Chapter 12 Assess

Abstract: Chapter 12 deals with grading scales. The chapter looks at the two main grading scales that most schools use which are the 4.0 scale and the 100 point scale. The smaller the scale the higher the inter-rater reliability will be for the grades. This happens because there are clear mutually agreed on descriptors that must be chosen for each aspect. This means that the smaller point scale and clear descriptions of proficiency keep the graders focused on credible justification. When using the 4.0 grading scale and rubrics the teacher actively looks for things that the student accomplished and rewards points for it. This does not always occur when not using rubrics.

Reflection: It makes sense to try to use rubrics as much as possible when grading assignments however it is not always feasible to use a rubric. Students should receive points for things that they do properly and the final answer isn’t always the clearest indication of proficiency. When using the 100 point scale the teacher doesn’t always follow guidelines and takes off as many points as they feel necessary on student mistakes. By using the four point scale the teacher is forced to be conservative with grading and are more likely to stick with the rubric.