90/10 Grading System. What do you think?

[daughtersrus]

Our school district is considering a new grading system where test scores, or summative assessments, will account for 90 percent of a student’s grade, and 10 percent can be based on the teacher’s assessment of the student in compliance activities, such as homework, class work, practice drills and perceived effort.

If a student gets a D or F, on a test, they will be required to retake the test. If the test grade is above a D, the teacher will decide if a retake will be allow.

This policy change would be for students in middle school and high school.

 

[Mandychelle79]

I have had college classes like this. It has its good and bad points. Especially if the teacher and student have a personality conflict.

 

[Magpie]

I don't know about middle school... kids are already under such heavy pressure at that age, with puberty and everything.

But I'd be okay with it in high school. Most of my university courses were like that, and high school should be preparing kids for higher learning.

You know... my kids' high school does summatives. I've never asked how they're weighted!

 

[tlbwriter]

Bad news for kids who don't test well, or who may not be at their best on that one particular day. I hate to see daily work (assignments, projects, perceived effort) count for so little.

 

[kamik86]

I didn't have classes where so much was dependent on test grades until Grad school. Even my undergrad generally had enough homework or projects to make up alot of the rest.

It didn't bother me as I usually test well though, what would annoy me is the retest policy.

So If I know the night before I'm unprepared for a test I shouldn't even try to study at all. Actually I should try to make sure I fail the test so I can retake it and study. Because if I study and do my best and get a low C I"m stuck with the low C.

I always hated when teachers let some students be allowed to redo things but not everyone. Because the person that retakes the test could get an A the second time and have an A but if I tried and got a C the first time I can't retake it and get an A.

 

[golfgal]

Oh, I would so NOT want to be a teacher with this system....for every B that a student earns a teacher is going to get a call from an irate parent yelling at the teacher because she doesn't like their child and that is why the child got a B....

 

[Hannathy]

I'm very surprised this is something new. Grades have been this way in our schools already. And there is no automatic retake of tests. Some teachers will do retakes, most don't though.

I see no problem with this.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Our school district is considering a new grading system where test scores, or summative assessments, will account for 90 percent of a student’s grade, and 10 percent can be based on the teacher’s assessment of the student in compliance activities, such as homework, class work, practice drills and perceived effort.

If a student gets a D or F, on a test, they will be required to retake the test. If the test grade is above a D, the teacher will decide if a retake will be allow.

This policy change would be for students in middle school and high school.

At my dd's HS, the grading is as follows for a quarter one. Now that I am looking at it, it is mind boggling.

Her history class...
10% are homework
30% are quizzes
40% are tests
20% is the quarter final

Her Biology class
Summative Tests are 70%
Quizzes/activities are 30%

(for second quarter the final is 20% of her grade)

Editing to say every class is different. Interesting....

 

[Hannathy]

I just re-read this and I'm curious. So all classes have to grade like this? There is no teacher choice? In our district the only ting defined by the district is the percentage needed for an A and that is 93 and above, etc.

Some teachers grade heavily on tests, others on quizzes, etc.

 

[golfgal]

I just re-read this and I'm curious. So all classes have to grade like this? There is no teacher choice? In our district the only ting defined by the district is the percentage needed for an A and that is 93 and above, etc.

Some teachers grade heavily on tests, others on quizzes, etc.

Our district doesn't even have a standard percentage scale, it is all determined by the individual teacher. Usually in the "extra" required classes, music, fine arts, etc. the scale is lower, 92% and above is an A, but in the core classes, especially honors/AP, 94% and above is an A, several classes 70% and below is failing. Subjective grading in K-12 just isn't a good idea

 

[luvmy3]

Our school district is considering a new grading system where test scores, or summative assessments, will account for 90 percent of a student’s grade, and 10 percent can be based on the teacher’s assessment of the student in compliance activities, such as homework, class work, practice drills and perceived effort.

If a student gets a D or F, on a test, they will be required to retake the test. If the test grade is above a D, the teacher will decide if a retake will be allow.

This policy change would be for students in middle school and high school.

Grades should be based on academics and actual acomplishments. Grades, or who can re-take a test should not be based on anything thats "perceived".

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Most colleges have a "class participation" component of their grades, which is fully based on the professor/teacher interpretation of the students class participation. Students often have a hard time with this in the first semester of college. If high school was geared to help with this transition into college, I think it would be a good thing.

In my opinion, class participation is the equivalent of ones ability to work in the business world with others, including superiors. In the work world, what you know and how accurately you complete your work is a large percentage of your success, but it's the ability to participate, interact, etc with your peers and superiors that make up the rest. How you handle those who disagree with you, can make or break one's career.

 

[daughtersrus]

I just re-read this and I'm curious. So all classes have to grade like this? There is no teacher choice? In our district the only ting defined by the district is the percentage needed for an A and that is 93 and above, etc.

Some teachers grade heavily on tests, others on quizzes, etc.

This would be a district-wide policy for all teachers (except those in self-contained SpEd classes) in grades 6-high school. The only thing left up to the individual teacher would be whether or not to allow retakes of tests for students with scores higher than D.

 

[manning]

Except for an essay or term paper, I never could see why homework should be included in a a grade. I know one teacher that didn't include it. He told us right off the bat he will grade the work, but not include it in the grade. If you don't do the homework it is impossible to pass the tests.

It sure taught me to be responsible. If I slacked off and failed a test, my dad would say "if you did what you had to do, you would have passed."

 

[Robindianne]

Our school district is considering a new grading system where test scores, or summative assessments, will account for 90 percent of a student’s grade, and 10 percent can be based on the teacher’s assessment of the student in compliance activities, such as homework, class work, practice drills and perceived effort.

If a student gets a D or F, on a test, they will be required to retake the test. If the test grade is above a D, the teacher will decide if a retake will be allow.

This policy change would be for students in middle school and high school.

I think this quote is applicable:

Now it is the view of the Ministry
that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient
to get you through your examination,
which, after all, is what school is all about.

~ Professor Umbridge, Hogwarts Wizarding School
​

 

[MoonFaerie]

Most colleges have a "class participation" component of their grades, which is fully based on the professor/teacher interpretation of the students class participation. Students often have a hard time with this in the first semester of college. If high school was geared to help with this transition into college, I think it would be a good thing.

I agree. All of my 100 & 200 level classes have a class participation part of the grade. Sometimes it's a very significant portion. My upper division humanities/social sciences still have a portion that's participation based. It's just my 300/400 level sciences that are strictly exams only for the grade.