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A Teacher Researches a
Middle School's Grading Practices
[Frequent Middle-L contributor Susan L. Ray, an eighth grade math teacher
in suburban Louisville, KY, reports on some qualitative research she conducted
about grading practices.]
Since we are still on the subject of grades and grading practices, I thought
that I'd share some things I found out on the topic of grades and pose some
questions for "thought." Last year, as part of a graduate class,
I had to learn how to do research and our professor thought that the best
way to learn this was by choosing a topic and conducting research. I've
been fascinated by grades and grading practices for a long time so I decided
to do a qualitative study on the grading practices of a middle school.
The principal of the school chose seven teachers based on a variety of demographics
such as age, number of years teaching, subject area, gender, philosophy,
etc. I interviewed each teacher and asked a variety of questions. By the
time I was finished, I had information on grading systems, teachers philosophies
on grades, etc. Here are some of my findings:
1) None of the teachers had the same grading system although some portions
of systems were the same or similar.
2) With the exception of the gifted/talented seminar teacher, none of the
teachers included students or parents in the grading process (construction
of grading system).
3) All teachers believed that effort should be included when deciding report
card grades. In some cases, a teacher would pass a child who did not understand
the material if s/he put forth effort.
5) Lower functioning/special ed kids were given preferential treatment over
gifted/talented kids. In other words, if a low functioning student was on
the fence and had put forth effort, s/he would get the higher grade but
a gifted/talented student who had not put forth as much effort and was on
the fence would not get the higher grade.
6) By definition, an "A" on one class wasn't determined by the
same criteria as an "A" in another class. For instance, in one
class the "A" would be determ ined by the number of points earned.
In another, it was based on a rubric. In another, students earned grades
by showing up to class, paying attention and having all their materials
and completing assignments.
7) With one exception, teachers indicated that students "earn"
grades. The gifted/talented seminar teacher said that grades are strictly
a decision made by a teacher to please parents and the system.
With all of this in mind, I pose the following questions:
1) Can grades be valid or reliable if everyone has a different system? How
do parents and students know what an "A" is?
2) Could it be possible that grades are another way to sort kids? Is this
done so that parents and teachers can compare one child to another: "My
child is an "A" student, what is yours?
3) What do grades mean? What is an "A"? A percentage of correct
answers?
4) What information do grades give to teachers and parents? What do you
know about the "B" student who comes into your room the first
day of school? Did they know their content? Did they show good effort? 5)
Are grades necessary? If not, what could we do? If so, why?
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