How do you grade? Subjectively vs. Objectively
I found this article headline to be intriguing. Grading is always a hot topic and subjective grading is even more juicy. This article brings up some interesting points. I agree with the article that there certainly needs to be consistency when it comes to grading. I don’t know if that will ever be obtainable though, because there are so many different types of classes that all require different types of grading practices. I was rather dismayed by the results of the experiment a grading expert performed with 10,000 educators from the US, Canada, Australia and South America. They were given a set of 10 scores and asked to determine a semester final grade. Results netted grades across the whole gamut from A to F. That does seems a little inconsistent.
How do you grade? Why do you grade? Have you ever wondered if there might be a better way? Are all your grades based on objective material? I find it very difficult to grade in my discipline of music. Things are quite subjective when grading a performance based class like band or choir. I generally grade things like participation and attitude more than I would grade ability and accuracy. In my situation, I am desperate to keep kids in my music classes because of small school enrollment. So, I am more likely to hand out A’s and B’s just to keep the numbers higher in my class. A student is going to take band because they ‘know’ they are going to get an easy A more likely than if they think they are going to have to work for a grade or earn one. It is a sad reality, but it is what it is in a small school.
To help me combat grading confusion I am now the proud user of rubrics. I have spent many hours developing my own rubrics for my performance based classes. I spent many years trying to explain why Little Johnny got the grade he did when Little Susie got a higher grade. It just really gave me a great tool for justification and explanation. I am still grading the same way I always have, I just now have it written out in a neat little plan which people are more likely to accept than just my word. I still feel the same way about needing to keep kids in music classes to be able to have a band, but now, kids seem to accept having to earn their grade when they know what they are working for.
The LA Times article refers to the total transformation of the Grand Island Public Schools grading systems. It lists some of the highlights of the transformation. I am not sure I agree with them. It is worth checking out the link to the Grand Island schools to see their whole explanation of their overhaul.
I did really get a kick out of the last sentence of the LA Times article. “Giving kids no credit for not turning in work or flunking them in some other way defeats the purpose, he said. A better result would be to force them to do the work, before school, during recess or after school.” This statement is coming from a grading expert? Have you ever tried to force a student to do anything? Good luck with that. That just screams trouble to me.
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Teachers grade differently. Some grade tests at the same level as regular classwork and some think tests should be worth a lot more than regular classwork. Some teachers believe that Little Johnny earned a C in Math, but with his positive, hard working personality, Johnny received a B- on his report card instead of the C. Or Little Susie earned a B in Math, but constant defiant behavior resulted in a C on her report card instead of the B....is this how grading should work? Are we, as teachers, being biased to some and not others?
ReplyDeleteIf one student hardly ever turns in homework assignments, what do you suggest should be done? If staying in before or after school is not the answer, what is? Parent involvement is not the answer either when the parent doesn't side with the teacher. I don't believe that having a student stay after school to complete unfinished work is being too forceful. Students need to be accountable for what is expected of them.
Hello-
ReplyDeleteI thought your topic was very interesting and I am the proud user of rubrics for many of my lab exercies or group projects. I am continually updated them but I since I have started sharing them with the students I have had positive reviews.
It is sad that you feel you need to give an "a" to keep students in music. That must be very difficult.
I have adapted my lessons to move away from overly subjective grading. I insert a math practice worksheet, some convergent questions, and reflections to provide some concrete grades to balance out the more subjective ones. I must admit I did this in part caving to peer pressure that my class was too easy. I got tired of explaining the nature of the class led to multiple correct "answers." As my class develops and the students continue to recieve A's and B's my response to the nay sayers has become "the class is so engaging the students want to succeed." I don't have much faith in numerical grades in classes such as ours that emphasize application and progression toward an end; I've even thought about approaching the subject with administration about making my class pass/fail like our computer classes.
ReplyDeleteGrading is an interesting topic and I don't think there are any simple answers. In my school we try to make sure grade levels are all grading the same and for older grade who use letter grades we discuss ways they are grading tests, daily work, etc. In first grade we assess each standrard seperatly and give them a number grade based on their ablity to understand each concept. This ia long process but we really like it because it shows if they truely understand the concepts we have taught. We also grade work habits, effort and behavior seperatly. This process is very timely but we like it alot and it shows a true picture of a child.
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