The Grades Game

There are times when we all understand something a little better when we can see it from a different perspective.  Grades are a concept that we all have experienced and have some idea of their meaning.  But like a lot of things experienced in life, they are one of those things that many of us may not truly understand.  What we do know is that they are an important part of what takes place at school, and since they are important, better understanding is imperative.

The reason why our school has focused on grading is because what was being done had strayed far off course from the original intent.  A grade is a symbol for what a student has learned, and in the purest form, is connected to more information that defines what it actually is that the student has learned.  Our move toward standards-based grading is underway, and the steps we have taken are being more refined in our classrooms.  However, it is never too late to go back to the fundamentals, just like a good coach takes a step back in the middle of the season, in order to help people understand the need for, and some of the changes we have made.

As mentioned above, analogies often help with understanding.  We could use any sport, but we will use one I am more familiar with as are many of you: football.  Coaches and athletes spend the majority of their time together out on the practice field just as teachers and student spend hours together in the classroom.  On a given day, the offensive line coach will drill the players on their footwork, making sure that they teach their body the appropriate first step and keeping weight distributed where it needs to be.  In the classroom, the English teacher spends time teaching and reviewing writing mechanics so that the student can write a coherent and correct sentence each and every time she puts something down on paper.  While the coach and athlete participate in an exchange of instruction and practice, the same is done in the classroom.  The linebacker learns to read his keys preparing for the next game and the math student solves problems and draws conclusions.  All of this is part of what we call practice.  The coach evaluates whether his linebackers are taking the right drop on pass coverage and whether they are making progress on reading their keys.  The math teacher checks progress on the homework assignments and worksheets his algebra students have completed.  Progress.  Learning.  Is the athlete/student moving forward?  And, just as the football coach does not give a grade or award a helmet sticker for the player’s efforts during practice, nor should the classroom teacher.   What is learned during football practice has an impact on the game Friday night, but grades are not handed out.  It is preparation for the “final exam” on Friday night.

To find out how well their players have learned and whether they can apply it in a game-like situation, the football coaches have their players scrimmage.  The scrimmage isn’t the real thing, but is simulates what the players are going to see on Friday night.  It is a safe environment where success and failure gives the coach a chance to make corrections they otherwise may have not noticed.  In the classroom these are called quizzes.  A quiz should not define a student’s success or failure, but should provide information about progress to the student and teacher.  Scrimmages are most effective when discussion takes place between coach and player to insure understanding of responsibilities and technique.  The science teacher and student should use the results of the quiz over particles to re-teach concepts that were not understood, or continue reading for more information.  Again, helmet stickers are not passed out after a scrimmage, nor does it make sense to grade the quiz.

Game night is Friday, the final test!  Has all of the work on the field, watching film, reviewing the playbook paid off?  Reviewing the homework, looking over the quizzes, and re-reading the chapters all provide preparation for game time, or in the case of American history, the unit test over the Gilded Age.  Anxiety tends to be a little more pronounced than it was on Wednesday during the scrimmage/class when the linemen/history students were reviewing their assignments.  Games matter.  Tests matter.  Both of these are the opportunities for the student/athlete to show exactly what they can and can’t do, what they know and don’t know.  When done correctly, teaching, practice, and scrimmaging have prepared students/athletes for the test/game.  Practice and scrimmages are essential in preparation for success, but on the football field Friday night, no one really cares about the athletes practice habits or performance in the scrimmage.  The proof is on the field.  The only thing that matters is how they play the game.  While this will sound crass as it is applied to the classroom, whether or not a student does homework, completes a few questions at the end of the chapter, or performed well on a 10-point quiz really doesn’t matter.  Yes, they are important and should be used to help the student prepare for the test.  But, they should not affect the student’s grade.  On Friday night, when that corner back reacts as he was taught to a move the receiver makes and positions himself to intercept the pass, that is what matters.  Not the fact the he missed practice on Tuesday when they practiced the skill and did not do it correctly in the scrimmage on Wednesday.  He did it Friday!  The same can be said about the quarterback who has an outstanding week of practices and looks like Tom Brady in the scrimmage Wednesday.  If he does not handle the pressure and his anxiety on Friday, and throws three interceptions and fumbles the ball twice, he did not “pass the test.”  The history student needs to step up and perform as well.  Chances are, if she has prepared well, learned from the quizzes, and approaches the test with confidence, she will do just fine.