Measuring the Grading Ststem

Feb. 2, 2011 - PRLog -- “A” FOR EFFORT?

Who are the best students – the ones who grasp the lesson immediately, doze through most of class, neglect their homework and score high marks on the exam, or the ones who participate in class, complete their homework, study hard and earn mediocre marks on the exam?  In most educational systems, grades are the main instrument used to measure student success in school, but what are they really telling you about the student or their progress?

Traditional student grading and assessment practices have long been a source of debate and controversy in the educational community.  The traditional approach to grading has not changed in decades.  While most educators agree that the purpose of grades is to measure students’ subject knowledge, the reality is that attendance, effort, motivation and deportment influence grading decisions.  Research indicates that teachers’ evaluation of student performance is based largely on students’ non-academic achievements. Students who hand in homework assignments on time, are not tardy and behave in class are more likely to earn higher grades.

The New York Times recently reported a study conducted by Ellis Middle School in Austin, Minn., triggered by a discrepancy in students’ semester grades and their results on end-of-the-year exams.  In many cases students earning A’s for the semester scored much lower on these exams.  In contrast, students who earned lower semester grades often scored higher on their exams. After analyzing these results, Ellis Middle School faculty arrived at the understanding that teachers have been grading their students based on both academic and non-academic grades.

Schools across the country are revamping the grading policy so that grades reflect subject mastery, not compliance.  Parents need to know their children’s level of academic achievement, which is not possible using the current method of grading.  However, the non-academic achievements are also important.  What can be done to ensure accurate grading on all levels?

THE SIMPLE SOLUTION: DDC’s 360º

At Dynamic Data Concepts, we developed a simple solution by creating a system where, using Campus 360º, teachers can enter their grades and 360º’s intelligence will calculate two final grades -  an academic grade as well as a non-academic grade as illustrated in the chart below:

This is just one example of the many features available as part of the 360º Solutions Suite – the complete school management software.
For a free demo, please call us at 800-890-3962.

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For 20 years Schools and other non-profits have relied on our management software to keep their organization running smoothly. DDC's 360º Solutions is a dynamic, intuitive, custom-designed package to fit your particular needs and preferences.