Chapter 8 DI/UbD

Meghan Brann

Chapter 8 DI/UbD

Grading and Reporting Achievement

Summary-

This chapter is setting up how we as teachers should be considering just how we are grading our students. They gave us an easy 6 principle guide to follow or to at least to make us think about how we are grading. The first principle is “grades and reports should be based on clearly specified learning goals and performance standards.” They want us as educators to make sure our students have clear goals that we laid out for them, so that they will be able to attain a sufficient grade from us. The second principle was “evidence used for grading should be valid”, this principle is saying to make sure we “eliminate factors and conditions” that would confuse our students. The third principle was “grading should be based on established criteria, not on arbitrary norms”. Then the fourth was “not everything should be included in grades”. The fifth was “avoid grading based on (mean) averages”, meaning we as teachers should try to grade our students later in the “learning cycle” rather than in the early stage(s). The sixth principle was “focus on achievement, and report other factors separately.” In the rest of the chapter they talked about achievement of goals, progress toward goals and work habits. Heather pointed out that the author said the grade should not be based on the class average but on how much the student achieves on their own. Luke reminded us that although we would all like to get rid of this concept that the grades do motivate the students not the learning. So grades are important.

Reflections-

Heather picked out her favorite points from this chapter; she brought up the fact that students are labeled, by teachers none the less. Once a student does badly in a class or in school altogether that stigma follows the student, for most likely, their whole school career. How is that fair? Or how is that right? Luke enjoyed this chapter as well. He thinks that the only thing that should affect a student’s grade should be participation. I agree with Luke on that opinion.