English 9 Honors Grading Policy

[Unregistered]

This year I have taken over for a teacher who had to go on personal leave, after many parent complaints each teacher must pass out thier grading policy again to the parents I just typed mine up and I would like to know what you guys think.FYI: I cannot change the format of the sheet becuase this is the required bormat by my principal.

Your Quarter Average for English 9 Honors will be made up of the following categories:

• 15%-Classwork
• 15%-Homework
• 25%-Tests and Binder
• 25%-Essays and Projects
• 20%-Quizzes

Classwork: The majority of my classes are based on some type of classwork assignment. While many of these classwork assignments will not be graded and counted in this category, many will. However these “un-graded” assignments will be checked for completion when I collect your binders at the end of the term.

Homework: About 4-5 nights a week in my class you will be given some type of homework assignment. Homework must be completed on-time to receive credit, no late assignments will be accepted, there are two types of homework assignments in my class:

• “Checked- Off” Homework: The majority of the homework in my class will be this. This type of homework will be graded by me coming over to your desk in the beginning of class, and checking off your homework for completion and effort. If the assignment is complete and you showed some effort your will receive a 100%, if the homework is at least started you will receive half-credit (50%) and if nothing is completed you will receive a 0%. These assignments will count as 1 homework grade.
• Graded Homework: The remainder of the homework in my class will be this type. This type of homework will be turned-in to me and I will grade it on accuracy (it will be given a percent grade). These assignments will count as 2 homework grades.

Tests: At the completion of each large grammar, literature, or vocabulary unit a test will be given covering that entire unit. These tests will be long, about 40-70 questions and will consist of a single type or combination the following types of questions: short answer, multiple choices, matching, completion, fill-in the blank, and true/false.

Binder: A week before each quarter ends I will pass out a binder check list of what should be in your binder and what should be each on section’s table of contents. Each item on the binder list will be graded out of 2 points; one point for it being located in the right place, and another for it being completed. These binder check grades will be counted as a test grade.

Essays and Projects: At the completion of each writing unit and sometimes at the end of a literature unit some type of essay will be assigned, theses essays will be graded with a rubric and represent a large portion of your quarter average. Projects may also be assigned in conjunction with a current literature, writing, grammar, or research unit. These projects will also be graded using a rubric.

Quizzes: During any unit of study, may it be literature, grammar, research or writing, quiz may be administered, and these quizzes may be administered with or without notice. These quizzes are short usually 10-20 questions and will consist of a single type or combination the following types of questions: short answer, multiple choices, matching, completion, fill-in the blank, and true/false. Pleases note that a unannounced, “pop”, quiz may be administered may be checked to see if a reading assignment was completed.

Extra Credit and Dropping of Grades: I usually do not assign extra credit, it is a students responsibility to come to me with a way they want to earn extra credit. Extra Credit will not be given unless all assignments have been completed. However, I do give some bonus questions on many tests and quizzes. If a student completes all of their assignments for the quarter, one homework or classwork grade will be dropped and if a student passes all of their quizzes for the quarter, one quiz grade will be drooped. Each student gets to choose the homework or classwork grade they want to drop and the quiz grade they want to drop.

Redoing Assignments: No test, quiz, project, or assignment may be re done once they are graded and returned.

** I will do my best to explain how EVERY assignment is graded before it is due.**

ALL GRADED ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE GIVEN A PERCENTAGE GRADE OUT OF 100 POINTS; THIS PERCENT GRADE IS THE GRADE THAT WILL GO IN MY GRADEBOOK FOR THAT ASSIGNMENT.

[Tom Tuttle]

Technically the document seems flawless. But, just wondering now, how do you feel about the grading policy? If you agree with the principles behind it, I don't see a problem.
I sense you are between a rock and a hard place, or a principal and a parent group. If you are being bullied into a process you don't feel comfortable with, tell them to take the job and shove it! What a way to begin a professional journey!
A few weeks from now, after you have come to see the students in your class as people instead of just numerical entities, can you forsee some discomfort with having had to commit so much into contractual terms? I can. I have a student in mind who came to me completely turned off by the system. After 5 months of patience and effort on both our parts, I've got this kid thinking that maybe he can find a way to be successful in school. I won't give him an "A" for effort, but I won't fail him either, regardless of what the numbers come out. I have that right, because I am not the child's accountant. I am his teacher.
The document reads like one of those legislative restrictions on sentencing. No judge who respects his or her profession would willingly give away so much of the power of personal discretion.
Teachers, like judges, have historically been alloted great latitude in the matter of descision making. That is why we are professionals instead of employees.
In a few years, God wllling and the creek don't rise, you'll be protected by a union and won't be so easy to shove around. In the meantime, the next few years are going to be excrutiating for a person of consience if you've signed on in a situation where your judgement is thought so little of.
What I'm asking is this: is the job market that tight or is this position really such a plum that you have to accept these terms?

[Unregistered]

I sense you are between a rock and a hard place, or a principal and a parent group. If you are being bullied into a process you don't feel comfortable with, tell them to take the job and shove it! What a way to begin a professional journey!

Gee, I even heard that the district is now requiring teachers to show up and teach the course. Why should we have to stand for that?

A few weeks from now, after you have come to see the students in your class as people instead of just numerical entities, can you forsee some discomfort with having had to commit so much into contractual terms? I can. I have a student in mind who came to me completely turned off by the system. After 5 months of patience and effort on both our parts, I've got this kid thinking that maybe he can find a way to be successful in school. I won't give him an "A" for effort, but I won't fail him either, regardless of what the numbers come out. I have that right, because I am not the child's accountant. I am his teacher.

Actually, you don't have that right, at least not in any state I have ever lived. Blatant grade inflation is grounds for corrective action where I work. I am required by contract to not only teach but to keep adequate records of the student's achievement. Most likely you are too.

The document reads like one of those legislative restrictions on sentencing. No judge who respects his or her profession would willingly give away so much of the power of personal discretion.

While teachers are given some leeway, a teacher must provide adequate assessment data to justify a child's grade. Otherwise the school and district are liable.

You are giving a new teacher some very bad advice that could, if taken seriously, lead to repurcussions. In short, teachers do not have total autonomy in the classroom and cannot give out any grade they wish.

Grade inflation does no one any good. While we may sleep at night feeling good about giving a struggling student an artificially higher grade, that student is not going to benefit in the long run. And the overall effects on the academic environment are very damaging.

What I'm asking is this: is the job market that tight or is this position really such a plum that you have to accept these terms?

For pete's sake, just write the freakin' syllabus, hand it out, and quit whining. Even college professors (who are given far more latitude when it comes to grading) are usually required to create a syllabus and hand it out to the students. The syllabus is protection for the student.

[Unregistered]

Can I ask a question? Why can't projects or essays be redone? I understand tests and quizzes (for the most part), but the others? Aren't we here to help our students improve? I have a policy where if a student wants to do a rewrite they need to see me after school. We then review the rubric together so that they can clearly understand where they lost points and how to improve. After all, I remember one college professor who I would visit with a rough draft before every essay we had to do. She would sit during office hours and review it with me. I always got good grades on essays. I want my students, especially the Honors students to be "go-getters" and be comfortable with teachers. I want them to get that collegiate idea as 9th graders, the sooner the better.

Also, pop quizzes, in my opinion, are a bad idea. They prove nothing. Think about how many times you as an adult have read something at home; at night, and then the next day at lunch have forgotten some of the details to discuss with your lunch mates. Students need time to work with material.
I posted the following on another discussion:

In college I had a professor. who at the end of a particular class lecture gave us a pop-quiz. We all freaked (grad students by the way) and did poorly. As she let us go she asked to think about why we did poorly. When we returned to class the next day we worked with (applied) what she had lectured about and took the same quiz again. She then opened discussion about the previous quiz and here's what we came up with (and what she was trying to teach):

(1)All students need to "work" with the material in some way, (2) all students need time to process the material and (3) all students need to spend time with material.

[Unregistered]

I don't let them redo essays for 2 reasons. 1) It's the school's policy 2)This is an honors class, students have plenty of time to revise their essays and make them perfect; I actually look over all their rough drafts and give them a mock grade on how well they did and I also give them commments on how they can improve it. The students have 1 week from when the rough draft it retuned to revise their essays whith my comments so they have plenty of time to ask me for help either during or after school.I am not going to sutendts and give them help it is their responsibility to come to me for it!

I give pop quizzes becuase it is extremely important for everyone to retain what they have read to do succesful in any class. Most of my quizzes aren't really pop b/c students know that a quiz will be given to make sure that each reading assignment was completed. The only time I will give another pop quiz is if I know that my students are goofing off or not paying attention during a lesson.

[Unregistered]

I never suggested that students chase you down. If you looked I said my students have to make an appointment with me. Also, I was just curious....no need to seem defensive, thank you for your answer.