Middle school provided little challenge to me and that was the same all the way thru high school too (with the exception of math). Looking back I earned high marks, I could have done better that is without question, but my 3.5 was a happy place for me to be. I don't remember working very hard at the books at all, many a night my mom would ask me "where are your books?" I would reply like it was a dumb question with "In my locker..."
My point of this post is simple. I did very very little in school and yet I got by with honor roll, national honors society, etc... how? Inflated grades. I was fortunate enough to go to school during the time period of education I did. Did my 3.5 actually stand for what I knew? I am not sure, but today in education (at least in Olentangy) that 3.5 means you have a 3.5. Let me explain.
How many of you reading this received participation points? Homework completion points? Binder organization points? (unless you teach elem. and this is a standard for them to meet) extra credit for bringing ol' teach a box of tissues? Explain to me how any of that should be factored into your final grade, the final grade that is supposed to reflect what you have learned. It doesn't. I graded that way my first four years of teaching, and I was stupid. I inflated kids grades left and right with things like I mentioned above, but the dawn of the more effective assessment is here. Now I, along with our district and many others, are giving grades for what counts, the assessments. I give on average 3 at most 4 grades per 9 weeks. Those of you that went to school in our era of 65 assignments are scoffing. I ask you why? I am willing to bet that my 3 to 4 grades are a more accurate assessment of what you know compared to the A you're pulling because you raise your hand a lot in class, and boy was your binder neat. My kids receive an A, and they have A knowledge. If they don't we continue to take that test over and over until they have that knowledge down.
If you are a teacher and still give points for this ridiculous stuff, change, change fast because you're contributing to our students lack of superior knowledge...if you have a young one and they attend a school that is still behind the curve demand more from your district and teachers.
2 comments:
I've actually never done homework. I keep buying 5,000 boxes of kleenex at the beginning of each year. Lone behold, it still works in college.
Right on brother man....we are at 15% max HW in Dublin the last 2 years. I just don't know how you get true grades when you have test corrections, quiz corrections on your assessment grades. So what is a true grade?
However, I think its heading in the right direction. But hold the phones if grades are not inflated because someone has to explain that Susie is not an A student anymore because she doesn't get notebook points.
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