Grading;

Academic Feedback & Assessment

A+ 100%

F

65%

BC

D-

1 2

3 4

The beginning of grading systems we know today…

•In the 1800’s students were taught in one room classrooms.

•Teachers reported students progress orally to parents, usually in their home over a meal or cup of tea.

•Students remained on their grade level until they mastered the curriculum.

•Between 1870-1910 federal mandatory attendance laws created an influx of students.

•Students were separated by grades.

•Secondary schools began using percentages for academic assessment because of the volume of students.

•In 1912, two researchers Starch & Elliot experimented on the subjectivity of teacher assessment.

•They discovered a wide disparity in grades rewarded by teachers.

•This subjectivity resulted in the scaling of numeric grades into letter grades to reduce variation.

Grade Percentage Comment

A 90-100 Excellent

B 80-89 Above Average

C 70-79 Average

D 60-69 Below Average

F 0 - 59 Failure

4 Steps for Assessment(Caldwell,2002)

1. Identify what we want to assess.

2. Collect evidence.

3. Analyze the evidence.

4. Make a decision and act on the decision.

Traditional Formal Grading Method

Pros

• Quick and easy for teachers to calculate and record.

• Chromatic variants may be used (+, -).

• Immediate grade recognition.

• Motivates students to strive.

• Acknowledged by colleges for admittance standards.

Cons

• Ambiguous feedback; does not explain areas for improvement.

• Applies a quantitative scale to a qualitative process.

• Inconsistent standards between ordinal number grades.

• Anything less than an “A” is perceived as negative feedback.

• Encourages shallow learning.

Out with the oldgrading methods…

In with the new…

Rubrics

What is Rubrics?

• Rubrics is a holistic approach to assessment that was developed in the 1960’s by the Educational Testing Services(ETS).

• Rubric is a flexible assessment tool that provides students with a detailed framework of standards before beginning the task.

Rubric can be created for any content area including…

Music

Art

Science

Drama

WritingMath

Languages

Physical Education

Creating a Rubric1. Identify exactly what is to be scored.2. Define the scale (point range) of the rubric.3. Create descriptions for each performance level.4. Define a continuum of quality, and performance levels.

Beginning

1

Developing

2

Accomplished

3

Exemplary

4

Score

Task 1 Performance

Criteria

PerformanceCriteria

Performance

Criteria

Feedback

Task 2 Performance

Criteria

PerformanceCriteria

Performance

Criteria

Feedback

Task3 Performance

Criteria

.Performance

CriteriaPerformanc

eCriteria

Feedback

Task 4 Performance

Criteria

PerformanceCriteria

Performance

Criteria

Feedback

Beginning

1

Developing

2

Accomplished

3

Exemplary

4

Score

Contributions to group discussions.

Participation was minimal.

Observations were made about

the work as a whole.

Included details about from

several viewpoints.

Comments

Journal Entries/Word Bank

Few words transcribed

Word list generated.

New vocabulary used in context.

Comments

Written comparison of similarities

between art and writing.

Few ideas expressed, with little or no usage

of new vocabulary.

Some new vocabulary used

Writing shows examples of

comparisons.

Comments

Correct usage and writing mechanics.

Complete sentences with

correct capitalization and

punctuation.

Final draft utilizes complete

sentences and one main idea

per paragraph.

Shows evidence of revision, editing and

proofreading.

Comments

Rubric Example

Rubric System

Pros

• Provides students with detailed framework of standards prior to task.

• Motivates students to improve methods, adjust effort and evaluate goals.

• Encourages deep learning.• Supports objective testing.

• Time consuming for teachers to formulate and report.

• Relies on teacher judgment and subjectivity.

• Students ignore lengthy feedback explanations.

• Criteria standards to earn “4” is subjective to policy standards.

Cons

• YouTube - Grading Assesment

Why has the numeric/letter method endured?

How can the Rubrics method work for you and your students?

Works Cited

• Caldwell, Joanne (2002). Reading Assessment: A Primer for Teachers and Tutors. New York, NY: Guilford.

• Draper, Stephen W.. "What are learners actually regulating when given feedback?." British Journal of Educational Technology. 40(2009): 306-315.

• http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/rubrics.htm#advantages • Freedman, Sarah Warshauer (1993).Linking Large-Scale Testing and Classroom Portfolio Assessment of

Student Writing. Educational Assessment. 1, 27-52 • Koivula, Nathalie, Peter Hassmen, and Darwin P. Hunt. "Performance on the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude

Test: Effects of Self-Assessment and Gender." Sex Roles 44(2001): 629-642. • http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=WhatIs&module=Rubistar

• http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/rubrics/

• http://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Fall_2006/TC_Fall_2006_Little.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9BQx9X-Lmohtm