Chapter Nine

Abstract:
This chapter listed ten approaches to avoid when differentiating assessment and grading. The ten approaches were: avoid incorperating nonacademic factors into the final grade, avoid penalizing students' multiple attempts at mastery, avoid grading practice, avoid withholding assistance with the learning when it's needed, avoid assessing students in ways that do not accurately indicate their mastery, avoid allowing extra credit and bonus points, avoid group grades, avoid grading on a curve, avoid recording zeros for work not done, avoid using norm-referenced terms to describe criteron-referenced attributes.

Reaction:
I agree with many of these grading techniques. There are many unfair grading practices that go on in education today. Though many of my grades have been good as a student, I feel as though some of them could have been better if some of these suggestions would have been implemented. The one point that I am still unclear on even though we have mentioned it a couple times is the avoid recording zeros for work not done. I understand the principle and I believe in implementing it in most cases. The only problem I see is what about those kids that simply never do it. Do you give them an incomplete for the entire quarter? I am sure this is something we will cover more in class as it does come up a lot.