Grading Policy Center

50% From

Tests

Tests will be given at the end of a chapter or unit to assess each student's ability to apply the reinforced concepts. Tests come in several forms including multiple choose, but most often, the student will have to show mastery through application of concept. This mastery can be shown orally, written, or in project form. In general, tests will be given via eInstruction Interactive Handheld devices that will record students answers, grade the responses, and dump score into electronic grade book.

40% From

Curriculum

Quizzes

Curriculum quizzes will be given throughout a chapter or unit to help the instructor gauge his level of instruction. Quizzes will be given in the formal and informal methods. Formal methods will ask students to show all work on standard "paper and pencil" quiz; informal quizzes will include pop quizzes where students will pull out a blank sheet of paper and write down short answers to questions or enter data into interactive handheld devices.

Students need to review reinforced concepts nightly due to unannounced pop quizzes. If a student does his homework daily and attends a morning, before-school tutoring session when needed, the student should achieve high marks on quizzes. As stated, many curriculum quizzes will be given via eInstruction Interactive Handheld devices that will record students answers, grade the responses, and dump score into electronic grade book.

10% From

Weekly Skill Quizzes

Weekly skill quizzes will be given every week on basic skills reviewed that week including all operations with fractions, decimals, and eventually integers and percentages as well as various homework problems the students completed during the week.

During the assessment, a few minutes will be given to solve basic skills problems, but students will only have a few MOMENTS to find the correct answer and write down the solution. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the child to keep homework up to date and organized if the student hopes to pass these weekly quizzes.

Weekly skill quizzes will be given via eInstruction Interactive Handheld devices that will record students answers, grade the responses, and dump score into electronic grade book.

Weekly skill quizzes will actually ask students to SHOW ALL WORK ON PAPER, then to input answers from basic skills questions into the handheld devices.

If a student had need of review in a basic skill area, please try the following:

1.) Visit the Vodcast Center and view the mini-lesson that will review the processes and techniques needed in the basic skill(s) in question.

2.) Visit the Basic Skills Study Guide Center to view worksheets and practice the sills in question. Usually there is an answer key to review the completed problems.

3.) Make an appointment with Mr. Cooley to review these skills.

All tests must be finished during the 45 minutes allotted during a period unless an IEP indicate a student needs extended time for a test. This ensures the validity of the exam.

Rationale: My original policy had always allowed the FEW students who did not finish an exam some needed extra time. But in the previous year or two, 50-60% of my students were not finishing exams in the same amount of time that other years did complete the exams. My finding in why this behavior was occurring was two-fold.

1.) Students were coming to my class with an inability to manage their time during the test, therefore, they spent too much time on (a) hard problem(s) and did not finish the test. At the beginning of each year, I offer extra time, if the kids need it, but I begin to wean them of any extra time by the 2nd quarter. I try to teach them the skills to manage the time given for an assessment. It is always a work in progress.

2.) Due to the needs of many students in the first example, I believe that a few students were taking advantage of this system to earn a test score that is not truly reflective of their ability. Once some kids left the room, they would go and study the parts of the test their were unsure about, and then come in later that day or the next and finish the test. This multiple testing opportunities destroys the validity of the assessment that the grade reflects what they truly have mastered! Many students have confirmed that this behavior takes place when given these opportunities.

If a parent knows of a true test-taking problem with their child, please email me to begin a dialogue to determine how to best serve your child.

Students can retake ONE exam or quiz per quarter based on following criteria:

1.) The score received on the assessment is less than a 72%.

2.) The students attends at least one review session per week previous to the poor assessment.

If extenuating circumstances do occur with a student, where the validity of the test is in question due to family emergency or other personal issues, this policy can be adjusted.

Rationale: My original policy had always allowed the few students who did not pass a test to help them gain a passing grade and confidence on upcoming tests. But in the previous years, students were re-taking quizzes and tests in mass. Some were not preparing for the first test, thinking that they would fail the test but get a good preview of the test, and re-take it when they went and studied what they saw on the test!!!. This was and is an unacceptable practice. Therefore, only one make-up per quarter will force students to prepare for every exam and quiz.

My cut of 72% is due to the fact that I must have a cut off at some point or students who scored 98% will be asking for their one retest to get the 100%. If a student receives a score of 72 or above, their generally understand the concepts and have shown some mastery. Scores below 72% show lack of mastery, and therefore, after a review session with me, they can try to show that they now have mastery of the concepts.

Bi-weekly curriculum review sessions will take place at 7:15- 7:45 am in Mr. Cooley's room before school begins. The student must attain a pass from Mr. Cooley the day previous to the day in order to attend. The school doors will be locked in the morning, and students will only gain access to the building and any of the classrooms if they have a morning pass.

7:15 - 8:00 am Tuesday and Thursday for 7th grade curriculum review

7:15 - 8:00 am Monday and Friday for basic skills curriculum review such as fractions, decimals, and number sense

I believe that hard work and discipline go a far way in providing for success. Therefore, if a student completes the following two tasks in a given quarter, I will add 10 percentage bonus points towards the lowest quiz grade of that quarter.

The two tasks are as follows:

1.) Show Mr. Cooley an organized homework binder that shows work and detail for the problems that are assigned nightly.

2.) At the end of the quarter, you, the student, must indicate to me, in writing, that you feel you have a great homework binder and after I check and am pleased with the content and organization, I will give your lowest quiz score a 10% bonus.

Cheating will not be tolerated in my classroom. I have anti-cheating boards should reduced or eliminate the opportunity for a student to cheat. If a student works hard enough to see over or around the testing boards, the student is showing premeditation, which means he knows its wrong, but does not care about the consequences. Often, cheating is a two party event. In this style of cheating, the copier is given permission by the other student to view his answers. Students will often do this to fit in or gain acceptance. If I catch this behavior, both parties are held accountable to the steps listed below. If a student is caught cheating, the following steps will be taken to ensure that the student learns a morale from the experience:

1.) The student will receive a zero on the quiz or test.

2.) The student's parent(s) will be called the day of the offense.

3.) The student will earn 1 weeks of lunch detention.

4.) The student will write apology letters to himself, his parents, Mr. Cooley, and the principal of the school, Mr. Kelly, explaining what was the incorrect behavior, why they felt that had to cheat, what they have learned about the experience, and how they will prepare to do better in the future.

I believe that one failure on one test should not determine a student's quarter grade. Therefore, if a student receives a score lower than 50%, he/she will receive a "49%" on their grade sheet. The "49%" lets parents and students understand that this concept needs review with parents or Mr. Cooley.

If the score listed is below 50% instead of the "49%", it is an indication that I believe the student has done so little preparation for the assessment, that I wish the grade to be a reinforcement of that behavior.

Homework, quizzes, and tests run in a very sequenced order. The majority of the quizzes I give the student resemble the homework assignments each one should have completed during the past week. If a student is organized and keeps all quizzes, he/she will have an excellent study guide for the test that will assess the information that the quizzes reinforced during the chapter or unit. See organization techniques for further assistance to ensure each student will be well prepared during the school year.

I do not believe in extra credit. The only way a student can improve their grade is the homework binder check listed above, or if they score over 100% on a quiz or test from the bonus questions on that quiz or test. I believe that the grades a student earns should reflect the scores he/she achieved during that quarter.