Silly grading bureaucracy
In Mongtgomery County, we have some pretty crazy grading policies which take a lot of grading control out of the hands of the teachers.
First, there's a rule that homework in science can only be graded for effort (completion), not for correctness. Basically, if you write anything down, no matter how nonsensical, you get 100% credit for homework.
Second, there's a minimum grade of 50% on tests and quizzes that every student is entitled to as long as they "complete" the test -- which again basically means just writing down anything. On a multiple-choice test, that's just filling in all the bubbles.
There's also a rule that homework can't count for more than 10% of the final grade...but that's not relevant to my current issue.
Under the grading rules, a student who turns in crappy homework and gets 0 questions correct on the test will get a final grade of 55% in my class -- still failing, but not by much.
I ran some numbers today. Each quarter, I give 3 Lab Reports, 3 Quizzes, and 3 Tests in addition to homeworks which are points for completion.
A student could get a 69% (D) on the first lab report, a 69% (D) on the first quiz, and a 63% (D) on the first test...and then do nothing for the next two months (E) and still pass thanks to the 50% rule.
The final grade would be a 59.5, which the grading computer would round up to a 60% (D). The student passes Honors Physics. Congrats, he's your problem now, Real World.
Another scenario that results in a passing grade:
First Test = 73%
Second, Third Tests = 0
All lab reports = 0
All quizzes = 0
(Since zeroes are really 50% grades)
That's a 59.6! Here's your diploma!
Blech.
First, there's a rule that homework in science can only be graded for effort (completion), not for correctness. Basically, if you write anything down, no matter how nonsensical, you get 100% credit for homework.
Second, there's a minimum grade of 50% on tests and quizzes that every student is entitled to as long as they "complete" the test -- which again basically means just writing down anything. On a multiple-choice test, that's just filling in all the bubbles.
There's also a rule that homework can't count for more than 10% of the final grade...but that's not relevant to my current issue.
Under the grading rules, a student who turns in crappy homework and gets 0 questions correct on the test will get a final grade of 55% in my class -- still failing, but not by much.
I ran some numbers today. Each quarter, I give 3 Lab Reports, 3 Quizzes, and 3 Tests in addition to homeworks which are points for completion.
A student could get a 69% (D) on the first lab report, a 69% (D) on the first quiz, and a 63% (D) on the first test...and then do nothing for the next two months (E) and still pass thanks to the 50% rule.
The final grade would be a 59.5, which the grading computer would round up to a 60% (D). The student passes Honors Physics. Congrats, he's your problem now, Real World.
Another scenario that results in a passing grade:
First Test = 73%
Second, Third Tests = 0
All lab reports = 0
All quizzes = 0
(Since zeroes are really 50% grades)
That's a 59.6! Here's your diploma!
Blech.