FIAE+B1+Chapter+12


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Rachel B.
This chapter, //Grading Scales//, discussed the differences between the 4.0 grading scale and the 100 point grading scale. Through it I learned that the 100-point scale can cause grades to be more subjective. It states, “The smaller scale in which point values are correlated directly with clearly defined criteria keep us focused on the credible justification for each grade (153).” This is a little confusing but I get the general point that Wormeli was trying to make. There is a chart on page 154 that compares the 100-point scale and a 4.0 scale. This conversion chart I may use as a teacher, but I will put a great deal of thought into when I’m able to reflect on it through experience, rather than just reading text on it.

Rachel F.
Having been a student in school all my life, I know the grading scales all too well. The most prevalent one that I recognized in primary, middle, and high school was the 100 point scale. Most teachers used this percentage system to grade students. We just got so used to it that changing was definitely strange. This chapter emphasizes the benefits of the smaller scales such as the 4.0 scale instead of the 100 point scale. With the larger scales, teachers become much more subjective and forget what their real goal is with grading. Grades are to measure mastery and nothing else. The 4.0 scale showed up full force when I started college. Many of my professors grade papers and test using the 100 point scale but at the end of the semester, my final grades are reported using the 4.0 scale. It’s a lot easier to read for me and I feel like it is more objective. Finally, the book suggests using a 3.0, 5. 0, or even 6.0 scale sometimes to get parent’s minds away from letter grades and the importance of being on top. It doesn’t matter where a student is compared to the rest of his/her classmates. It only matters how much the student got out of school.

Courtney
This chapter I found that I could really relate to, where it deals with grading scales. The most popular are the 4 point scale and the 100 point scale. While I was in school I always had the 100 point scale, that was what I was used to having my teachers grade me by, and it is what I understood. Then my sophomore year of school some teachers started using the 4 point scale and I did not like it at all, because I didn't really understand it. When I started reading this chapter I automatically thought that I would prefer to use the 100 point scale as a teacher. But then as I read on I became convinced otherwise. The 100 point scale leaves room for a minus or plus letter translation, and the minus can be very discouraging for a student. The four point scale's allow students to understand what level they are at in their learning and focus less on a grade. The 100 point scale allows for a lot of room for different kinds of grades, too many, and the four point scale allows for an understanding of where the student is at, not down to an exact number. The focus is on learning and a four point scale puts the focus more on learning.

Stephanie L.
This chapter of FIAE talks about two commonly used grading scales: 4-point and 100-point. They can be used together as a way to keep grading a system that is as smooth as possible. My mentor teacher uses something quite similar to this. She grades all of her assessments based on a 6-point scale. A 6 means a student really hit the mark, while a 1 means there is still a lot of work to be done. Each number is attached to a range on the 100-point scale and includes a written description of what she expects for each point value. It is a great grading scale because it can be used for any type of assessment and can still go into the grade book on the 100-point scale. I have done a lot of grading using that particular scale and have become pretty familiar with it. I will definitely use it in the future!

Jen P.
The grading scale on page 154 was very helpful. My high school did not use the 4-point scale, so if I encounter it in on the job in the future, I will have a great reference to help me. However, I was a little nonplussed by this particular scale. In my high school, a 93 was an A-. I understand what the book explained about minuses and how they can make students feel poorly about their work by making feel like the loser end of the letter grade. However, I have to disagree. Even if something is a minus, at least it is still that grade. For example, in school, if I got an A-, I thought that, at least I got an A. It is the same for a C-. It is a C-, yes, but still a C, and therefore passing. Where I draw the line is a D-; at this point, there is no point. Giving a student a grade that is a D- really might hurt their self-esteem and create a lack of motivation. Therefore, if it aligns with school policy, I will try a grading scale of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, F.

Karin
This chapter was all about the differences between the “100-point scale” and the “4-point scale”. In my opinion the difference between letters with plus or minus signs being assigned to a number value between 1 and 100 is no different than assigning a number between 1 and 4. The student who is a 3 is still going to be discouraged that they are not a 4; on the other hand, with the other scale, the student knows exactly how close to the next level they are. With the 4-point scale, they only have a vague idea of their achievement, but no real idea of how close they are to the next level. In my opinion, this is a useless grading system. I know that I will be using the 100-point scale in my classroom.

Megan
The chapter talks about the differences between the 4.0 grading scale and the 100 point grading scale. The chapter talked about how the 100-point scale can cause grades to be more subjective. I’m not entirely sure how much I believe this. There is a chart on page 154 that compares the 100-point scale and 4.0 scale. It’s meant to be a conversion chart. When I looked at it I was reading 100-94 equals an A and an A equals a 4.0. I feel like students and even teachers would think 98-97.5 equals a 3.9. I feel that the 4.0 scale could become just as subjective as the 100 point scale. I’m sure I think the 100-point scale is better because I’m so used to it. This chapter did not help change my bias in the slightest bit. I know that when I teach I will probably use the 4.0 scale for rubrics and the 100-point scale for everything else.

Sara
This chapter highlights the differences between the 100 point and the 4 point grading scale. Each scale has its benefit. The 100 point scale is the traditional scale universally used that most students know very well. It is a quick and simple way to kep track of grades. The 4 point scale is best used with rubrics and is a wonderful tool in the differentiated classroom. Together the scales can work very well to organize students grades. I feel the 4 point scale is much more concise and offers more feedback because it does easily fit into a rubric. To many students and teachers the difference between a 95 and 96 is an arbitrary decision while the difference between a 3.0 and a 3.5 is easier to explain. I feel I will utilize both scales in my classroom.

Geoff
Wormeli touts his support of a 4.0 grading scale over the 100 point grading scale in chapter 12 of //Fair Isn’t Always Equal//. I do agree with the increased accuracy and reliability of the 4.0 grading scale, but I do wonder if it is feasible to use the scale in every single instance. Wormeli tells us that the 4.0 scale, which lends itself to rubric-based assessment much like what we are doing in class, is a more reliable indicator of understanding, but also makes grading more reliable between teachers, for all of the vast differences they may have, across the school, and between schools across the district. He also points out that the 4.0 scale may help in ending the ceaseless obsession with grades and numbers on the behalf of students and parents, and gets them more focused on achieving standards and essential understandings, even if just a little bit. I think that, especially for authentic assessments, there is no better way of assessing understanding and mastery than the 4.0 (or 3.0 or 6.0, for that matter) rubric system. I just wonder if a rubric makes any sense on a quiz or some other forms of formative assessment.

Jordan
In a differentiated classroom, when grading, teachers focus on mastery, essential understandings, and learning objectives. When assigning a grade to a student for an assignment or assessment, focusing on those three items, it doesn’t always work to grade on a100-point scale. Wormeli described the best way to grade for mastery and understanding is by the use of rubrics and feedback, which usually accompany a 4-point grading scale. When using a 4-point grading scale, and accompanying rubrics, students are given full credit for what they did correctly and things they need to work on are circled or marked. The student can then visually see what needs to be worked on and can learn from the experience. Using a 4-point scale with rubrics allows the child to focus more on learning, progress, and ultimately, mastery of content.

John
Wormeli speaks highly of the 4.0 grade scale in this chapter, but I can't say exactly which scale I find more useful. The 4.0 scale allows students to seemingly fall within a greater bracket, which certainly does allow the viewing of grades to be more objective, but personally I think the 100 point scale does a fair job (at least in grades 6-12) of explaining where along a line of personal progression the student is. The 4.0 scale showed up as I approached college, and it always seemed too vague to me. Of course, Wormeli's suggestion that the 4.0 scale should be accompanied by rubrics helps. This way, the objective view can be examined closer according to detailed requirements, rather than simply which students are "better" overall than others.