This document provides guidance and best practices for grading student work. It discusses creating a grading system that works for the teacher and emphasizes student mastery over things like effort. It recommends against using zeros for missing work and averaging grades. Instead, it suggests allowing students multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery through redoing or retesting. The document also cautions against single assignments heavily impacting grades and using grades as punishment. Overall, it promotes grading that provides feedback to students to improve learning.

1. Grading Practices
TIRP 4/13/13
Barbara Toney

3. What’s the goal?
• Create a system that works for YOU and is the
easiest for you to implement.
• Remember: “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t
nobody happy!”

4. Week
9/12-
Material
covered
Quizzes,
papers
collected
Asm’ts and
due dates
Handouts
Passed out
Upcoming
Test dates
9/12
Mon
p.15-16 Quiz over
brain
Ch 18 due
9/14
Ch 18
questions
Test on
9/16
9/13
Tues
Test on
9/16
9/14
Weds
Ch 18 due Test on
9/16
9/15
Thurs
Review
For test
Test on
9/16
9/16
Fri
Test Ch 17

5. Paper grading tips
• Homework- finished and on time- full credit
• Kids self-check homework
• Explain to kids why you are assigning the
homework and why it’s important for them to
do it.

6. Must know!
• What is your district/school policy on grades,
makeup work, homework. Know it!
• Feel out what the principal feels about % of
As, Bs, etc.
• Be aware principals often check teachers
grades (they get a master list)
• Make sure you send written grading policy
home for parents to sign and return.

7. • Let kids know exactly what will be on the test.
• Call home if a kid misses a test- that day!
• What opportunities do you give them to learn
from their mistakes? 2nd
chances?

8. Grading Practices
Douglas Reeves, Ph.D.
Deland Middle School
2008-2009

10. Calculate the Final Grade for this Student
• C, C, MA (Missing Assignment), D, C, B, MA, MA, B,
A
• Group 1: A=100, B=90, C=80, D=70
• Group 2: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1
• Group 3: Choose your own system but you must
have a letter grade

11. Grading
• Grades = Feedback to Improve Performance!
• If you have high levels of success and low failure rates, your
policy is sound and should be left alone.
• If you have low levels of success and high failure rates, what
you are doing is not working.
• The “Real World” is not “You have one chance at it and you’re
done”.
• We seldom use “average” for anything else except grades.
• Grades must never be used as punishment. It doesn’t work!
• Rewards for work done daily are far greater than punishment
for work done late.
• The Driver’s License Test example – chance to “re-do/re-take”

12. Toxic (Ineffective) Grading Policies
• The use of “zeroes” for missing work. Consequence
should be to complete the work!
• The practice of using the “average” of all scores
during the grading period, a formula that presumes
that the learning early in the semester is as
important as learning at the end of the semester.
(Marzano 2000; O’Connor, 2007)
• The use of the “grading period killer” – the single
project, test, lab, paper, or other assignment that will
make or break students.

13. Toxic Grading Practices and Alternatives
Toxic
• “Zeroes” for missing
work
• Average/Mean
• Grading Period Killer:
One Test or Project
Alternative
• “Get ‘Er Done, Just Do It”,
complete/submit missing
work
• Best representation of work
(Re-do, Re-submit)
• Resilience, Personal
Responsibility (Don’t let
them off the hook!)

14. The Power of Zeroes Rick Wormeli, Middle Ground
• Convert “zeroes” to “50s”
• Conversion necessary so that any “calculating” is
mathematically justified.
• Not using “zeroes” is a more accurate picture of the
students’ ability.
• “Zero” has an undeserved and devastating effect on
students and their grades – so much that no matter
what student does, the “zero” distorts the final grade
as a true indicator of mastery.
• Mathematically and ethically – unacceptable!

15. Negative Impact of “Zero” on a 100-Point
Grading Scale
• 0, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100 = 83% = B
• 50, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100 = 92% = A
•

16. What is the point of homework?

17. Accurate Grading Policies Rick Stiggins
• Determine grades using the median (middle
grade) – not the mean/average.
• Look for the most consistent level of
performance, not all performances.
• We should not hold a student’s earlier
digressions in the grading period or year
against them.

19. Did You Know………..
• Two common causes of course failures –
1)missing homework; 2)poor
performance on a single major
assignment. Adjusting your policy would
have a huge impact on student failures.
(Reeves)

20. What should NOT be included in a grade?
• Effort
• Participation
• Attitude
• Behavior
• Homework
• Group work

21. Re-Do, Re-Take, Re-Test, Re-Submit!
“The consequence for a student who fails
to meet a standard is not a low grade but
rather the opportunity—indeed, the
requirement—to resubmit his or her
work. “
-- Douglas Reeves

23. • Grades will be based upon STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT
• Grades will be based upon MASTERY OF
CONCEPTS AND SKILLS
• Students should have MULTIPLE
OPPORTUNITIES to demonstrate mastery

24. Research Based Findings
• (Gettinger, 1988) analyzed well-managed classrooms that
functioned smoothly with few disruptions and were well organized.
• He then analyzed less effective classrooms that experienced
frequent disruptions due to a large amount of time spent on
discipline and transitions that were lengthy and chaotic.
• Gettinger expected to find that the teachers of the well-managed
classrooms would possess more effective disciplinary techniques.
Surprisingly, he found that both were approximately equal in
dealing with student misbehavior.
• The variance was that the successful classroom managers were
more efficient at minimizing behavioral problems by intervening
before the misbehavior escalated.

25. Volusia County’s Approach To Classroom
Management
By following the effective, research-based practices outlined in CHAMPs, teachers develop methods for
clearly communicating their expectations on every classroom activity and transition. Expectations to
clarify are:
Conversation (Can students talk to each other during this activity?)
Help (How do students get the teacher’s attention and their
questions answered?)
Activity (What is the task/objective? What is the end product?)
Movement (Can students move about during this activity?)
Participation (How do students show they are fully participating?
What does work behavior look/sound like?)
(Sprick, Garrison,
and Howard 1998)

26. Our Teachers Deal with the Following
Behaviors in the Classroom
• Class or school rule violation
• Disruption or disturbance of a school activity
(minor)
• Dress code violation
• Horseplay
• Minor disruption or disturbance of a school
activity, class or campus
• Tardiness
• All level one offenses in the student code of
conduct