Grading

Whatever his/her feeling about grades, nearly every teacher must give them. That's the rationale behind this straightforward text --helping prospective teachers understand grading and learn to do it. Throughout the material, the focus is on explaining how grades function in schools and schooling, and on developing skills in grading work and creating report cards.

Based on current research and informed by the author's experience, the text is replete with detailed explanations, stories and illustrations, student work samples, sample report cards, and other school artifacts. After an introduction to the historical, social, legal, and psychological contexts of grading, chapters cover grading individual units of student work, followed by coverage of techniques for turning discrete grades into report-card marks. Self-reflection is encouraged at the onset and throughout, while numerous references lead the reader onward.

Features include:

Numerous samples of K-12 students' work
Provides hands-on practice in what the text is teaching—gives readers a genuine feel for assessing and comparing work, and creating a grading paradigm that's comfortable.

Writing that sounds like that of a teacher
Speaks to prospective teachers in a "voice” that's appealing and friendly—helps demystify the rationale for grading as well as the grading process.

Emphasis on self-reflection
Encourages future teachers to divest themselves of the "baggage” they carry in regard to grading--guides them on the road to developing a productive disposition toward the required task of grading.

A final chapter on alternative forms of communicating student achievement
Examines other ways of "assessing” performance--portfolios, narratives, parent-teacher conferences, etc., to give readers a broad-based repertoire of skills in the assessment arena.

A comprehensive assignment
Assists readers to gauge how well they've integrated major concepts from the previous chapters--and allows for them to apply their understanding to exercises that reflect realistic educational situations.

A Key Concepts list
Sets the stage for chapter content--identifying for readers the core concepts covered in the chapter and presenting a focal point for student attention.

Questions and Practice Exercises
Help readers assess their understanding of chapter content--constitute handy vehicles for developing practical grading skills.

Author: Susan M. Brookhart
Published: April 2003
ISBN: 0-13-042376-9
224 Pages