Well, the book A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades is a lot more "controversial" than the last two books we read. I feel like I am a pretty progressive teacher, but some of the ideas in this book were very hard for me to swallow. I'm just going to go through each fix.
Fix #1 - Don't include student behaviors (effort, participation, adherence to class rules, etc.) in grades; include only achievement.
I just about fell off my chair when I read that! How, as an art teacher, in a performance based class can I NOT include effort and participation?!? I was very resistant to this at first. I understand what the author is saying about grades only measuring achievement, but part of their achieving the task IS effort. I was very concerned about this.
I took a look at my rubrics. Each one includes a section on effort. After some reflection, I am considering not grading that portion, but still including that feedback. Some effort is considered in the craftsmanship section, but I don't think I want to change that at this point.
Fix #2 - Don't reduce marks on work submitted late; provide support for the learner.
This is already a policy in my classroom. I still set due dates and collect the work. I tell the students that if it is incomplete or they just want to improve their grade, they can resubmit it at anytime and I will regrade it with no penalty. I have found this to be successful in my classroom. Most students who are not done with a project complete it within a week of the due date. I was worried about the end of the quarter, getting an influx of projects and papers to grade, but that really didn't happen. I think the students deserve credit for the work they have done, so I won't penalize for lateness. I hear others say that "in the real world there are deadlines." Yeah, I know, but sometimes you can't meet those deadlines. My first quarter at RHS I didn't get my report cards in on time. I was a new teacher, projects were stacked to the ceiling, and I was still learning how to use the gradebook. Did I get fired? No. I called my principal, told him the situation, and we came up with a solution. Most deadlines are flexible (to an extent) even in the real world.
Fix #3 - Don't give points for extra credit or use bonus points; seek only evidence that more work has resulted in a higher level of achievement.
I do not offer bonus points in my class. This is mainly because I don't see the point. If it is an important question, it should be on the test. If isn't relevant (ie. what's my first name) it shouldn't be on the test.
Fix #4 - Don't punish academic dihonesty with reduced grades; apply other consequesnces and reassess to determine actual level of achievement.
As long as there is some other sort of consequence I'm fine with this. It will require me to change my classroom policy. Right now, at the beginning of the year, I have my students sign an academic integrity contract. We go over it thoroughly in class. They know exactly what I mean by plagiarism, cheating, and lying, and how they apply to my class. We go over the consequences for each one. I tell them that if they choose to break this rule, they choose to deal with the consequence. The reason I started this is because I had issues with plagiarism my first year. There was no policy for the school. So, when I reported it to the office, they told me to take care of it. I think there needs to be a school-wide policy on this.
Fix #5 - Don't consider attendance in grade determination; report absences separately.
Do people do this? I have never ancountered a teacher or school that graded on attendance. Hmm.
Fix #6 - Don't include group scores in grades; use only individual achievement evidence.
I have always given individual scores, even for group work. You should only be evaluated on YOUR work, not the work of others. You only have control over yourself.
