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I'm in an elementary school. I have 53 students. Even with 53, record keeping and grading eats up a ton of time.
When I taught high school I had 210 students total! I just can't imagine this in a high school setting. Especially in a content area like music where you have multiple courses in one classroom (Chorus 1,2,3,4). When I did computer based music theory I had separate assignments for each level. They each had to complete the assignment within the same time frame but they were all different. I can't imagine grading standard by standard. Each written assignment would assess different standards simultaneously so I would have to track each student's response to each individual question to see if mastery was achieved.
It makes me even more glad I am not teaching any more.
I, definitely, like this better for elementary school than high school. The article is about a middle school with this program. I have no idea how you coordinate 150 kids and standards based grading without hiring more teachers (you know they won't) and giving the teachers more time to grade.
You know there is no way they will give teachers more time to grade. The general public already complains that teachers get off easy because they have a 45 minute "free period" each day.
You know there is no way they will give teachers more time to grade. The general public already complains that teachers get off easy because they have a 45 minute "free period" each day.
I swear John Q Public thinks we arrive at school and get an instant download of our days lesson plans into our brains as we cross the threshold...as we walk down the hall, all the copies we need to pass out, which were, spontaneously created out of nothing by no one over night, fall into our hands and as we turn the key to the door in our room, we catch a fleeting glimpse of the grading fairy as she leaves the piles of, neatly, graded work for us to pass back and she's already entered the grades into the gradebook leaving us NOTHING to do on our, blissful, 45 minute coffee break..... In my case, the grading fairy is kept company by the lab set up, tear down and waste disposal fairies....
a 45 minute prep period is a joke. I need more like 4.5 hours a day...uninterrupted.
If you comped me for every hour over 40 I work during the school year, you'd still owe me three weeks vacation when September rolls around and school starts. I would LOVE to see year round school and a 4 day school week so teachers have a day to prep and grade. It'll never happen though because then they'd have to pay us year round and they won't have that.
When I taught high school I had 210 students total! I just can't imagine this in a high school setting. Especially in a content area like music where you have multiple courses in one classroom (Chorus 1,2,3,4). When I did computer based music theory I had separate assignments for each level. They each had to complete the assignment within the same time frame but they were all different. I can't imagine grading standard by standard. Each written assignment would assess different standards simultaneously so I would have to track each student's response to each individual question to see if mastery was achieved.
It makes me even more glad I am not teaching any more.
That's what I had at the charter school...well until count day when they started kicking out the trouble makers. I have 150 now and I can't imgagine this with 150 students let alone 60 more. I think it will happen though. I can see districts like mine where parents expect A's for their kids adopting a program that gives their kids multiple chances at that A. The parents will love it. The only parents who won't will be the ones whose kids would have gotten A's under the old system because their kids will no longer be set apart from the rest of the pack.
My school talked about an ABI system a few years back but that didn't give second chances for A's so it died. Under that grading scheme, kids would get an A a B or an I the first time they took a test. If they got an I, they could retake to get a B but not an A. The argument parents had against this was that it wasn't fair to let Johnny who got an I improve his grade to a B and not let Suzy who got a B improve her grade to an A. Never mind Phil who EARNED the A the first time.
My school talked about an ABI system a few years back but that didn't give second chances for A's so it died. Under that grading scheme, kids would get an A a B or an I the first time they took a test. If they got an I, they could retake to get a B but not an A. The argument parents had against this was that it wasn't fair to let Johnny who got an I improve his grade to a B and not let Suzy who got a B improve her grade to an A. Never mind Phil who EARNED the A the first time.
If Suzy and Phil both have the same level of mastery by the end of the course, why should they not have the same grade? Why is the speed of attaining the mastery important? What do you do if Phil, who usually makes an A on everything, forgets a major test is scheduled. Just an oversight, not something he would usually do. He makes a B on it without doing any specific review for it. If the policy is no retakes, he gets what he "earned". Tough luck. But if other students have the opportunity to study more and retake the test, should he not have the same opportunity?
Is the grade a measure of the amount of learning or is it a way to rank students?
My personal philosophy would be no retakes, period. Students who have excused absences should be able to take a make-up exam --- maybe a different test --- but no retakes just to get a better grade.
Of course, I also believe that at the beginning of the course every student should be apprised of what needs to be accomplished to achieve each grade, from pass to A. If everyone meets the standard for an A, everyone gets an A.
If Suzy and Phil both have the same level of mastery by the end of the course, why should they not have the same grade? Why is the speed of attaining the mastery important? What do you do if Phil, who usually makes an A on everything, forgets a major test is scheduled. Just an oversight, not something he would usually do. He makes a B on it without doing any specific review for it. If the policy is no retakes, he gets what he "earned". Tough luck. But if other students have the opportunity to study more and retake the test, should he not have the same opportunity?
Is the grade a measure of the amount of learning or is it a way to rank students?
My personal philosophy would be no retakes, period. Students who have excused absences should be able to take a make-up exam --- maybe a different test --- but no retakes just to get a better grade.
Of course, I also believe that at the beginning of the course every student should be apprised of what needs to be accomplished to achieve each grade, from pass to A. If everyone meets the standard for an A, everyone gets an A.
Because in the real world, speed of mastery matters. Who do you want on your payroll? Phil who learns new concepts in a day or Suzy who needs a month? Who do you want operating on you? Doctor Phil who gets it the first time or Dr. Suzy who has to practice several times to get it if you're patient number 2 for this new procedure? It matters IRL.
Dr. Phil and Dr. Suzy are not the same. Dr. Phil is destined to go farther because he can learn more while Dr. Suzy is still learning the last procedure. I'd rather have Dr. Phil treating me than Dr. Suzy. When you give multiple chances for an A, it's just grade inflation. I can see multiple chances to learn the material and pass but I can't see rewarding everyone with an A. A's become meaningless here. Why not just call it what it is. A pass/fail system....but that doesn't give parents bragging rights.
Because in the real world, speed of mastery matters. Who do you want on your payroll? Phil who learns new concepts in a day or Suzy who needs a month? Who do you want operating on you? Doctor Phil who gets it the first time or Dr. Suzy who has to practice several times to get it if you're patient number 2 for this new procedure? It matters IRL.
Dr. Phil and Dr. Suzy are not the same. Dr. Phil is destined to go farther because he can learn more while Dr. Suzy is still learning the last procedure. I'd rather have Dr. Phil treating me than Dr. Suzy. When you give multiple chances for an A, it's just grade inflation. I can see multiple chances to learn the material and pass but I can't see rewarding everyone with an A. A's become meaningless here. Why not just call it what it is. A pass/fail system....but that doesn't give parents bragging rights.
I agree. A's should be for excellence, B/C for average. If they are going to do this, it is time to go to a pass/fail system.
Yeah, I want the doctor, lawyer, pilot, pharmacist, policeman, fireman, dentist, and nurse who easily and quickly master new information and can apply it to their craft. Funny, the very people who try to sell this type of system as the next best thing want teachers who are quick to assimilate new information and practices instead of the type of thinker they are creating.
I agree. A's should be for excellence, B/C for average. If they are going to do this, it is time to go to a pass/fail system.
Yeah, I want the doctor, lawyer, pilot, pharmacist, policeman, fireman, dentist, and nurse who easily and quickly master new information and can apply it to their craft. Funny, the very people who try to sell this type of system as the next best thing want teachers who are quick to assimilate new information and practices instead of the type of thinker they are creating.
You said a mouthful there. In teaching, thinking = insubordination. You're not a team player, you're not innovative, you're old school if you resist the latest mind think.... Which begs the question, "Do they really want to create thinkers at all?" or is that just what they say while implimenting procedures that cater to the real agenda.
not sure of district policy but school policy was kind of wishy washy on the issue. the school admin's left it up to individual depts for a year or two and then our dept left it up to the individual teacher with the admin's blessing so to speak.
when the dept created the policy it said a student could have unlimited re-takes but that a student could not score any higher than a 77 (77 is the lowest possible score for a "C" grade in my district). so if a kid scored a 100 on the re-take it when in as a 77 in the gradebook. the re-take also had to be completed within 5 days of the test being taken originally. so if you took it friday then the kid had the following week to complete the re-take. AP courses did not and still do not allow for re-takes on tests. if a kid is in cp level or honors then they can.
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In my case, the grading fairy is kept company by the lab set up, tear down and waste disposal fairies....
I would LOVE to see year round school and a 4 day school week so teachers have a day to prep and grade. It'll never happen though because then they'd have to pay us year round and they won't have that.
Which begs the question, "Do they really want to create thinkers at all?" or is that just what they say while implimenting procedures that cater to the real agenda.
