Obviously, grades are necessary. They tell us what we need to work on and what our strengths and weaknesses are. We obviously need grades to guide us in school life, until we are old enough to realize those things for ourselves. Grades are a way of communicating, to simply tell you, "Hey! You rock at English!" or "Hey! You suck at math!". However, grades are very flexible, allowing your weaknesses to grow stronger as long as you choose the right decisions. So, if you have a 67 grade average in math, obviously you would work harder in math to get a passing grade.
Maybe the grading system we use today isn't telling us what to work on effectively. Maybe there's a much, much better grading system other than the traditional system. That "much, much better grading system" is known as a standards-based grading system. Honestly, I've been fine with the traditional system throughout my entire life. That was simply because I wasn't exposed to any other sort of grading system. To me, it has always been a number, at most three digits telling me how I did on a test or homework. However, once the standards-based grading system had been introduced to me, I realized how much better it truly is.
The traditional grading system tells you exactly what percentage of something you have correct. It tells you if you have an average, above average, or below average understanding of skills taught in a class. However, the traditional grading system does not tell you specific skills you need to work on or how proficient you are in a lesson. The traditional grading system has faults that the standards-based system covers.
The traditional grading system tells you exactly what percentage of something you have correct. It tells you if you have an average, above average, or below average understanding of skills taught in a class. However, the traditional grading system does not tell you specific skills you need to work on or how proficient you are in a lesson. The traditional grading system has faults that the standards-based system covers.
I just want to say this again. "THIS SCHOOL IS UNJUST!" I feel as if the grading system does not accurately display my intelligence. One bad grade does not make me stupid. But one good grade does not make me a genius. I feel like a few bad grades turns your grade from an A to a B, when really, you didn't understand the topic at the time you took a test. However, with standards-based grading, you can easily see which subjects you clearly understood. It's not based on averages, but what you know and don't know.
I think we should use a combination of both systems. Although standards-based grading is nice, it doesn't cover everything. Traditional system + Standards Based System = a grading system that tells you what you need to work on AND gives you specific grades for your schoolwork. I think that'd be very nice, don't you agree?
I think we should use a combination of both systems. Although standards-based grading is nice, it doesn't cover everything. Traditional system + Standards Based System = a grading system that tells you what you need to work on AND gives you specific grades for your schoolwork. I think that'd be very nice, don't you agree?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I think many of my colleagues would as well.
ReplyDelete"One bad grade does not make me stupid. But one good grade does not make me a genius." You said it perfectly, Christina and you were able to identify the major flaw(s) in our current system. I appreciate your honesty in this post, about the fact that you'd never really thought twice about the system. I think we as humans are all "guilty" of becoming complacent sometimes and not questioning the status quo. I know you see the value in doing so.