the child learn and need to learn yet.
48. 3:Clarify accuracy of scores
Say all tests have error.
For example:
if we had scores such as these.
Mathematics 8
Reading 6
Science 5
We could interpret as “Performance is higher in
mathematics than reading and science, but there is no
real difference in performance between reading and
science”.
49. 4:Discuss use of test results
Coordinate all information related to the student’s
learning to plan further actions for children .
50. School grades and progress reports serve various
functions in the school. They provide information
that is helpful to, students , parents and school
personnel.
Parents, teachers and counselors use the information in
guiding learning and development and in helping
students make realistic future plans.
