Need for clarification of high school policy regarding two related but independent items:
1- the effect of tardy, incomplete, or missing assignments on course grades; and
2- the effect of Missing/Incomplete grades on report card calculation and summary grades at quarter-end.
We assume that a grade mark should indicate level of knowledge of the subject more than it indicates level of adult-responsibility. If a student does not complete an assignment, then the evaluation of student’s performance in the course is simply Incomplete. If the assignment is important, then the grade should simply remain Incomplete until the student completes the work and is assessed. If the assignment is not important, then it should not be counted at all in anyone’s course grade. In the real world, circumstances often compel us to assess a grade with incomplete knowledge — one could argue that all assessments are by definition incomplete to some extent, as we cannot truly divine another’s knowledge — but we use professional judgement and standard procedures to at least assess our students reliably and consistently. We want all students to complete the same set of assignments, both because we feel those are important to the learning goals and because the resulting assessment is then more reliable across all students in the course — and further, students and parents typically seek that reliability-cum-fairness as well.
Some may consider that small assignments be treated as optional for grading purposes, as long as they do not have a great effect on overall grades. Yet it would be unfair in this all-too-common case: DutifulMary completes an assignment on time but poorly, receives an 80, thus reducing her average; CarelessJohn neglects the assignment completely, thus not affecting his average. Or, inversely, CarelessJohn submits his work two weeks later, and it is perfectly done: should it receive a perfect mark? if not, why should it be penalized? and if penalized, what guides the level of penalty?
The parable of the vineyard workers may be relevant here, as its message is patently unfair.
Some teachers assign a zero as a more effective way of stimulating student response to Missing or Incomplete assignments, because a zero dramatically affects the summary grade, and some students watch their summary grade values daily.
If at report-card time an assignment contains a grade of “M” Missing that is assigned a numeric value of zero and incorporated in the report-card grade calculation, what action should be taken?
1- Let the calculation stand as is, print the report card
1a. no comment.
1b. confirm that teacher has made appropriate attempts to seek student compliance, including contact with parents etc., providing some time for teacher to perhaps remove the “M” status, then re-run report card process.
1c. send a special note to Student/Custody, noting that Missing assignments affected the grade negatively;
2- change the calculated letter grade to “I” Incomplete
2a. send a separate e-mail to Student/Custody, noting that Missing assignments caused this grade calculated at X to be marked Incomplete until all assessments could be completed. Likely would also state a date by which the calculated grade would be put in its place whether or not the assignments are completed.
2b. no comment; let the Incomplete stand. No credit granted until a real grade is placed there.
2c. If not completed within a specified time, grade changes to F
If we implement procedure2, then to account for possible distorted interpretations of minor cases, it might be best to stipulate that teachers remove all “M” and “I” marks on assignments worth less than, say, 1% (or 2%?) of the final grade, and put either a zero or an “E” in its place — teacher discretion. Thus, the only “M” or “I” marks remaining are significant ones.
Important Corollary: if at report-card-time any assignment contains a grade of “I” Incomplete, do the same policies hold?
1- the effect of tardy, incomplete, or missing assignments on course grades; and
2- the effect of Missing/Incomplete grades on report card calculation and summary grades at quarter-end.
We assume that a grade mark should indicate level of knowledge of the subject more than it indicates level of adult-responsibility. If a student does not complete an assignment, then the evaluation of student’s performance in the course is simply Incomplete. If the assignment is important, then the grade should simply remain Incomplete until the student completes the work and is assessed. If the assignment is not important, then it should not be counted at all in anyone’s course grade. In the real world, circumstances often compel us to assess a grade with incomplete knowledge — one could argue that all assessments are by definition incomplete to some extent, as we cannot truly divine another’s knowledge — but we use professional judgement and standard procedures to at least assess our students reliably and consistently. We want all students to complete the same set of assignments, both because we feel those are important to the learning goals and because the resulting assessment is then more reliable across all students in the course — and further, students and parents typically seek that reliability-cum-fairness as well.
Some may consider that small assignments be treated as optional for grading purposes, as long as they do not have a great effect on overall grades. Yet it would be unfair in this all-too-common case: DutifulMary completes an assignment on time but poorly, receives an 80, thus reducing her average; CarelessJohn neglects the assignment completely, thus not affecting his average. Or, inversely, CarelessJohn submits his work two weeks later, and it is perfectly done: should it receive a perfect mark? if not, why should it be penalized? and if penalized, what guides the level of penalty?
The parable of the vineyard workers may be relevant here, as its message is patently unfair.
Some teachers assign a zero as a more effective way of stimulating student response to Missing or Incomplete assignments, because a zero dramatically affects the summary grade, and some students watch their summary grade values daily.
If at report-card time an assignment contains a grade of “M” Missing that is assigned a numeric value of zero and incorporated in the report-card grade calculation, what action should be taken?
1- Let the calculation stand as is, print the report card
1a. no comment.
1b. confirm that teacher has made appropriate attempts to seek student compliance, including contact with parents etc., providing some time for teacher to perhaps remove the “M” status, then re-run report card process.
1c. send a special note to Student/Custody, noting that Missing assignments affected the grade negatively;
2- change the calculated letter grade to “I” Incomplete
2a. send a separate e-mail to Student/Custody, noting that Missing assignments caused this grade calculated at X to be marked Incomplete until all assessments could be completed. Likely would also state a date by which the calculated grade would be put in its place whether or not the assignments are completed.
2b. no comment; let the Incomplete stand. No credit granted until a real grade is placed there.
2c. If not completed within a specified time, grade changes to F
If we implement procedure2, then to account for possible distorted interpretations of minor cases, it might be best to stipulate that teachers remove all “M” and “I” marks on assignments worth less than, say, 1% (or 2%?) of the final grade, and put either a zero or an “E” in its place — teacher discretion. Thus, the only “M” or “I” marks remaining are significant ones.
Important Corollary: if at report-card-time any assignment contains a grade of “I” Incomplete, do the same policies hold?
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