Fair Isn't Always Equal -chapter 9

Fair Isn't Always Equal
Chapter 9

Abstract:
Chapter nine examines ten things to avoid when differentiating assessments and grading. These include the practice of incorporating nonacademic factors such as behavior into a final grade; penalizing students for multiple attempts at mastery, and grading practice homework. The author also warns teachers to avoid withholding assistance when it’s needed, to avoid assessing students in ways that do not accurately indicate their mastery, to avoid allowing extra credit and bonus points, and to avoid group grades. Finally mentioned is grading on a curve, along with giving zeros for work not handed in, and averages.

Reflection:
In thinking about such a difficult and time consuming process, this chapter offers plenty of advice for how to make grading that much less challenging and risky. First, we'll address the penalty for multiple attempts at mastery; there needs to be some incentive for students to do their work and to push themselves to gain an understanding of the topic. If they are allowed to make up homework and tests for full credit over and over again, students will take advantage of it and chaos will ensue.
As far as extra credit is concerned, as long as it is used correctly to benefit students in need, and it is not used to the point that students have the opportunity to abuse it, it should certainly implemented in the classroom. Zeros, I believe, should be recorded; students need to be held responsible for their actions. What do you tell the student that worked really hard but is simply having trouble with the content and gets a sixty on a project when his/her peer gets a sixty recorded in the gradebook because the peer simply didn't do it? Do we tell that struggling student that by putting a zero in there we're ensuring that the average isn't thrown off? It's an insult to the student that is struggling, and it's handing credit/points to a student who has yet to prove that he/she has a grasp of the concept.