Reply to Why are there so many graded assignments in MCPS HS?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I remember switching papers and grading my peers in class growing up in FCPS.

For some teachers the assignments are formative assessments so they can determine if the students get the content in general.

For some students, more grades are better. If they bomb one quiz and only have 7 other grades for the quarter, it will be hard to bring it up. Having more decent grades can help bring up the average.

Kids these days are lazy and don’t pay attention in class. And no it’s not because the teachers aren’t interesting—they literally tune out when the teacher is talking and when it’s time to start the work they raise their hand and ask for directions. That have just been given. It’s infuriating. But if the kids don’t think they’ll be graded on something, they really really don’t care.[/quote]

I’m the PP and a long-time AP teacher. Students generally meet the expectations we set for them. I used to grade everything as a form of classroom management; it kept students in line, [b]but it wasn’t actually effective[/b]. It emphasized grades and not learning, so students merely did the work because they had to and I spent weekends grading shoddy work.

I spent a summer redesigning my classes. I now grade only 8-10 assignments a quarter. The quarter syllabus outlines all tasks, labeling them as graded/not graded. The progression is clear, so students can see how the not-graded assignments impact a future task. The syllabus also outlines what graded assignments are eligible for revisions (higher scores) and which are final products.

When I set this expectation, students still did the work. The class feels truly college-prep now, as well, and I get positive feedback from students and parents.[/quote]

Really?  Your scores have gone up?  Because I grade and comment on all assignments and my scores have been and continue to be high.  I'm not sure about your measure of "effectiveness."  [/quote]

Yes, my scores are higher.

As an an AP teacher, I’m sure you appreciate the MANY factors that can impact scores.

One of them is purpose / student involvement. Students are more invested in the class when the material is important, and not merely the grade. I changed the narrative in my class to emphasize learning, and the students responded by learning MORE. I comment extensively on one assignment a week, and the other assignments are preparation for that.

I’m glad your way works for you. Mine works for me.[/quote]

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