REPAIR KIT FOR GRADING, A - FIFTEEN FIXES FOR BROKEN GRADES

In many schools grading is still a “mass and a mess.” Although teaching has become increasingly standards based, and we know more than we ever knew about how people learn, traditional grading practices persist, especially in middle and high schools. These practices often not only result in ineffective communication about student achievement, but also may actually harm students and misrepresent their learning.   Thus the need for this “Repair Kit,” in which Ken O’Connor identifies 15 ways to fix “broken” grades—15 things to do for grades to be effective.   One of the author’s major reasons for writing this book now is the increasing emphasis on standards or learning goals (also called learning outcomes). All American states except Iowa now have academic content standards, as do all Canadian provinces. The mandate is that schools are supposed to be standards based for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and grading and reporting, but what he often sees, especially in middle and high schools, is some emphasis on standards for curriculum, instruction, and assessment but very little standards-based grading and reporting. Therefore this book will help schools and teachers develop standards-based grading and reporting practices.