Grades represent what...

The concern with communicating grades to parents is the idea of what is represented by a numerical grade.  I have had many great conversations with school leaders about “the truth in grading.”  Robert Marzano mentions the concerns with our current grading process in The Mandate to Change Classroom Grading which was adapted from Transforming Classroom Grading, Robert J. Marzano, ASCD 2000.  

“…grades are so imprecise that they are almost meaningless.  This straightforward but depressing fact is usually painfully obvious when one examines the research and practice regarding grades with a critical eye.”  

“Today’s system of classroom grading is at least 100 years old and has little or no research to support its continuation.  At least three inherent problems make that system highly ineffective: (1) it allows, and even encourages, individual teachers to include, at their own discretion, different non achievement factors in the assignment of grades:(2) it allows individual teachers to differentially weight assessment; and (3)it mixes different types of knowledge and skills into single scores on assessments.”

(p. 1 & p.3, The Mandate to Change Classroom Grading; Robert Marzano online athttp://reportcardreview.wikispaces.com/file/view/The+Mandate+to+Change+Classroom+Grading.pdf)


I have found these three concerns from Marzano to be very true.  For example, in my PLC meeting just yesterday we were discussing how many points to take off for partial credit on our common test.  The discussion was great because the three of us all took off “about” the same amount of points.  I say “about” the same amount of points because they differ by 1 point here and there.  But, this does show that over time one point here and there will add up to be a much larger difference in grades by the end of the semester.  This could be the difference from a student making a high A compared to a low A, or even a student making an A compared to a B.  And all of this due to only one point here and there.  Imagine if teachers are grading right or wrong compared to partial credit.  What then is the “truth” in the grades between the teachers?


Furthermore, if a student only misses a few points, let’s say 2 points out of six, for missing a “simple” concept on a more complicated math problem.  Does this mean the student is capable of knowing 2 out of 6 or one-third of the concept? 


Therefore, what is the "true" grade really representing? 

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