Check out my post if you’re interested: http://mctownsley.blogspot.com/2009/04/grading-points-vs-learning.html

I guess we need to examine our assessment policies.

Q – How do we measure what students know at a micro level?
A – Formally, quizzes; informally, classwork and homework.

Q – How do we measure at a macro level?
A – Tests, portfolios, POWs, projects, etc.

Do we really need to grade classwork? I say no. I started teaching 9 years ago and I’ve never once graded a classwork and I almost never deal with students not doing classwork. I’m not saying I’m the greatest teacher in the world–I’m continually surprised that they do it, but I think that says something that they feel comfortable experimenting and trying when they know it won’t be graded.

Now I know part of how I screwed up the process – I was to damn transparent.

@Dan – I struggle with this same problem. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s the kids you have to get on board…it’s the parents. Many of the students in my classes are completely over-scheduled. They have club sports, music lessons, religious education/church youth group, Chinese school, etc. Their parents have trained them to figure out what affects their grades and what doesn’t (and the parents discuss it amongst themselves when they’re on the soccer fields, in parking lots, …) and then they tell the students not to worry about things that won’t “hurt them.” So I’m stuck. Do I assign credit for “classwork” or not? My current take is to assign daily credit based on effort and participation. If a student takes reasonable notes, completes practice problems, and participates in any group problem-solving acitivities…they receive credit. Students who complete less than 100% of the practice receive less than 100% of the points proportionally. I collect notes/classwork on the day of the test so kids have them to use for studying. I’d love to figure out another way, but everything else I’ve tried ends up with students not caring.

These are the decisions that are most interesting, though. And what do we do with the admission that this is common practice? I don’t think you will (or even that you should) mention that those assignments weren’t graded. It’s operating off student ignorance of the system, but it really is for the greater good. Students make bad choices. One of our jobs as teachers is to help them make good ones. This is a way of doing that.

I have convictions but no courage in them, in other words.

If they bring in a draft of an upcoming writing assignment, that’s usually 10 points. For a second draft, I glance to see if changes have been made and throw 20 points down. Process grades. Keep in mind that the final writing assignment is 500 points.

A few years ago, I didn’t put anything but the final product into the gradebook. My kids were pissed about me and my class once they figured it out (January) and I don’t think it lead to any more authentic grading. I try to enter grades for everything because the big assignments, the ones that I *wish* were the only ones in the gradebook, are worth so much that none of the little stuff really makes a difference. But it matters enough to the students to compel them to complete it. Without that carrot, they don’t and their final product suffers.

Sounds like you’ve got a different vibe going, Dan. I wish I only had final assessments in my gradebook and try to creep closer to that each year. I just know that when I’ve tried it, I nearly had a revolt and certainly had students taking my class far less seriously. But there is that practice paragraph we wrote in class last week that isn’t going down for a grade. I hope no one mentions it.