Whose Grade Is It Anyway Educational Policies Committee

Whose Grade Is It Anyway? Educational Policies Committee Ian Walton, Mission College Michelle Grimes Hillman, Mt. San Antonio College Janet Fulks, Bakersfield College Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

An Ongoing Conversation Promoting Thoughtful Faculty Conversations About Grade Distributions Adopted Spring 2008 • Encourage regular professional discussions of grading practices and data • Comply with Ed Code and Title 5 Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Originally Fall 06 Resolution - 14. 02 Referred • Develop a set of “best practices” for local academic senates with regard to grade distribution and rigor of academic programs Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

What the Body Passed Spring 07 Resolution – 9. 07 • Develop a white paper to empower local academic senates seeking to initiate local campus discussions on the topics of grade inflation and academic rigor. • Research the prevalence of grade inflation within the CCC System and the impact, if any, of the availability of faculty grade distributions on grade inflation. • Share the results. Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

A Wider Conversation Accreditation Student Learning Outcomes Accountability Testing Industry Exec Conversation Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Achieve - ADP Standardized high school exit exams “provide more credible and compelling evidence than course grades that students have met the standards. ” How do we refute that? Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

New Resolution S 08 14. 02 The Value of Grades • Create a follow-up paper that analyzes the role of grades as a credible, valid, and reliable measure of student achievement and success • Share effective practices in grading, in the light of external pressures from federal and accreditation bodies; work to promote a positive public perception regarding the integrity of grades; and oppose the replacement of traditional grades with third-party, off-the-shelf testing Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Describe Accurate Assessment of Learning When we look at data concerning student learning we consider two major things: • Validity – how valid is the test in determining the content or skills • Reliability – if the assessment was taken again at another time, how close would the two results be Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

New Paper – Correct Misconceptions Paul Dressel (1976) has defined a grade as "an inadequate report of an inaccurate judgment by a biased and variable judge of the extent to which a student has attained an undefined level of mastery of an unknown proportion of an indefinite material. ” Miller, Imrie, & Cox 1998, p. 24 Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Valid Grading Based on Criteria Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment Barbara E. Walvoord, Virginia Johnson Anderson, Thomas A. Angelo (Foreword by) Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Grade Discussions • • • Authentic Considers learning styles Real World Valid & reliable Depends upon alignment Must document fair and reasonable criteria Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Valid and Reliable Grading – Based on Context Peter got a 55 on his exam – what do you think? Suppose 35 is passing and 80 is a perfect score? What if this was a standardized exam and Peter’s class average is 65? Suppose the national average is 70? Suppose the class average was 40 three years ago? What if the score represented 2 discrete areas- where Peter got 65 for knowledge and 45 for real world application and the average was 55? Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Practices that help • • SLOs Clear criteria Rubrics Alignment Discipline discussions Real world application centered Proof of validity and reliability Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Breakout Discussion Feedback # 1 Consider the characteristics of “faculty created grades” grades that contribute to making them effective as “credible, valid and reliable measures of student success and achievement. ” - Positive Characteristics? - Negative Characteristics? Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Feedback # 2 Consider the characteristics of state or national standardized tests that contribute to making them effective as “credible, valid and reliable measures of student success and achievement. ” - Positive Characteristics? - Negative Characteristics? Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Feedback # 3, 4 • What practices could faculty use to make grades more “effective? ” • Should ASCCC or a local senate encourage faculty to increase use of such “effective” practices? If so, how? (and if not, why? ) Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Feedback # 5, 6 • What activities could promote a more positive public perception of grades? • Are there other related experiences or issues that you would like to share? Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee

Thank You • Please turn in the feedback form • Please turn in an evaluation Fall Session 2008, Los Angeles – Ed Policies Committee