FIAE+Chapter+12+Block+2

Synthesis FIAE C12 B2

This chapter went into an in depth description of what the differences and similarities are in the one hundred point grading scale and the four point grading scale. When using the four-point grading scale the teacher will have an easier time grading assignments that are using a rubric. However, when grading things such as tests, quizzes, or homework a one hundred point grading scale is more appropriate and more accurate. On a four point rubric the scale is more cut and dry where as the one hundred point scale has a lot more “wiggle room”.
 * **Names** || **Abstract** || **Reflection** ||
 * Barnes Mckell || Chapter 12 titled Grading Scales in the book Fair Isn’t Always Equal talks about the different grading scales teachers can use. There are two popular grading scales that teachers use: the 4-point scale and the 100 point scale. It is important for teachers to not just grade mathematically, there needs to be other factors when a teacher decides a final grade. Creating rubrics for our student is a great way for teachers to assess. Rubrics set expectations that are clearly put out on paper for the students to see. The book also suggests that if a teacher is going to use a 100 point grading scale they should keep the grading scale on a lower level so it is more realistic. || I like the idea of using a 100 point grading scale. I think it is more realistic and students are able to understand how well they are doing easier. The idea of creating rubrics for every assessment seems to be a lot of work but I think it is a good idea. With the online tool that allows you to create rubrics easily I think rubrics should be used more often in classes. I also like the idea of not coming out with final grades by pure mathematics. I think there should also be some teacher discretion. ||
 * Brennick Christopher || This chapter looks at, which of the grading scale supports students learning. The chapter points out strengths and weakness of both systems. The chapter does, however, argue that the 4.0 scale is better because it provides students and parents with better feedback. This is because each number is connected rubrics with clear benchmarks. These rubrics can also do a better job at grading the process and not just a final project and this will give students better feedback to support learning. This chapter also gives us labels we can use that will also give clear direction to students || I really liked this chapter because I agree that 4.0 scale is needed to give students clear feedback and direction. I think that the 100 point scale is way to big and hard to use epically when you consider we only use less then half of it. It is hard to tell the difference between a 92 and 93 because those numbers do not have benchmarks sitting next to them. There is a big difference in a 3 or a 4 because you can see the parts of the standard you did not meet or exceed. ||
 * Columbia Laura || Chapter twelve of Fair Isn't Always Equal focuses on grading scales. Two different types of grading scales were compared. A smaller grading scale such as 1-4 and a larger scale based on 100. It is important to have grades be consistent throughout a school, such as teachers A's would be similar if not measuring the same level of mastery as other teacher's A's. Teachers were also warned not just mathematically average grades. It is important that grades show what students have mastered and not just a number. In conclusion it is important not to punish students that learn differently or at a different pace, the main goal is that they learn the material. || This chapter had a lot of good information, I think the most important message was on how to select your grading scale. There are some instances in which the 100 point scale works well, such as quick quizzes. Yet, for the most part a lower scale, such as a 1-5 gives more understanding to what level the student is at. It is difficult to think like this, because in almost all of my classes I have been graded on a 100 point scale. Yet, in the conclusion of the chapter it was emphasized that we need to learn to teach differently and grade differently, not just how we were graded. ||
 * Coombs Kayla || Chapter twelve, “Grading Scales” discusses the multiple scales that can be used to grade students effectively. For consistency, smaller scales should be use and all teachers within a school or district should agree upon point-value descriptions. There are many different grading scales, with some that are more similar to the more traditional 4-point scale than others. One should hand out rubrics before applying 4-point scales to students’ projects and tests. One problem that came up was whether or not it would benefit the students to grade them on effort and how they approached the right answers or concepts, even if the final product or answer was not correct. Some argue that it is not right to grade them on this, but they must consider that most students are still in the concept attainment stage, and are still learning and evolving. In differentiated classrooms teachers grade on a trend, and emphasize the students’ patterns of performance over time. || This chapter discusses a lot of interesting factors and elements of grading scales. I have always known the same grading scale in my schooling career, which is: A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, F=0-59. I was surprised that so many different grading scales are used. I would never consider a 60 failing, but I will be flexible when I am a teacher! ||
 * Cummons Michael || This chapter of FIAE is all about grading scales. There are many different kinds of scales that can be used. There is the one hundered point scale. The one hundered point scale is very common. The four point scale is also very common. The four point scale is good because it is easy to explain when using a rupric. It is also a more flexible rubric. (Grades do not have to be 1,2,3,4, but, 1.2, 3.8, etc.) Consitancy is very imortant when using a grading scale in the classroom. Rubrics should be very clearcut for every assignment. || I really liked this chapter. Grading scales were never something that I ever really thought of. I know see that certain grading scales are better than others in different ways. The point of grading systems should be to help students learn better, NOT to punish students. I am leaning toward ajn 100 point scale when I am a teacher because it seems easier to organize, however, I am not exactly sure what is a more effective one as far has helping students understand material better. Observing different teachers will most certainly help as time goes on. ||
 * Damboise Kelley || Chapter twelve, of Fair Isn’t Always Equal, focuses on the two different grading scales that are used most frequently; the 4-point scale and the 100-point scale. Author Rick Wormeli advocates for the use of a 4-point scale for most assessments because this point scale allows for flexibility when determining the appropriate grade for a student. It is much easier for a teacher to justify how and why the teacher graded the student the way he or she did when the teacher has a rubric that states what the requirements are for that assignment. In the chapter it talks about how stressful it can be to create a rubric and continue formatting it so that the rubric can maximize students learning. Rubrics can be time consuming, but once a teacher figures out how to use them and maximize the criteria the student must meet, this becomes a great way to assess students work. The 4-point scale also allows room to be flexible when grading. Sometimes a student may not completely fit into the 3 category, for instance. If the student was almost to a 4 but not quite there the teacher could give this student a 3.8 if the felt that is where they student belonged. || I think that the 4-point scale is one of the better grading scales because for the most part teachers use a rubric to help them in determining a student’s score. Also, the students know exactly what is required of them to do because it is written in the rubric. While working with my mentor teacher the students were required to write a letter to the superintendent explaining why soda machines should be taken out of the school. My mentor only mentioned to the students that the letter had to be half a page long to get an eighty, and that they must use some statistical facts to support their letter to the superintendent. When it came time to grade the papers it was a mess. There was no justification system as to why one student received a certain grade compared to the other students. It is important to be proficient when using either form of the grading scales. ||
 * Kelley Kathleen || Chapter twelve of First isn’t Always Equal discussed the background and rationale behind certain grading scales and how they impact an individuals grades. This chapter began by the two different grading scales that are used in schools across the country; a small grading scale which is based on points (similar to the one we are graded on), and a larger grading scale which is based around percentages. Wormeli discusses the idea that grades based on a small scale are less subjective and are less likely to show distortions in an individual grade. This is because the small scales are based around criteria that has been set. When a grade is based on percentages, there are no clear criteria associated that describes the level of mastery achieved. The book also discusses how the one hundred point grading scale doesn’t take into account how you got to your conclusion or whether or not there were good points to it. It is either right or wrong. Rubrics, which are usually given before the assignment, let you prepare for exactly what you need to know. It is also ok to miss some information with rubrics. It isn’t an all or nothing set up. || Before I had read this chapter, I had never really understood the basis behind using rubrics for projects and why some classes and exams were based on a scale of three-hundred points. After reading this chapter I have more of an understanding of why rubrics are one of the most common forms of assessment. I also have been thinking about the larger grading scales more in depth, and they no longer make that much sense to me. I used to think that if a class or test were based off of a large number of points, then I would have a better chance at doing well in the class. Now I realize that I might have done better or received more partial credit had it been based on a smaller scale because instead of the answer being yes or no, I would have been able to fulfill most of the criteria ||
 * Knowles Christina || In this chapter we learned about different grading methods. Teachers do not pick the ways their student’s final grades are read, usually school districts decide that. But teachers should be thinking about how their student’s grades are being read. Some schools have A’s ranging from 80-100 and others have A’s ranging from 94-100. Grading systems can be very different in each school district. || This chapter I felt was interesting because I felt that with one of the grading systems, I would have been a straight A student in high school. But in another grading system I would have been a very different student. My friends and I were talking about the different grading systems our schools had and I seemed to be the only one who had 90-100 equal an A. I think it is a little weird to have such different grading systems. ||
 * Mourkas Margaret ||  ||

I will definitely be using more four point scales than one hundred point scales in my classroom. I feel the four point rubric style scale is a more accurate showing of mastery on the student’s behalf. Granted, I understand that on some assignments such as tests and quizzes a one hundred point scale might be more accurate. Using a larger scale gives students a false sense of hope when it comes to their grades. If I saw a big number I always assumed it was better. However, I know now that if everything had been done on the four point system my grades would have more accurately reflected my mastery.

Chapter 12 discussed grading scales and how to use the different types of them. The 100 point system and the 4.0 scale were the two that were talked about the most. They showed how simply giving a zero at one point instead of the 50 or 60 can ruin a student’s grade but how on the 4.0 scale it doesn’t effect it was much. The 4.0 scale is more detailed because it includes rubrics and has much more defined standards. Basically it boiled down to grading on clearly defined criteria as being a good practice and grading on mathematical averages as a bad practice. Combinations of these two scales can work at times or even converting from one scale to another can be a useful tool. The last thing they talked about was eliminating the (-) end of the numerical grades because these have negative connotations. I wish some teacher at my school had practiced giving students 50s or 60s instead of zeros. I know a lot of students who may have tried harder and not given up if they could feasibly get their grades back up. One quote that jumped out at me was from an assistant principal who said, “If teachers are just mathematically averaging grades, we’re in bad shape.” (Page 153) I think I will us a combination of the 100 point system and the 4.0 scale. I will use the 100 point scale for quick quizzes and homework and the 4.0 scale for projects and such. This chapter is based on grading scales and how they can be either very effective in giving feedback or very skewed. We are told within the first page that the smaller the scale we are working with the more accurate and reliable the grading is going to be. We are shown for instance the two scales (0-100) and (1.0-4.0). The chapter tells us that the idea behind these smaller scales will help educators from grading based solely on mathematical calculations. We also read that these smaller scales make grading an easier process as well. An educator can just look across the bored and find the mode and use that as the grade, rather than averaging a large number of grades. The chapter than gives the situation of a student getting a B and what do we do if it is a high B or a low B. The chapter states that we should do nothing and that by doing nothing we aren’t being dismissive, but that determining if the B is high or low does not really show a distinctive difference in mastery. We then see grading on specific math problems and show that a student’s grades should not be based just on whether they got the right answer, but determined by all the factors that make up the problem as well, this way a wrong answer generated by a simple error does not ruin a grade. The chapter then moves on to talk more about high and low grades and says that the minus (low version) of a letter grade should be abolished because that symbol destroys confidence and work ethic. I agreed with a lot of what the chapter had to say. Probably the bit of insight I agreed with the most was the idea that minus grades should be nonexistent. I think that there is really nothing worse you can do with a grading system than tell a student that they are a B, but shitty B, and this idea is applicable to any of the letter grades. I also highly agreed with the math example that a student should be graded on every step of the way to solving a problem as apposed to just the answer itself, that way a student will lose points for where they went wrong, and the answer, but all the parts that were right still give that student some credit. When it comes to the grading scales I’ll admit that I am a big fan of the (0-100) scale. I am not a mathematical person at all so (0-100) fits well in my mind percentage wise and I can understand the importance of a (1.0-4.0) scale, but and not nearly as comfortable with it. By far the most important piece of information I gathered/agree with is that a C+ is a much more motivating grade than a B-.
 * O'Neil Christopher || Chapter twelve discusses different grading scales. The chapter introduces the two different grading scales, the 100-point scale and the 4-point scale. Readers are also introduced to the reasoning for using each of the grading scales. The 4-point scale is much easier to use for classes that have assignments that use rubrics. It is easier to grade these assignments with the 4-point scale because of the rubrics. Classes that are based around quizzes and tests are easier to grade with the 100-point scale. The 4-point scale is a much more credible scale as well. The numbers are based around clearly defined criteria and are hard to argue against when everything is put into mathematical calculation. Whereas with the 100-point scale, the points are more subjective because the teacher determines the number of points each assignment is worth and how much the student will get on the assignment. || I feel that after reading this chapter, I will most likely use the 4-point scale. This is because it is easier to define the grades given in the 4-point scale. Students will also have a much clearly defined explanation as to what is expected of them and what they need to do to earn a good grade. It will be harder for them to argue their grades because everything is mathematically calculated. Because of this, I will most likely use this grading scale in my classroom. It will be easier to use and will lead to fewer grading errors in the classroom. ||
 * Richardson Cassandra || Chapter twelve discussed the different grading methods, and scales that are used. The most common in secondary education, at least, it seemed to me, was the hundred-point scale, where each letter grade has a corresponding numerical area. However, different schools and different districts define letter grades differently depending on their scale or definition of passing grades. Another scale frequently used is the four point scale. || Being made aware that there were more grading scales than just the standard hundred point scale was kind of eye-opening. It’s interesting to see and kind of predict which scales would work better for different activities. However, as far as overall cumulative grades are concerned, I have a feeling that most secondary schools would be partial to the hundred-point scale because of it’s efficiency and user-friendliness. ||
 * Trundy Monique || In chapter twelve Wormeli covers grading scales. He mentions the Logic Rule, which pertains to grading with rubrics. The rule states that if a teacher sees mostly four and fives it is logical to give the student an A, likewise if the teacher sees mostly threes and fours it is logical to give the student a B. He stresses that it is not necessary to crack down to the nearest tenth or hundredth of a point to determine a grade, and using smaller number systems like a 4.0 scale can be more effective. By using a 4.0 scale encourages students and parents to focus more on the knowledge being obtained instead of the number grade the student is given. || In regard to GPAs Wormeli writes, “it’s dangerous to emphasize something in our schools that has no positive purpose for learning or living,” (Wormeli, 155). I couldn’t agree with this statement more. When I was in high school I spent my freshmen and sophomore years goofing around, like most students. It was not until my junior and senior year that I started to take school seriously and get work accomplished, and my GPA had nothing to do with my progress. I never even knew what my GPA was until I started filling out college applications. A lot of individuals, not just teachers, believe that threatening students with low GPAs will make them work harder, but they could not be farther from the truth. Students need to be guided towards better learning habits until they are able to mature and take their education into their own hands. It may take longer for some students, and for some it may not happen in high school, but it is not fair for them to feel threatened into doing well. ||
 * Webb Christopher ||  ||
 * Webb Christopher ||  ||
 * West Simon ||  ||