Uses a student essay and dialog journal entries to discuss problems raised by context in grading student writing. Encourages teachers to rethink the whole system of grading and to discuss their conclusions openly. (SR)

Describes and discusses the Rio Grande Holistic Scale (a grading scale developed at the Rio Grande Campus of Austin Community College). Notes that the scale has been so successful that it now undergirds the entire basic writing program, crystallizing student thinking about the process of writing, unifying grading criteria, informing course…

The author of EC 607 585 discusses how parent comments on a survey concerning homework, tests, and grades of their children in regular or special education classes can reflect deeper meanings behind their forced choices. Excerpts from several surveys indicate parents' definitions of homework, the need for communication between parents and…

Describes different types of team teaching, explaining the following: why it is popular, what teachers like about team teaching, the down side to team teaching, how to handle grading, and what parents say about team teaching. The paper presents advice from experienced team teachers and offers a resource for further information. (SM)

Describes development and implementation of a common assessment grid for grading second- and third-year students at the School of Business of Oxford Brookes University (England). Although the grid failed to provide comprehensive grading criteria, it succeeded in other purposes such as providing students with better guidance, easier moderation, and…

This article describes the 2-5-8 Assessment Plan, an assessment process based on Bloom's taxonomy that allows students to choose test items to complete. Test items are given 2, 5, or 8 points depending on difficulty and students must choose any assignments that total ten points. Grading the assessments is discussed. (Contains one reference.) (CR)

Examined the overall effect of change to a plus/minus grading system on management students and faculty at one public university, using mathematical analysis of grade distribution and a questionnaire. Results indicated that both students and faculty had negative perceptions of the plus/minus system, and that the new system had virtually no effect…

Provides guidelines that trainers can use to make fair judgments in grading subjective essay examinations. Highlights include establishing criteria for scoring; clarifying lesson objectives; dividing each question into smaller components with weighted points for each section; developing grading guidelines; and the increasing use of computers to…

Compares guidelines on grading with actual practices, especially instances in which teachers use grades to control student behavior. Advocates classroom research and the development of consensus on fair grading practices. (SK)

Describes consequences of an inadvertent misalignment in grading practice by analyzing an instructor's essay evaluation checklist. Finds that, in trying to promote evaluative consistency, the checklist privileges product over process, academic discourse over students' own voices, and an analytic predisposition to student writing over an…

Describes a grading system used in a college composition class that shifts the focus away from letter grades and toward continuous student progress. Describes how it is based on a personalized, flexible standard that challenges each student's particular skills as a writer, and encourages real improvement in student writing. (SR)

Advanced-level English and chemistry examinations in Britain were graded in several conditions: with or without examinees' names; with male or female names; and with "male" or "female" handwriting. No consistent evidence of gender bias was found in the marking. (SK)

"The Animal School" provided a powerful metaphor about the importance of individual differences. Nearly half a century later, this article revisits the classic educational tale. It articulates a number of specific changes that schools need to make to be able to meet the physical development needs of all students. (Author/MKA)

Lecturers at a British university participated in two workshops to examine the consistency of assessments of undergraduates' work. Use of both analytical and global quality measures, when clearly understood by the raters, improved assessment practices. Ongoing discussion of evaluation criteria was recommended. (SK)

Presents an approach to contract grading based on a postmodern view of teaching as facilitation. Explains how to negotiate and renegotiate contracts, outlines limitations and challenges, and highlights ways in which contract grading assists in learning management concepts. (Contains 34 references.) (SK)