Grading Practices Douglas Reeves, Ph.D.

Grading PracticesDouglas Reeves, Ph.D. Deland Middle School 2008-2009

Sample Action Research Project Research Question • How do differences in grading policy (and not differences in student performance) influence student failure rates? Method • Faculty will examine identical student academic performance and provide a grade. Analysis • Similarities indicate consistency and fairness; dissimilarities indicate differences based on faculty decisions, not student performance. • Complete Learning Activity

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

2008 Research on Effective Grading Practices • International sample of more than 1000 teachers and administrators • Significant differences in attitudes and beliefs about grading practices • For copies of the latest research, go to www.LeadandLearn.com, click on Support, then click on Douglas Reeves’ presentations

Grading • Grades = Feedback to Improve Performance! • If you have high levels of success and lowfailure rates, your policy is sound and should be left alone. • If you have low levels of success and highfailure rates, what you are doing is not working. • The “Real World” is not “You have one chance at it and you’redone”. • 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”

Academic Corporal Punishment Corporal Punishment - “We liked it!” • American Pediatric Society ruled it was ineffective and doesn’t work in 1961. Academic Corporal Punishment – “We like it!” • Should we respond, “That’s your opinion and we’ll let you do it!”

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.

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!) Toxic Grading Practices and Alternatives

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!

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 • Should weuse an “F” grade near the top of the “F” range, such as 50 in this case, or should we use the bottom, most hurtful and distorting of “F” grades – a “zero” - as the indicator of failure? • What purpose does it serve to use a “zero” to indicate a student failed to demonstrate mastery? • Should a string of perfect papers for a grading period combined with one paper not submitted equate to a lower grade? (NCLB-AYP) • What would happen if we did not count the lowest grade? • “Consider trying to find the average temperature over 5 days and recording 85, 82, 83, 86, then forgetting a day and recording “zero”. The average temperature would be 67, a figure that does not accurately show the weather from that week.

Using the 4.0 Grading Scale (NotRecommended) • 4.0 grading scale is an inaccuracy. • Using a “zero” in the previous example would also distort the final grade. • You must use 1.0 in place of “zero” as the failing and/or unscorable level on a 4.0 scale. • Using 1.0 as the bottom score will result in not distorting a student’s grade average based on one incomplete assignment or failed test.

High Expectations Todd Whitaker • Great Teachers – high expectations for students and even higher for themselves. If students are not passing, they ask what they themselves can do differently. • Poor Teachers – high expectations for students and much lower expectations for themselves. Also, unrealistically high expectations for everyone else (principal to be perfect, parents to be flawless, students to be perfect, and peers to hold them in incredibly high regard). • Is accepting/allowing a student to earn a failing grade (F) and/or not completing the work an example of “high expectations”? • Absolutely not! It is the “lowest expectation” you can have for your students and must be unacceptable!

Behavior Students expected to behave Students expected to follow/obey rules Students expected to follow procedures Zero tolerance Misbehaving is not an option! Academic Students expected to complete/submit work? Students expected to follow directions of the assignment? Students expected to pass? Zero Tolerance? Failing is not an option! Expectations

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

Effective Grading Practices-Douglas B. Reeves, Ph.D. • To reduce failure rate, schools don’t need a new curriculum, a new administration, new teachers, or new technology. They just need a better grading system. • Grading seems to be regarded as the last frontier of individual teacher/school discretion. • The same school leaders and community members who would be indignant if referees, judges, etc. were inconsistent in their rulings continue to tolerate inconsistencies that have devastating effects on student achievement.

F (Fail) vs. I (Incomplete) • Goal – Student to complete the work. • WOO (Window of Opportunity) to complete missing assignments, re-test, re-submit, re-do etc. • Re -Do! Re-Take! Re-Test! Re-Submit!

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) • Assessments are used to provide the ladder for the student to crawl from his/her hole. Whether it is due to immaturity, behavior or cognitive readiness level, great teachers still provide the ladder. (Wormeli) • Distorted and inaccurate grades are little more than harsh punishment. Students want to throw down the ball and go home. They see no reason to play. Grades that reduce the negative effects of an imperfect grading system keep students in the game. (Marzano)

Better Students, Better School, Better Climate! Douglas B. Reeves, Ph.D • When grading policies improve, discipline and morale always improves! • When student failures decrease, student behavior improves, faculty morale is better, resources allocated to remedial courses and course repetitions are reduced, and resources invested in enrichment and other meaningful opportunities increase. • When was the last time a single change in a school accomplished all of that?

Students with Disabilities • ESE students are experts at: • Disruptions • Avoiding tasks • Performing below expectations Wouldn’t you disrupt, avoid tasks, and perform below expectations if the grading policy was slanted against you?

“Everyone who has a need to know about a student’s performance in school certainly can be told that she or he is “a nice student who tries hard,” but they also have a right to know the specific level of her or his knowledge in a particular subject at a given point in time.” -----Ken O’Connor

The Grade Book • Concepts NOT assignments! • “Page 87” tells us nothing! • If concepts are listed in the grade book: • Teachers can easily tell parents, students, and administrators what concepts are mastered. • IEP goals and objectives are easily written. • Incomplete grades can be given to individual concepts- helping to identify areas that need more instruction.

The ESE Teacher’s Grade Book • Grade books will list specific objectives/concepts • Grade books will NOT list individual homework/class work assignments • Grade books will NOT include entries for effort, behavior, attendance or attitude.

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

What is the point of homework?

Zero and the ESE Student • Are you saying that the ESE student retained zero percent of your instruction? • Are you grading effort and participation or mastery of a concept? • There has to be alternate methods to demonstrate mastery! • Can you achieve mastery by doing “page 87 numbers 1-24 even?”

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

Re-Teaching and Re-Testing • In Class re-teaching/retesting • After School re-teaching & Extra Help • Lunch/Recess re-teaching & Extra Help • Student Accountability • Builds Positive Relationships with Parents/Students

“What information provides the most accurate depiction of students’ learning at this time? In nearly all cases, the answer is ‘the most current information’. If students demonstrate that past assessment information no longer accurately reflects their learning, that information must be dropped and replaced by the new information.” --Guskey

Final Exams • Final Exam organized and graded byconcept (all concepts for the quarter) • Final Exam serves as last retest opportunity • Scores on Final Exam, if higher, will replace previously recorded scores • Overall Final Exam score entered in grade book as a single entry (as if it were a concept)

Accommodations • If the idea is concept mastery, why do we assign timed tasks? • Why do we require 25 correct demonstrations of the required task? • Wouldn’t it make sense to chunk the work into parts and re-teach after each part? • When the student demonstrates mastery, assess the concept formally.

“The use of an ‘I’ or ‘Incomplete’ grade is an alternative to assigning zeros that is both educationally sound and potentially quite effective.” --Guskey & Bailey

Incompletes • “I” Contracts- for both individual concepts and final grades. • Should clearly outline the desired learning outcomes. • Should allow time for re-teaching. • Communication with parents, students, and administration.

STUDENT CONTRACT FOR REMEDIATION OF FAILING GRADE Grading Period 1 2 3 4 _____ I, ________________________________, understand that my current grade for Reading Class is an F ( _____ % ), but will receive an “I” for Incomplete on the report card. _____ I understand that my teacher is giving me the opportunity to complete/retake specific assignments for the expressed purpose of not making a failing grade. _____ I understand that I have 3 weeks to improve my grade. All work, tests, and/or assignments that my teacher gives me are due on ___________________________ at the beginning of the period. _____ I understand it is my responsibility to complete this work at home. _____ I understand I must complete the work to get a good grade on it. I must give this work to my teacher to grade on or before the due date above. _____ I understand at the end of the 3 weeks my teacher will change my grade on the report card from an “I” to the appropriate grade after my work has been graded.

ESE Grading Policy • 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

Resources • O’Connor, “A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades” “How to Grade for Learning” • Marzano, “Assessment and Grading that Works” • Guskey, “Practical Solutions for Serious Problems in Standards-Based Grading”

Discipline and Grading Practices/Student Achievement Do you want to be right or do you want to solve the problem? -Dr. Phil

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.

Volusia County’s Approach To Classroom Management • CHAMPs assists classroom teachers to design (or fine tune) a proactive and positive classroom management plan that will overtly teach students how to behave responsibly. Easy implementation of the strategies in the CHAMPs will:* Reduce classroom disruptions and office referrals* Improve classroom climate* Increase student on-task behavior* Establish respectful and civil interactionsBy 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)

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 • False document • Horseplay • Minor disruption or disturbance of a school activity, class or campus • Tardiness • All level one offenses in the student code of conduct

DeLand Middle School Improvement Goal • 2008-2009 - to decrease the percentage of referrals for Male Students • One strategy - the implementation of an “I” (Incomplete) vs. an “F” (Failure)

“I” (Incomplete) vs. “F” (Failure) and it’s Impact on Discipline • Teachers assign an “I” (incomplete) vs. an “F” (failure) • This positive approach to grading elevates students self worth and gives the student a feeling of success that many have never felt. • Many behaviors are avoidance driven, and this approach to grading eliminates many of the behaviors students use to avoid looking inferior to their peers, thereby decreasing classroom misbehaviors and increasing student achievement • This, along with effective classroom management are key to a student’s success

Percentage Change from 2007-2008 to 2008-2009 for the Target Group • 2007-2008 - Male students represented 73.3% of referrals written at DeLand Middle School • 2008-2009 - Male students represented 62.5% of referrals written at DeLand Middle School • This represents a 10.8% decrease

Grading Practices Douglas Reeves, Ph.D.