Many of the schools and systems with whom Sandra Herbst and I are currently
working are engaged in thoughtful and involved conversations that focus on the
use of zeros, deducting marks (or grades)
for late assignments, or some other kind of response to students who do not
provide the kind of evidence of learning that has been requested. At times,
this dialogue can become emotional and even divisive. We are reminded of Sir
Michael Barber’s statement
(2011 keynote), that as educators, we often find ourselves “on the road…paved
with false dichotomies”. That is, educators discuss issues from the mindset of
‘either all or nothing.’ For example:
·
Phonics: Some say phonics is the only basis of a good
reading program while others say phonics is of no use at all.
·
Standards: Some say all students must achieve
universal high standards while others say the standards depend entirely on the
student.
·
Evaluating Student Work: Some would say when work is
not handed in on time, deductions are given and, if necessary, a zero is
assigned while others would say you should never deduct marks and you can never
assign a zero.
Yet, in the midst of these often-heated debates, there is a
place for a measured, reasonable response.
It is sometimes helpful to have an example that helps us
better understand the situation. Some people say that in the ‘real world’ if
things are late, there are consequences. That is indeed true. So let us take an
example from educators’ ‘real world’
of employment. What if a teacher does not complete the report cards for his
classes by the specified date? Is the first response to fire that teacher? No. Is
the first response to deduct pay? No. What will happen? Likely, the principal
will have a conversation with him to determine why the report cards are not yet
completed and to plan for next steps. This might mean bringing in a substitute
so that they can be completed during the next school day. It might mean that a
district consultant is brought in to provide support and guidance, or it might
even mean that the principal spends the next two evenings sitting alongside
that teacher to ensure that they are done. The consequence for not doing report
cards is doing report cards.
Teachers work with students to help them understand that
they are responsible and that part of their role is to provide evidence of
their learning to the teacher. . Additionally, students need to understand that
there are consequences for submitting their work late. Still, the natural
consequence of not handing in assignments should be to hand them in. Some people may think having to actually hand the
work in is not a consequence or perhaps not enough of a consequence. We would
agree, but it is the first step towards addressing the issue. As Schimmer
(2012) writes, “Assigning a zero to something that has not been seen
compromises the accuracy of the grade…”
If the first reaction – the default stance - to assignments
not being handed in is to begin to deduct marks or grades, then very quickly
students no longer see a reason to submit work on time or, perhaps, at all. Much
has been written about the extraordinary weight one or two zeros assigned to a
student’s work can have on the term or final grade. Recovering from the
mathematical impact of a zero could require, in many situations, near perfect
future scores. When we deduct marks or grades and when we assign zeros, the
mark or grade that results no longer speaks to the quality of the work which is
the point of marks or grades in relation to the curriculum expectations.
We want students to be engaged. We want students to be
learning. We want students to be successful. We also want teachers to use their
informed professional judgment regarding achievement. What can be done? There
are many facets to consider. Here are four ways teachers, schools, and systems
are addressing this important issue.
One: If students do not hand in work then evidence of
learning is not available to the teacher. Without evidence of learning (or lack
of learning), a teacher’s ability to make a professional judgment is seriously
impaired. If there is not enough evidence of learning, a grade cannot be
assigned. The next measured response is to use one of a variety of strategies
to support students as they work to ensure that they provide enough evidence of
learning.
Two: At the end of the term, when report card grades are
required, teachers need to be very careful they are not putting themselves at
professional risk. Report cards are legal documents. They report what students
have learned and achieved in relation to the learning outcomes and standards
for the subject. If the records kept by the teacher show little or no evidence
of learning in relation to those outcomes or standards, then the student grade
must reflect that unknowing. Therefore,
some schools and systems use NE, which means Not Enough Evidence and students
have a certain length of time to submit the needed evidence or complete
alternative tasks that do give teachers enough evidence. If evidence of
learning does not become available, then a grade is not assigned for the course
– there is no credit recorded.
Three: Evidence of learning is important in terms of
providing information about the ongoing learning so teaching can be adjusted
and in terms of providing evidence for evaluation of learning and achievement.
Many teachers deliberately explain to students that there is little or no
choice about submitting evidence of learning (student assignments and other
work) if a student is to achieve success in the course. Then, in order to
assist students who need additional support, teachers, schools, and systems put
into place a variety of processes to serve as an intervention if assignments
are not submitted, including:
·
Setting up a student contract to support the learning.
·
Referring students to additional supports such as a
learning centre or tutorials.
·
Chunking major assignments into smaller pieces that
can be submitted in stages.
·
Giving students a window of time (e.g., a week) within
which the work must be submitted.
·
Providing an alternate assignment that, while still
meeting the intended outcomes of the original assignment, better reflects the
student’s interests and strengths.
This list is illustrative and not exhaustive. Provincial
policy statements across Canada, like Growing
Success (Ontario, 2010) and Academic
Responsibility, Honesty, and Promotion/Retention (Manitoba, 2010) offer
additional strategies and processes.
Four: These documents, and others, also indicate that, if the
assignment is still not submitted after attempts have been made in these and other
ways, deducting marks and/or assigning a zero may be necessary. To
mitigate the impact of a zero, teachers might choose to give it less weight or decide
not to use a zero score in the grade calculation. We agree that this is also a
potential response.
As you come to a collegial decision in regards to the
assigning of zeroes and the deduction of marks, we remind you that the final grade decision or calculation must
reflect the informed professional judgment of the teacher and accurately
represent a student’s actual achievement.
Note: This blog is an excerpt from an upcoming book titled, A Fresh Look at Grading and Reporting by
Anne Davies and Sandra Herbst.
