Help
With Assigning Final Grades
Ideas, suggestions, and thoughts contributed
by WKU Faculty
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Help With Assigning Final Grades
We have all encountered difficult grading situations such as where a student begins very poorly but then shows consistent effort and improvement throughout the semester, or a student undergoes a traumatic personal or home situation (major illness, financial strain, etc.) When we look at the final grade distribution and such a student falls on a borderline, how do you decide whether or when to assign the higher grade?
To find out how these issues
have been dealt with my others, WKU faculty were polled for advice on assigning
final grades. The comments below may help you to determine your own grading
policy or make decisions you are satisfied with when facing difficult cases.
Effective grade assignment begins with planning your semester well.
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From John
McLester,
Exercise
Science
“There
are entire books written on these issues and people still argue about them on
a regular basis. So if you feel lost, you are not alone.
My first advice is to not stress over these issues unduly…and to simplify
things for yourself. Decide in advance how much each part of the course is worth
(in percentage) and stick to it. For example if you will give three exams and
a culminating project, decide if the learning experience from the project is
equal to that of studying for an exam. If so, then each of those parts is worth
25%. It sounds simple, but if you decide in advance (and put it on the syllabus
to make it clear to students), then you remove some of the other issues (e.g.
appeals, legalities, etc.).
As for bonus credit,
I greatly discourage it. If that person hasn’t taken advantage of the
credit that is already available, why should they have the opportunity to get
other credit? Not to mention that the extra credit assignment has to be available
to all students in the course or you will be at risk for legal issues. In addition,
it makes the student put pressure on other instructors who do not offer extra
credit. Trust me, extra credit is a Pandora’s box. I’ve done it
(way back), and as soon as I closed that box my life got easier.
As for A, B, C, D, and F: whether we like it or not, that is the grading system
we have. And from my limited experience (9 years teaching in college), overall
it works pretty well. I still go by the old school labels (A is for Excellent,
B is Good, C is average, D is below average, and F is failure). The students
may not agree with that, but that’s why they are students. There will
always be question as to whether a grade reflects learning (that argument has
been going on since the beginning of grading). But the fact is, there has to
be some way of ranking students. If a student has to work harder than another
and still gets a lower grade, that’s college (and life, by the way). We
already have to deal with students who are a product of an entitlement society.
The fact is they are not entitled to an “A” or a diploma; they are
entitled to compete for one.
The two biggest things that I have changed about my grading are: 1) I have become
more specific as to the number of points that tests and assignments are worth
(again, it avoids headaches at the end of the semester); and 2) I have dropped
attendance policies in any class that does not have participation as a vital
component. An attendance policy in my experience is another Pandora’s
box because you have to deal with what is excused and what’s not and how
many absences you are going to allow. What I have found is that by raising my
standards, those who come to class make the best grades.
If all of this
sounds harsh, ask yourself this question on a regular basis: “Do I want
this student teaching my child, treating my illness, removing the tumor from
my brain, or doing my taxes (you insert whatever job you feel strongly about)?
That is by no means all of the advice that I’m willing to give (for what
it’s worth), so please feel free to give my name and information to anyone
who wants to hear an opinion on grading.”
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From John
Cipolla,
Music
“I teach a music theory course for non-music majors. I am now doing the grading with an Excel spreadsheet. My syllabus lists the percentages for each area in the course (quizzes, mid-term, final, projects, etc.) I have already submitted the grades and have had a couple of disgruntled customers who contested their grades. I showed them the syllabus, which I also did the first day of classes, and then how I calculated the grades. The bottom line is that the students who have studied through the semester (which is most of this particular class) did well in the course. The one’s who didn’t, did not.
In the future, I think I may switch to a point system for grading though. The students have a hard time knowing where they stand through the semester. At the mid point in the semester, I emailed where they all stood (outstanding assignments, quiz grades, etc.). But, that didn’t seem to sink in with them after the mid-point in the semester. So, I think that the point system is easier for them to keep track of.
Also, in music,
we teach private lessons. This presents problems with subjectivity. What I do
to address this problem is to grade every lesson each week. Then when we have
the final jury performance, I average my grade with the other professors on
the jury. This makes the grading more concrete and objective and the students
seem to accept it more easily.”
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From Joan
Krenzin,
Sociology
What
does a”D” mean versus an “F”? How is an “A”
different from a “B”? How confident are you that the final grade
reflects the person’s learning?
“On the cover sheet of each test is a breakdown of the points awarded
for each item. I have students remove the cover sheets from the tests when they
turn them in. The names are on the cover sheets only. On the subjective items
I read a number of responses before I begin to assign grades. Even though I
have written the “perfect” answer in advance, I want to look for
possible misinterpretations that may have been made by more than one person.
The tests then have a strict numerical score.
The four papers each have been explained in terms of the requirements and the number of potential points devoted to each expectation. Thus, I have again a strict numerical score. The various letter grades are separated into arbitrary categories, which the student understands from the beginning of the semester.”
Am I confident
that the final grade reflects the person’s learning?
“Certainly not. I’m not sure how that could be measured, and I doubt
that it could be appropriately measured until some time has elapsed after the
completion of the course. However, because students have the option to redo
each of the papers after they are returned to them and have the opportunity
for extra credit points, the grade does reflect a certain amount of zeal. Perhaps
the prospective employer is better served by a grade that reflects a combination
of learning and zeal.”
Do you
go strictly by points or do you consider extra efforts? Have you ever given
last minute extra work?
“In response to the first part of the question, I think I go fairly strictly
by points. When
I go over the syllabus with the students on the first day of class, I point
out that I take attendance at every class. I add that I will not lower a grade
because of poor attendance. However, if a student has an average of 69.8 (70
is the bottom of my C range) and has missed class several times, the grade will
remain a D. If, on the other hand, attendance and class participation were good,
a 69.2 might be considered a C. In making a decision to give the student credit
for attendance and participation, I list all the students’ final averages
in rank order. Then I check to see whether I have enough evidence to raise one
student’s 69.4 grade from a C to a B without raising the grade of another
student who has a 59.4. Even though I know they are unlikely to compare final
grades, I need to feel that I could defend my grading before a complaint committee.
The second part of the question elicits a firm NO. Because I have had that request
a number of times, I now avoid it by an announcement during the 4th from the
last week of the semester. On the syllabus I have listed a number of extra-credit
assignments, each with a due date relating to the chapter in which the material
is covered. None of those extra-credit assignments falls due during the last
three weeks of class. Consequently, just before the final extra-credit assignment
is due, I remind the class that that assignment will be the last extra-credit
option for the semester. I tell them that in past years occasional students
have asked me whether they could get extra credit for writing a paper. I, of
course, have to deny that opportunity. I could not in good faith offer an opportunity
to one student that is not offered to the whole class, and there is no way that
I could look at all of those papers at the end of the semester.”
When I explain that any paper that would be worth credit would have to have at least six to ten referenced citations and that I would have to check each of those references to make sure that the author’s ideas were being represented fairly, the student’s enthusiasm for such a project usually diminishes. Moreover, most students have papers due in other classes at that time and are pressed for time. That time could more advantageously be used to prepare well for the final exams in all of the classes.
Another technique
I use to prevent the student from suddenly realizing her or his deficiency near
the end of the semester is a midterm grade report, prepared for the student
before the last day to drop the class. On that report I list the student’s
two test grades and two paper grades and calculate an average. I also list at
the bottom of the page the number of times the person has been absent from class
or late to class. This “warning” comes early enough so that the
student still has the option of completing the maximum of three extra-credit
projects if he or she chooses.”
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From Phyllis
Jones,
Community College
“I have only been teaching adults for 6 semester and as an adjunct, but since I have over 30 yrs. teaching experience, I will make a few comments which you can do whatever you like with. I use a point system, the students are aware of the value of each assignment and how many points are required for each grade. I give opportunities for extra credit throughout the semester and I have a tendency to give someone those extra couple of points at the end of the semester, if he/she has taken advantage of those opportunities. I also consider attendance if someone is borderline, in other words I look at the amount of effort the student has put forth.
I have a story...no names…I had a student take my Psychology 100 class in the spring of 2003. After a very slow start, he made a “D” only with much prompting from me to get his work turned in. Getting him to participate was like pulling teeth. When the semester was over, and he started out the door I asked him to do something for me, to which he replied, “Yes, Ma’am, if I can.” I told him next semester to start working from the first day, not to wait around until he got behind. To this he grinned and said, “I’ll try.” Much to my surprise when I walked into my Psychology 100 class the next fall there sat the same student. I said, “you didn’t fail this class last semester” and he replied, “No Ma’am, but I don’t like D’s. My advisor tried to put me in someone else’s class, but I told him no thanks I know this lady and she was really nice to me.”
This student did
keep his word and started right to work, telling me all semester that he was
going to get an “A”. He not only participated but even teased me
a little on occasion. He didn’t miss a single class, did all his homework
without being reminded, and attended two extra credit lectures. Unfortunately
he still could not do well on my test. At the end he was 12 points short of
an “A”. What would you have done?? I mean he was going to show up
again next semester if he hadn’t made that “A”, and after
3 semesters I might have had to adopt the kid....so I gave him the “A”.
Not because I felt sorry for him or really thought he was going to follow me
home, but because I have never seen anyone improve more, or put more effort
into one of my classes. Was that the right call? I don’t know, but it
felt right at the time.”
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From Jane
Olmsted,
Women's Studies
Do
you go strictly by points or do you consider extra efforts? Have you ever given
last minute extra work?
“I don’t go strictly by points, but I do try to be consistent. If
this student “deserves” an A when their points say 89, then so does
the next student. In all cases, what makes the difference is sustained contribution
to class discussions and consistent effort to improve both written and spoken
work.”
Do you
take into account error in the measurement tools (e.g., exams)?
“Absolutely. I recently gave a quiz that I thought was clear as a mountain
stream. Most of it was, but one question was worded in such a way that almost
no one remembered what it was referring to, so I gave everyone that question.
Anyone who’s gotten to this point (Ph.D. or M.A.) ought to know that testing
measures are anything but foolproof, and we should acknowledge when we test
them in ways that don’t allow students to succeed.”
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From Tracey
Bertram,
Glasgow Campus
“All of my students know from the very first day what my policy is. They know there are no exceptions. Attendance plays a large part for me in borderline students. Someone who hasn’t missed a single class and hasn’t left early will be boosted whereas one who skips is not reward as such. If they have a 79.5 it is still a C unless they have perfect attendance. It wouldn’t be fair to those who tried their hardest to be there to get the same grade as someone that has skipped class. In extreme circumstances, if the student notifies me ASAP, I am willing to work things out with them provided they are willing. I have only taught for two semesters but I can already see that if you give them a little line they keep wanting more. And you definitely cannot do things for one student and not expect others to want the same.
I do not
tolerate plagiarism – once again it would not be fair to other classmates.
I do not
give last minute extra work but students are given opportunities throughout
the semester for extra points that somehow pertain to what we are discussing
in class. I
do try to change my tests from semester to semester and watch for questions
that several students miss. I do try to reevaluate the tests and make
them more productive tools for finding out how much the students are really
learning.”
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From James
Skaggs,
English
“The biggest problem I see in part-time and younger faculty with their grading is grade inflation. They feel that if a student receives a low grade, this reflects on their ability to teach. Not true. Here’s a good way to guard against this. Give a lot of grades, especially early in the semester. I give a quiz every day over that day’s assignment; any student who does well on these, does well in the course, and vice-versa. Some students tell me that too much rides on the last two or three weeks in some courses.
Grading should
be spread out over the semester and not too much reliance on a final exam or
on extra credit at the last minute. I do count both effort and improvement,
and I especially reward those who come every day and have prepared their assignment
to the best of their ability. I also encourage class discussion and count class
participation in my evaluation. But the key is more
grades so that a student is not penalized for just having a bad test
day.”
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From Alan
Griggs,
Adjunct Faculty, Speech Communications
“I have taught several years now as adjunct faculty and continue to refine my grading techniques and philosophy. It’s heartening to see that the full-time folks share many of my same concerns, i.e., extra credit, the structure and wording of tests, and final grades to name a few.
As for my own situation, I provide extra credit opportunities throughout the semester but it’s still a little disappointing to see that few students take advantage of them. The extra work made the difference in a letter grade for several students this time around.
I heartily agree
with the belief that more grading opportunities are better for the students.
That’s why I have quizzes throughout the semester, especially since my
classes meet only once a week.
Lastly, my personal belief is that final grades should be partly based on an
individual’s ability and desire
to do the work. I realize that I’m treading into the area of intangibles
and subjectivity, but I will reward hard-working, borderline students while
having little patience for those who fall short of their capabilities. The ones
who shine through—who grow in confidence once they discover they can speak
in public—keep me going.”
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From Larry
Winn,
Communications Professor
“I try to account for error in testing by following a list of criteria when making out tests (e.g. for MC tests a number of criteria such as no "all of the above" or "none of the above"). After grading exams, I identify the pattern of grades and also typically do an item analysis of answers to try to weed out bad questions. Next I go over the graded tests in class and permit feedback on items on which students wish to comment; the student comments often permit me to make adjustments in grades to assure fairness and also help me improve wording of questions for future semesters.
I explain to my
students how I will deal with borderline grades in the course. Specifically,
for example, an 89.5% will automatically be rounded up to an 90 and thus an
earn an A. A score of 89.0 will automatically translate to a B. Scores ranging
from 89.1 to 89.4 will be rounded up for students with no unexcused absences
but not for anyone else. This process permits me to apply exactly the same standard
in all borderline cases; if I split hairs, I want to do it the same way for
every student with a "borderline" grade."
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