Grading

Description

Features

• Numerous samples of K-12 students' work, ready for grading, provide hands-on practice in what the text is teaching-gives readers a genuine feel for assessing and comparing work, and creating a grading paradigm that's comfortable.
• Writing that sounds like that of a teacher, as opposed to sounding overly dense or didactic, speaks to prospective teachers in a “voice” that's appealing and friendlywhich helps demystify the rationale for grading as well as the grading process.
• Emphasis on self-reflection, evident throughout the material, especially at the outset, encourages future teachers to divest themselves of the “baggage” they carry in regard to grading-guides them on the road to developing a productive disposition toward the required task of grading.
• A final chapter on alternative forms of communicating student achievement examines other ways of “assessing” performance, such as portfolios, narratives, parent-teacher conferences, etc., to give readers a broad-based repertoire of skills in the assessment arena.
• A comprehensive assignmentafter each text section assists readers to gauge how well they've integrated major concepts from the previous chapters and allows for them to apply their understanding to exercises that reflect realistic educational situations.
• A Key Concepts listat the start of each chapter sets the stage for chapter content by identifying for readers the core concepts covered in the chapter and presenting a focal point for student attention.
• Questions and Practice Exercises after each chapter help readers assess their understanding of chapter content and constitute handy vehicles for developing practical grading skills.

New to this Edition

NEW-Thoroughly updated and revised-Changes reflect the current events in educational assessment, legal issues, standards-based report cards, and references used throughout the text.

NEW-Chapter Six-Combines the content from Chapters Six and Seven of the first edition, making the text one chapter shorter.

NEW-Features new and updated information about standards-based report cards-and the growing interest in this movement which has increased since the publication of the first edition.

NEW-Section on Legal Issues-Featured in Chapter 2 has been completely rewritten to reflect recent changes.

Table of Contents

Why Grading

Purposes for Grading

Definitions of Terms

Organization

Self-Reflection: Now and Later

The Historical Context of Grading

Current Context of Grading

Social Context of Grading

Legal Context of Grading

Student Perceptions

Influence of Grading Practices on Motivation to Learn

Functions of Feedback to Students

The Classroom Assessment Environment

Matching Assessment and Instruction

Paper-and-Pencil Tests

Novel Applications are Required to Tap Higher Order Thinking

Performance Assessments

Scoring Is Part of the Match

Chapter 5    Deciding on the Bases for Grading

Formative and Summative Evaluation

Bases for Grading

Kinds of Grading Schemes

Assessment Versus Grading

Chapter 6    Providing Grades and Other Feedback to Students

Providing Informative Feedback

Student Involvement in Assessment

Grading Is a Skill

Grading Tests

Grading Projects, Term Papers, and Written Reports

Final Thoughts

Grades Should Reflect Achievement

Report Card Formats

Grading Policies

Grade-Point Averages

Self-Reflection Is Critical

Grading in Special Education

Grading in Early Childhood

Grading in Elementary and Secondary Classrooms

Arriving at a Categorical Grade

Arriving at a Letter Grade via Rubrics

Arriving at a Letter Grade via Points

Electronic Methods: Gradebook Packages, Web-Based Systems

Sending Work Home

A Communication Process

Portfolios

Narratives

Parent-Teacher, Student-Teacher, or Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

Back Cover

Whatever his/her feeling about grades, nearly every teacher must give them. That's the rationale behind this straightforward text-helping prospective teachers to understand grading and learn to do it well. Grading, Second Edition continues to be the resource staying true to its original intent-to help current and future teachers begin to see themselves as competent graders. The text focuses on explaining how grades function in schools and schooling, and on developing skills in grading work and creating report cards. Based on current research and informed by the author's experience, the text is replete with detailed explanations, stories and illustrations, student work samples, sample report cards and other school artifacts, and references for further study. Organized into three major parts (Understanding Grading, Integrating Assessment and Instruction, and Combining Grades Into Marks for Report Cards), with the added encouragement of self-reflection at the onset and throughout, the text fully prepares current teachers and those working toward that goal to refine and perfect a simple, yet compelling function in the process of school, grading.

New to the second edition:

• The text has been thoroughly updated and revised to reflect the current events in educational assessment, legal issues, standards-based report cards, and references used throughout the text.
• Chapter Six combines the content from Chapters Six and Seven of the first edition, making the text one chapter shorter.
• Features revised information about standards-based report cards and the growing interest in this movement which has increased since the publication of the first edition.
• Section on Legal Issues featured in Chapter 2 has been completely rewritten to reflect the recent changes in education law.