Quite frankly, I think the teacher is really asking, "How can I make this score of a 2, 1, or 0 into a grade that I can understand?"
Yes, report cards and reporting to parents are a big issue for all of us. The state has gone to performance assessments, most of our classroom teachers are now using performance assessments, and we still have to pigeonhole our students’ grades into four or five categories: A, B, C, D, E (or F), or E, G, S, and U. How in the world do we make a 2, 1, or 0 fit into a four or five slot mold?
Short of changing all of our report card systems to anecdotal reports, or proficiency levels like the state has (5 points) for each subject area for each child, here is my suggestion. It has been an eye-opener to many a teacher I have inserviced.
First of all, consider the scoring tools used by the state. On any of the scoring tools, whether they are for writing (4 points - 3, 2, 1, 0), the language in use rule (3 points - 2, 1, 0), reading (question specific, often 3 points - 2, 1, 0 or 2 points - 1, 0), or math (question specific, similar to reading) or social studies or science (question specific, similar to reading), here is the number one thing to keep in mind: A score of one is always satisfactory. Yes, that’s right. A one is satisfactory. Isn’t that scary? 70% of our kids can’t even score a one??
Once you get over this initial shock, that a score of one is satisfactory, start thinking about what that means: If a kid can score a one, then the work is satisfactory. Now, in your head, does satisfactory mean B? Or does it mean a C? For me as a parent, a C never meant satisfactory. A B might, but not a C. If you are like me, as a teacher and as a parent, perhaps you can live with the idea of a satisfactory score being a B. That means, then, that if a kid can score a one on a question, then that reflects a B.
That is all well and good when we are talking about a 2, 1, 0 scale. A score of one can translate into a B. That means, then, that a score of 2 is an A. Then what about the zeroes?
Whenever I score papers, I always analyze the zeroes. If it was a reading question, and the scoring tool said that for a satisfactory score of one, the answer had to use two pieces of evidence from the text, with extensions, then perhaps the answer only used one piece of text, with an extension. Maybe the answer just used two pieces of evidence, but did not extend or explain. Perhaps the kid blew the answer altogether, and totally misinterpreted the question. Maybe he or she did not even do the assignment. Once you analyze the zeroes, you can begin to break them into C’s, D’s, and E’s (or F’s). Patterns start to develop.
Now, how do you communicate this to kids? When I return scored papers to kids in a class, I always show them the scoring tool I used for each question, along with its point values. I first play up the significance of a one. I tell them that a one means satisfactory, and that the state wants 70% of them to be able to score a one on their assessments. Therefore, my goal is for at least 70% of them to score a one, also. Wouldn’t that be great? I also tell them that anything that gets a two is a real bonus. Wow! We’ll take it! I really try hard to erase the thinking that a one is half of a two, or just 50%. A one is not a failing grade! It is satisfactory! Hurray!!
I always make a chart, and show them how many of the class scored a 2, how many scored a 1, and how many scored a 0 on each question. We then add up the ones and the twos, and divide by the total number of scores, and get our satisfactory rate. I also break down the zeroes for them. Here is a chart similar to the kind I show:
Reading to Be Informed - Billie HolidayScore Point 2 = 8
Score Point 1 = 10
Score Point 0 = 7
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Total = 25Percent at Satisfactory or higher = 72%
Breakdown of zeroes:
Used one piece of evidence, with extension = 4
Very general response, used no evidence from the text = 1
Answered question totally from background knowledge=1
Totally misunderstood the question=1
It is up to you how to interpret the zeroes, but you can see from the example above that some kids are getting there, and others are not. You can decide which ones might be C, which D, and so on.
I have used reading as the example here, but the same applies to scoring tools for math, science, writing, language usage, and social studies.
Another suggestion I have is to track the scores for each student, and grade them on growth over time. Others like taking all of the score points for reading over a term, and adding up the points to divide by the total number of reading points. Then do the same with the writing points, the language usage points, etc. However, if you see no growth over time, then something needs to be analyzed here.
When it comes to justifying these grades to parents, I think we have always seen that as a problem. As a parent, I want to know if my child is making progress in learning. I think all parents want to see that evidence. The parent of a bright child wants to make sure his/her child is not bored, and is continuing to progress. The parent of the child who has trouble staying on task wants to be sure that his/her child is keeping up, and learning. If you track your scores over time, and can see growth, that is more valuable to me as a parent than if my kid brings home a B in reading. You can continue to justify your grades to parents the way you always have. Show them examples of what their child has done, and show how he/she has improved--or not improved--over time. However, you always need to have good justification as to why there has not been improvement, just like with the old way of grading.