Grading
Grades
Let's get it out of the way, because it's what so many folks are intent on. All SHS courses follow an established grade scale as established in the student handbook. Course data for my 7 years at SHS, with special attention to last year, is shown. Grading is not rounded, with percentages as:
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A bell curve trending upward in recent years means we have found a sweet spot between student support and valid assessment. I'm not a fan of grades at all, but if we have to put a letter on a transcript, it will be a reflection of understanding, not participation, effort, and how many Kleenex boxes a student brought in.
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Grades should be entered after each quiz and unit, but may be every few weeks in a lump.
I want to spend my time with my family and working with students, not shuffling papers! A Remind alert will be sent when grades are entered, so don't obsess over Infinite Campus. I'm flexible with you, hoping for the same in return. Executive dysfunction, overload, and family responsibilities are real. |
Assessment
Assessment
Students get nervous hearing such a big number with Quizzes, but we follow a low-stress model.
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Daily Work
I strive to offer as much in-class detail and practice as possible. The days of 80s-era "here's two examples, now work for an hour" are long gone. We work together in a catch-and-release model, then minimize homework.
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The Good Samaritan Option
I try to provide students with every available resource and make math as stress-free as possible, but sometimes it just isn't enough to get a student across their desired finish line. There's no extra credit. What happens when a student has not only done all the work (80% or better homework/note completion), but isn't missing any quizzes, and actively works to improve their understanding through significant in-class engagement and/or asking questions on Remind... even comes in for help outside of class? We don't want blood, sweat and tears math, but it's clear a student put forth their best effort. Well, have a I got a deal for you! Our cumulative semester final is pretty good and shown to be VERY accurate in past years (usually within 5% of student grade), so I offer those students, those Good Samaritans, an opportunity for grade replacement. Pretty simple: get a better grade on the final than you have going into it... that's your new grade. I firmly believe that students who can show on a later exam understanding of concepts to a higher degree of proficiency should have that grade. Have an 80 and ace it? Congrats on your 100% for the class! |