Sunday, April 12, 2009
Chapter 12
In Chapter 12, the author describes Marzano’s position on grading as, “a single letter grade or a percentage score is not a good way to report achievement in any subject area, because it simply cannot present the level of detailed feedback necessary for effective learning. Do you agree or disagree with Marzano’s position on grading and why?
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I do feel that there is some truth in Marzano's statement. For example, one student can have an "A" with a 93 and then the next student can have a "B" with a 92. What is the difference? This one point does not give you enough detailed feedback for effective learning.
ReplyDeleteGabe Long
I agree with Marzano. A letter or precentage grade is typically not representative of the full range of a students' ability. Portfolios can actually show you where a student is lacking....not a letter grade. Portfolios require time and effort from teachers, but they are certainly a more authentic assessment of the students.
ReplyDeleteI think letter grades are important, but there should be a variety of assignments and assessments that make up that letter grade. One can include tests, quizzes, and individual/group projects in a grading period to help cover all areas of student strengths. There is a big push for portfolios being alternate assessments or supplementing standardized tests. However, I can't help but think if a child chooses to not study or practice the skills they need to be successful, does it matter what type of assessment they are graded by?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marzano's position. A letter grade does not tell the parent what their child did well in or what they need extra help with. They may have received an 80 in math, but did they need to work on fractions, division, or multiplication. Pretest and post test are good tools to use. One child may have made a good grade on the pretest because they already know the material. But another child may have made a 30 on the pretest and an 80 on the post test. They should get credit for how far they have come. A letter grade does not represent their efforts. Marzano said that we shouldn't just do away with letter grades all together at this time, but to grade each standard. In my internship this summer I was able to develop the new kindergarten report card and that is what I did. There is an overall grade for each grade then underneath are all the standards and which nine week they are taught. At least this way they know why their child received the grade they did.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Yarber
I agree with Amanda P., portfolios are a great representation of a student's ability. However, I agree with Seth too - students have to have some accountability.
ReplyDeleteI wish that all report cards could shift to a format similar to those kindergarten report cards described by Amanda. It would take more time, but it would be much more of an accurate snapshot of the student's strengths and weaknesses.
I agree with the Marzano comment, and also with my fellow classmates. As our instruction shifts more toward mastery of instructional objectives, so too our assessment must move in that direction. I think much of the problem with alternative assessments is the lack of understanding from parents and community. The traditional A-F grading scale is embedded in our culture. Grandparents want to reward grandchildren for all "A's." As educational leaders, we must be aware of the perception of grades as we attempt to give more detailed feedback to parents and students.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree that a letter grade or percentage does not give a full description of a student's achievement, and it does not give enough details to how effective the learning is. I think that having students keep a portfolio of all of their work, from the beginning to the end, is a great way to show how far they've come, and what they have learned along the way.
ReplyDeleteLetter grades do seem to be less effective when determining what the weaknesses of a child may be. I also agree with Seth that some responsibility goes to the student. We have started a np zero policy this year and have seen a major decrease in the number of D's and F's. MAny grades that fell in the D/F range were zero calculated into the average. Not allowing zeros ave allowed us to have a better idea of overall student achievement.
ReplyDeletePaul Love
Grades give an overall account on if a student is doing well in a particular academic area, but they don't tell much more than that. They don't give the reasons for success, failure or "in the middle" progress. Is it because the student never attends school to grasp the concepts? Does the study put forth great effort and still not master the concepts?
ReplyDeleteI think grades accompanied by teacher comments would paint a better picture in our practical world. Ultimately, a more qualitative report on specific skills and goals would be the best answer in the future.
Sherry Greer
I agree with Marzano's statement to a certain extent. A student can be learning but grades may not reflect, if their learning does not reach the required standard objective. The student may be learning but still not at the level of other students or the objective. Some students may not test well or have low motivation but may possess the skills or intellect. Grades given will be low but learning is taking place.
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous ways to assess a student and a letter grade is a simple way for the student to understand how he/she is doing in a class. However, a letter grade should not represent the knowledge of a student. This is where teachers should address to students that performance, attitude, behavior, etc. is also evaluated in class. I try to always tell my students the average grade on tests/assignments so they can compare themselves to others to also give them an idea of how well they did.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Collins
I agree with Marzano's statement, but I also feel that students need to be accountable for their work. I like to add comments to let parents know if their child is working hard or if they are needing some additional help.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Marzano's statement. The grade is really not an accurate reflection of the amount of prior knowledge the student had on the material and the true amount of learning that has taken place. However, for many students the "grade" is the only accountability aspect.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Marzano's view on grading. I do not see how you can accurately measure a persons's progress through a grading period with a single letter grade. There are far too many variables to consider to make that assumption.
ReplyDeleteRandy Sturgill
I agree with Marzano's position on the inadequacy of letter grades in measuring student achievement. Students may make significant progress during a 'grading period', but can still receive a low or failing grade on a report card. That is only one reason why single letter grades cannot provide an accurate view of student achievement.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Marzano's view of letter grades. Our generation is so accustomed to letter grades that is would be difficult to move away from this type of grading. I like to add personal comments to student's grades so the parent/guardian has a better picture of how the students is performing in the class.
ReplyDeleteKimberly Ringstaff
I strongly dislike letter grades and percentages at the early elementary level. I teach first and second grade reading and math. So many of the grades are subjective that I do not feel that they are reliable indicators of a student's progress. Young children get too caught up in grades, rather than in learning.
ReplyDeleteAngie Blevins
I agree with the Marzano because as a special educator I see students all the time that are making progress and making postive strides in thier academics but are still by the course standards have near failing grades. When students perform well in certain areas and not so well in others typically the letter grade does not accurately reflect the progress of the student.
ReplyDelete