Rethinking Your Grading Scale - E122

The EduGals Podcast

This week, we are chatting all about the 100-point scale, why it is biased towards failure, and what we can do instead to make our grading a bit more biased-resistant.
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Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/122**

• Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman
• 100-pt scale is biased towards failure
• Zeroes disproportionately punishes students
• Too many transitions points between grades (judgement between grades is much harder)
• More inconsistencies of grading between teachers with 100-pt scale
• Try using a scale with fewer points (0-4, 0-3, 0-5 for example)
• Avoid marking everything - focus on summative tasks
• Most recent, most consistent

Minimal Scales:

• Decide how many transition points that you want
• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 point scales are all possibilities
• Single point rubrics - criteria listed for level 3
• Mastery scales (yes, no) - criteria listed for level 4 (3 attempts allowed because expectations are high)
• Specifications Grading - E107
• This is NOT watering the curriculum or grading down!
• Multiple attempts or replacing grades as skills progress

Other suggestions:

• Setting a minimum grade (40 or 50%) - essentially equalizes the grade bands to make grading more equitable
• Using a 4 pt scale (or something similar), you will eventually need a grade conversion chart
• Specific grades - 95, 85, 75, 65, etc. - pick specific values for each level
• Think about your zeroes - is it compliance or comprehension?
• Keep students accountable instead of using a zero

Determining Final Grades:

• Eventually you will likely need to convert back to a 100-pt scale
• Automatic conversions in gradebook software
• Conferencing with students (along with reflections)
• Most recent, most consistent - look for trends

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