Student Assessment and Grading Common Core State Standards implementation has changed the dynamics of school districts all over the United States. However, more than likely, most teachers have not changed their grading policies nor their assessments of skills, which warrants several questions. For instance, should students be held accountable for mastering the same skills of previous students since the learning expectations have become more rigorous with the new standards? What is the difference between grading and assessments? How does a letter grade determine what the `student has learned? What happens if the student does not master certain skills? Grading is the use of “symbolic numbers or letters at the end of a specified period of …show more content…
Standards-based grading is more effective because it reveals only “content mastery” (Deddeh, Main, and Fulkerson, 2010, p. 54). Deddeh, Main, and Fulkerson (2010), suggested that there are eight steps for teachers to take to become meaningful graders. (1)Educate their self; (2) don’t journey into unfamiliar water alone; (3) chart a course; (4) organize instruction; (5) practice comes first; (6) evaluate the performance; (7) give a second chance; and (8) keep records. Teachers should educate their self about standards-based grading by recognizing that grades “communicate mastery of learning standards” (Deddeh at el., 2010, 55). Homework should not be included in grades because it should be used as a learning and practice tool. Teachers need to recognize that learning may take more than one attempt. Making these changes will require time and preparation. Teachers should partner with team members or coworkers to share the workload required of the change to an effective grader. Teachers will should chart a course by aligning units with state standards by sorting the standards into teaching units. Using this, teachers will need to organize instruction for units. The initial unit will require time, but once that is developed then the rest should follow the …show more content…
264). However when evaluating the performance of students, teachers should focus on the standards and should not be included in the grading of a summative assessment; therefore, neatness and group work do not count. Students will be measured individually. If students are unable to pass, students are allowed to take the assessment a second time, but they must complete the practice work and complete a “retest practice assignment before being retested” (Deddeh at el., 2010, 57). Keep in mind that this retake process will not last forever. The ending point could be a grading period or unit study. However, teachers need to keep records of the attempts and practice assignments students do, so multiple attempts are shown, rather than just replacing the