1. Fair and Appropriate Grading
Carol Van Zile-Tamsen, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Center for Educational Innovation
Adjunct Associate Professor, Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology

2. Session Agenda: Establishing and Communicating Grading Policy
Grading Guidelines for Assignments and Exams
Grading Documentation
Questions

3. Grading is one of the most important things you'll do as an instructor!
Has a permanent impact for the student:
Will be on the on the student's transcript forever.
Grading policies and procedures influence motivation.
Impacts the amount students will learn in the class.

4. Establishing and Communicating grading policy
Part 1:
Establishing and Communicating grading policy

5. Grades: A Definition
A concise, universally understood, summative evaluation of performance.
An overall indicator of someone’s performance on an assignment, a test, or in the class as a whole.

6. Criterion-Referenced Grading
Types of Grading:
Normative Grading
Criterion-Referenced Grading
Grades are assigned to individual students based on how they compare to other students in the class.
Grades are assigned to students based on how their performance compares to an absolute standard.

7. Types of Grading: A Visual Representation
Types of Grading: A Visual Representation C
In norm-referenced grading, the score is determined by the distance the student is from the class average. D B A F

8. Types of Grading: A Visual Representation
Types of Grading: A Visual Representation
In criterion-referenced grading, the student’s grade is determined by the percentage of content they have mastered.

9. Grading Policy:
Rules for determining a summative grade based on an individual’s performance.
Indicates the level of work necessary to earn each grade.
The grading policy should be clearly communicated on the syllabus.

10. Example: Norm Referenced Grading Policy
Distribution in Class
Grade
Top 5% A
Top 12% A-
Top 23% B+
Top 30% B
Top 38% B-
Top 46% C+
Top 68% C
Bottom 25% D
Bottom 7% F

11. Example: Criterion Referenced Grading Policy
Points Earned
Percentage
Grade
93-100 A
90-92 A-
87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B-
76-79 C+
70-75 C
60-69 D
< 120
< 60 F

12. Recommended Grading System:
Motivation
Criterion Referenced Grading
Perceptions of Fairness

13. Weighting:
Refers to how grades from distinct requirements will be combined to inform the final grade.
Assignments that take more effort should be given more weight in the final grade than assignments that require less effort.
Participation and the potential for extra credit should also be explicitly addressed.

14. A Weighting Comparison:
Method 1
Method 2
Assignment
Points
Class Participation 30
Reading Summaries (2) 20
Quizzes (3)
Research Paper
Exams (2) 60
Final Exam 40
Total
200
Assignment
Points
Class Participation 10
Reading Summaries (2) 20
Quizzes (3) 30
Research Paper 40
Exams (2) 50
Final Exam
Total
200

15. Incomplete Policy:
The syllabus is required to contain the policy for taking an incomplete.
This is available in the undergraduate catalog:
The student must request an incomplete.
The student must have completed enough course work at sufficient quality that it will be possible to earn a higher grade by completing the remaining coursework.

16. Teach what you plan to grade, and grade what you teach!
Final Thought:
Teach what you plan to grade, and grade what you teach!

17. Guidelines for grading assignments and exams
Part 2:
Guidelines for grading assignments and exams

18. Written Work and Open-Ended Assignments:
Clear guidelines should be presented when work is assigned:
Required components;
Weighting of components; and
Criteria for evaluating work.
A grading rubric has many benefits.

19. Types of Rubrics: Checklist Rating Scale Holistic Scoring Guide
Structured Observation Guide

20. Simple Sample Rubric Novice Beginner Developing Competent Proficient
(0)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Homework not turned in or turned in after due date.
Homework turned in, most items incomplete or all incorrect.
Homework turned in, some items complete & correct.
Homework turned in, most items complete & correct.
Homework turned in, all correct.

21. Benefits of grading rubrics:
Increase consistency in grading across different students.
Clearly communicates to students what is expected.
Provides more informative feedback to the student.
Makes the grading process more efficient.

22. Rubrics can also be used for:
Homework problems and/or homework as a whole
Constructed response items on exams
Oral presentations
Performance in group projects
Class participation

23. Grading Objective Tests and Exams:
Include the content that is most important for students to know.
Make sure that the test is well-designed and that each item has a clearly defensible correct answer.
Include in the instructions the number of points each item is worth.
Make sure the items correspond to material covered in class.

24. After the test/exam completed:
Complete an item analysis to identify items that may have caused problems for the class as a whole.
Review the results in class, in particular items that caused problems.
It is ok to adjust scores for items that were confusing or not well-written.
Review and/or reteach problematic content.

25. Grading documentation
Part 3:
Grading documentation

26. Grading Challenges:
Sometimes grading decisions are challenged by students.
To help prevent challenges, it is important to:
Establish and communicate a defensible grading policy;
Establish clear criteria for assigning final grades;
Develop guidelines and grading criteria for all requirements; and
Make sure there are clear criteria for participation grades and extra credit.

27. Grading Documentation:
To prepare for a grading challenge, keep good records:
a copy of the syllabus;
Assignment guidelines and rubrics;
Copies of the quizzes/tests/exams; and
Your completed "grade book" including columns for participation and extra credit if used in grading.

28. What other details do you need to know?
Questions?
What other details do you need to know?

29. Additional Resources
Books: Gentile, J. R., & Lalley, J. P. (2006). Educational psychology (3rd edition). Kendall Hunt Publishing. Suskie, L. (2009). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide (2nd edition). Jossey-Bass. Walvoord, B., & Anderson, V. J. (2009). Effective grading (2nd edition). Jossey-Bass. Web Sites: Academic Policies Test Construction Using Rubrics
These books and web sites provide additional detail about various aspects of grading and syllabus requirements.