In a recent blog post on CreativeLeadership.net, Creative Leadership Solutions partner Douglas Reeves offered tips for educators seeking ways to reduce failures in the upcoming school semester. He first advised teachers to use their own judgment rather than automated grade calculators that generate a final score based on a semester average. Because this method can often punish students for early mistakes even if they have shown marked improvement throughout the semester, removing automated grade calculations can help educators adequately reward students for their accomplishments.

1. Douglas Reeves Offers
Tips on Grading Methods
for Student Success

2. In a recent blog post on CreativeLeadership.
net, Creative Leadership Solutions partner
Douglas Reeves offered tips for educators
seeking ways to reduce failures in the
upcoming school semester. He first advised
teachers to use their own judgment rather than
automated grade calculators that generate a
final score based on a semester average.

3. Because this method can often punish students
for early mistakes even if they have shown
marked improvement throughout the semester,
removing automated grade calculations can
help educators adequately reward students for
their accomplishments.

4. Dr. Reeves also encouraged teachers to adopt
a traditional four-point grade scale rather than a
100-point system. In addition to allowing
teachers to forego the complexity of converting
numeric grades to A's, B's, C's, D's, or F's, four-
point scales enable a more accurate
representation of missing work.

5. A grade of “0” for missing work on a 100-point
scale lies at the furthest end of the grading
spectrum and can prevent students from
improving their grades over time, while an “F” is
merely one point away from improvement.

6. Additionally, educators can implement an early
final exam to facilitate student success. By
administering a final exam two weeks before
the end of the semester, teachers offer
students a chance to test their knowledge and
identify key areas to study before taking a
second shot. At the same time, teachers can
reward students who earn A’s or B's on the
early exam by accepting the grade as final.