Handbook Table of Contents > Teaching Methods > Grading
Indiana University Teaching Handbook
Teaching Methods
Grading
Reading 50 papers or 200 essay exams presents special problems, especially when all 50 or 200 are responses to the same topic or question. How do you maintain consistency? You are more likely to be thorough with the first few papers you read than with the rest, and less likely to be careful with the comments when you are tired. To avoid such problems, read five or six papers before you start grading to get an idea of the range of quality (some instructors rank-order the papers in groups before they assign grades), and stop grading when you get tired, irritable, or bored. When you start again, read over the last couple of papers you graded to make sure you were fair. Some instructors select “range finder” papers—middle range A, B, C, and D papers to which they refer for comparison.
Depending upon the number of students you have, you may have anywhere from five to 20 minutes to spend on a three- to four-page paper. Try to select only the most insightful passages for praise and only the most shallow responses or repeated errors for comment. See the previous section on “Responding to Student Writing” for more detailed advice (Adapted with permission from Farris, 1985).
In assigning grades to essay questions or papers, you may want to use one of the following methods (Adapted with permission from Cashin, 1987):
- Analytic (point-score) Method: In this method the ideal or model answer is broken down into several specific points regarding content. A specific subtotal point value is assigned to each. When reading the exam, you need to decide how much of each maximum subtotal you judge the student’s answer to have earned. When using this method be sure to outline the model (ideal or acceptable) answer BEFORE you begin to read the essays.
- Global (holistic) Method: In this method, the grader reads the entire essay and makes an overall judgment about how successfully the student has covered everything that was expected in the answer and assigns the paper to a stack (grade). Generally, five to nine stacks are sufficient. Ideally, all of the essays should be read quickly and sorted into five to nine piles, then each pile reread to check that every essay has been accurately (fairly) assigned to that pile which will be given a specific score or letter grade.
If you are one of a group of graders, all reading responses to the same questions, it is usually a good idea to compare your grading to “norm” the grading scale. The Campus Writing Program, 855-4928, will help groups of graders norm their grading scales.
Records and Distribution of Grades
Be sure to develop a clear grading policy, whether you use a point scale, a curve, or a holistic method. Students expect that you will announce your grading scale in your syllabus and treat it like a contract. You can avoid many complaints at the end of the semester if you are clear at the beginning. If you are teaching a small section of a large course managed by someone else, procedures for grading and the distribution of grades to students will most likely be coordinated with that instructor. Some large section instructors will have established procedures for the distribution of grades, while others may leave it up to the small section instructor.
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), it is a breach of privacy to post grades, exam scores, or other documents in any kind of public area (outside the office, for example) without removing all personally identifiable information such as names and ID numbers. Grades should be posted by the last 4 digits of ID number. If the exams have been scanned and graded by Bureau of Evaluative Studies and Testing, you may request an “unsorted” printout includes partial ID numbers and grades only and is suitable for posting. Another method is to record grades on the attendance roster, photocopy it, and then clip out the section of names on the sheet, leaving only partial ID numbers and grades; however, this leaves the list in alphabetical order. Or you can post the grades via the World Wide Web, if you have set up an on-line grade book developed by IUB Evaluation Services and Testing (BEST) (855-1595).
Handing back papers or essays to a large class can be a very time consuming task. Some instructors deal with this by leaving time at the end of class to hand back assignments or tests, or they may ask students to come to their office to pick up papers. The latter alternative may provide an opportunity for students to get more personal feedback from you about their papers.
Don’t hand back graded work at the beginning of class unless you plan to spend time going over it; students will almost always pay more attention to the returned work than to the matter at hand. Also, be careful not to allow a discussion of the work you are returning to degenerate into a gripe session. Students’ grade complaints can easily degenerate into a “wolf pack.” If a student has a complaint about his or her grade, that should be discussed one to one in your office.
Anticipating Common Grade Complaints
Adapted by permission from Middendorf, 1993
“Five or six of my students were hostile when I returned the exam. They said it was too hard.”
“A student just left my class and said she was going to report me to the dean because she missed the last class session and I told her she still must take today’s quiz.”
Not infrequently, students get upset about testing or grading procedures. Some students go so far as to intimidate instructors as a means of either improving their grades or getting the instructor to make future exams and assignments less challenging.
Students may not all be doing this consciously, though some may be. Students feel great pressure to get A’s and will try many strategies to that end. Instructors should not ignore students’ complaints; student comments are an important source of feedback for improving teaching. However, you should be aware that students may try to get you to back off of rigorous demands. Teachers can increase student achievement by setting high, but attainable goals.
The bottom line is that instructors should expect hard work and sound thinking from students. At the same time, instructors should be aware that occasionally a student will resort to intimidation as a means of getting an instructor to lessen demands. The intellectual climate of Indiana University will be determined in part by whether students are challenged or have little demand placed on them.
The University Grading System
A student grade is officially recorded by letters evaluated as follows:
| A |
+ |
= |
4.0 (counts same as A in GPA) |
| A |
|
= |
4.0 |
| A |
– |
= |
3.7 |
| B |
+ |
= |
3.3 |
| B |
|
= |
3.0 |
| B |
– |
= |
2.7 |
| C |
+ |
= |
2.3 |
| C |
|
= |
2.0 |
| C |
– |
= |
1.7 |
| D |
+ |
= |
1.3 |
| D |
|
= |
1.0 |
| D |
– |
= |
0.7 |
| F |
|
= |
0.0 |
| F |
X |
= |
Failed (course then retaken) |
| I |
|
= |
Incomplete |
| R |
|
= |
Deferred grade |
| S |
|
= |
Satisfactory |
| W |
|
= |
Withdrawn |
| P |
|
= |
Passed |
For further information on grading policies at Indiana University, please consult the Academic Handbook or consult with your supervising faculty member.
Links
The following links will take you to additional readings associated with this general section.
- Putting together the Final Grade: Includes a sample rubric for calculating the final grade, as well as a sample Excel grade book for download.
- Grade Information: Information from the Office of the Registrar on the grades timeline, GPA calculation, GPA summary, grading system, and the grade report.
- The Pass/Fail Option
- Extended-X (Amended FX) Policy: IU policy on students retaking classes to improve their grades.
