GRADING AND STUDENT EVALUATION: Process by which a teacher assesses student learning through clas...

1. PHILOSOPHY OF GRADING: WHAT SHOULD GRADES REFLECT? Its about quantify an assessment according to several principles and rules, however there are observations that should always be followed and always verify the performance of each student is reliable in a grade.

1.1. CALCULATING GRADES: ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE GRADING

1.1.1. Considering the approach to qualification. If it is a standard of performance in a point system, it is an ABSOLUTE SYSTEM OF GRADING. The key to system is to be clear in the competences and objectives, tasks and evaluations. The relative classification is more used than an absolute rating. It has advantages of allowing one's own interpretation or adjusting the level of difficulty in an evaluation. The relative qualification is when students are classified by categories.

1.2. GUIDELINES FOR SELECTING GRADING CRITERIA

1.2.1. 1. Components of the qualification must be aware of an institutional philosophy or regulation. 2. Components of a final grade must be presented in writing to the students at the beginning of a study period, with the assignment of percentages. 3. If the qualification system includes elements, the subjectivity be recognized, allowing students to transmit a base of conclusions through graphs and feedback. 4. Relatively small extra points should be considered, so that the grade reflects the student's achievement not only in assessments but also in behavior and class participation.

1.3. TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF APPROPRIATE GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS

1.3.1. Many teachers perform an interpretation and make minor adjustments to compensate for unexpected difficulties. This attitude is accepted and not controversial, however, the notions proconceived of their own qualification standards often do not coincide with the actual practice. Teachers can subscribe hypothetically to a group of pre-selected expectations, but in practice they do not always adjust to those expectations. Many times teachers believe that the fault in grade inflation is their empathy for the students, which assigned ratings higher than the standards and expectations

2. INSTITUTIONAL EXPECTATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS: A qualifying consideration and procedures for calculating grades is not complete if you do not have approaches in the institution and in the determination of qualifications.

2.1. CROSS-CULTURAL FACTORS AND THE QUESTION OF DIFFICULTY

2.1.1. •It is unheard of to ask a student to self-assess performance. •The teacher assigns a grade, and nobody questions the teacher's criteria. •The measure of a good teacher is one who can design a test that is so difficult that no student could achieve a perfect score. The fact that students fall short of such marks of perfection is, a demonstration of the teacher's superior knowledge. •As a corollary, grades of A are reserved for a highly select few, and students are delighted with Bs. •One single final examination is the accepted determinant of a student's entire course grade. •The notion of a teacher's preparing students to do their best on a test is an educational contradiction.

2.2. WHAT DO LETTER GRADES "MEAN"?

2.2.1. A excellent B good C adequate D inadequate/unsatisfactory F failing/unacceptable

3. SOME PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR GRADING AND EVALUATION

3.1. •Grading is not necessarily based on a universally accepted scale, •Grading is sometimes subjective and context-dependent, •Grading of tests is often done on the "curve," •Grades reflect a teacher's philosophy of grading, •Grades reflect an institutional philosophy of grading •Cross-cultural variation is grading philosophies needs to be understood, •Grades often conform, by design, to a teacher's expected distribution of students across a continuum, •Tests do not always yield an expected level of difficulty, •Letter grades may not "mean" the-same thing to all people and •Alternatives to letter grades or numerical scores are highly desirable as additional indicators of achievement.

4. ALTERNATIVES TO LETTER GRADING

4.1. SUMMATIVE •Marginal or end comments of exam, paper, project •Summative written evaluative remarks on a journal, portfolio, or other tangible product •Written reaction to a student’s self-assessment of performance in a course •Summative checklist of competencies with comments •Narrative evaluations of general performance on key objectives FORMATIVE •Marginal or end comments •Written reaction to a student’s self-assessment of performance •Review of the test in a next class •Peer assessment of performance •Self-assessment of performance