Chapter 11: Six Burning Grading Issues

Chapter 11 deals with six grading issues that come up very often. The first one listed, the “Zero or Sixty” argument is one that I feel strongly about. I don’t think having a permanent zero in the gradebook is ever acceptable. On one hand, if the grade is intended to reflect understanding, it is irresponsible to assume that a student has a 60% understanding of the content. On the other hand, it’s irresponsible to assume that they know absolutely nothing about the content being graded. I also really liked the chapter’s suggestion for grading late work where you record two grades – one that reflects mastery and one that includes the late penalties. I also agreed with the suggestion that a full letter grade off is more punitive than instructive.