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Fair Isn't Always Equal
by
Rick Wormeli
Differentiated instruction is a nice idea, but what happens when it comes to assessing and grading students? What's both fair and leads to real student learning?
Fair Isn't Always Equal answers that question and much more. Rick Wormeli offers the latest research and common sense thinking that teachers and administrators seek when it comes to assessment and grading in differ...more
Fair Isn't Always Equal answers that question and much more. Rick Wormeli offers the latest research and common sense thinking that teachers and administrators seek when it comes to assessment and grading in differ...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
January 1st 2006
by Stenhouse Publishers
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Wormeli wades into some hot-button topics like grading (he calls it the "elephant in the room") we don't want to discuss. In addition to issues of assessment, fairness, and mastery teaching, Wormeli brings up whether or not we should grade participation, effort, behavior, and attendance. My school has been debating this very topic of late, and Wormeli not only provides both points of view, he dives into the debate fearlessly by taking a stand and giving a well-reasoned defense of his view.
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This book affected a lot of my ideas about how to grade, particularly how I handle late assignments. I appreciate it because it made a lot of vague thoughts I had more concrete. The theory part of it was amazing--it really changed the way I think about grading to a more student-centered philosophy. I only gave it 3 stars, however, because I find it challenging to apply a lot of it. With 100 students to keep track of and administration who expect things to be done a certain way, it's difficult to...more
This book contained some really great discussions that go me thinking. Most notably, Wormeli's book got me thinking about these things:
1. What is mastery? How is mastery best measured?
2. The importance of feedback (more important than a grade, which is too often our focus).
3. Creating opportunities for students to reflect on their work - and to fix their work based on their reflection and our feedback.
4. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Although Wormeli doesn't use this phrase it kept popping i...more
1. What is mastery? How is mastery best measured?
2. The importance of feedback (more important than a grade, which is too often our focus).
3. Creating opportunities for students to reflect on their work - and to fix their work based on their reflection and our feedback.
4. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Although Wormeli doesn't use this phrase it kept popping i...more
Rick Wormeli presents his ideas and beliefs about grading and reporting in such a sensible and reasonable way. This book focuses on identifying and defining assessment, grading, rating, and reporting--how they are similar, and yet how they serve very different purposes. It makes the reader consider what grades really mean and what they should reflect. The book makes perfect sense to me and to many of my elementary level colleagues. I find, however, that many middle and high school teachers argue...more
What I learned from this book:
*An operational definition for what a grade represents.
*Six reasons for grading cited by most teachers (3 of them "cross the line" by diluting the grade's accuracy)
*Late work
*10 approaches to avoid when grading & assessing
*Homework definition/purpose
*An operational definition for what a grade represents.
*Six reasons for grading cited by most teachers (3 of them "cross the line" by diluting the grade's accuracy)
*Late work
*10 approaches to avoid when grading & assessing
*Homework definition/purpose
This book addresses alot of the questions that I've been asking myself regarding assessments. I have a list of key points that I took away from it and still have lots of questions about what my peers feel are some good responses to those key issues.
Some really good ideas in this one, but there is so much information out there on assessment that it's hard to know what will really work with my students.
May 13, 2011
Holly Myhre
added it
Although the principle behind the theory is a good one, actual practice proves it a disaster. I do not suggest following his principles. There are better ways.
This should be required for all educators. Grading philosophy and practical illustrations of how to insure that grades are a reflection of student mastery.
Interesting discussion on grading. It doesn't give simplistic answers;it poses questions. It would be a good book for a staff book study.
Aug 01, 2011
Susan Sevcik
is currently reading it
Not exactly what I want to read, nor do I agree with everything, but need to get it read in time for Inservice.
A must for all teachers. Why are there 10 points worth of A's and 69 points worth of F's? It makes you think.
I did feel that he was saying anything new or how to carry out his beliefs... he's much more inspiring in person.
Supported some of the things I already do, but I disagree with some things. Can't give a 50% When they don't attempt the work
This is a really good book for educators - I just can't bear to give edu-lit more than 3 stars. Seems wrong somehow. The whole section on assessment was particularly helpful. I recommend it.
I found Wormeli's over all tone to be way too preachy. That compounded with the fact that I didn't find anything his arguments to be well-developed or terribly original, and I give this book a resounding "meh."
I signed up to read this with my school for a book club. The trouble was that the last meeting was the last week of school. I, of course, am too busy with grading to read the second half of the book, even though I'd very much like to. I'll have to come back to it some time. If figures, too, because I am far more interested in the second half on grading than I was on the first half.
The staff at my school was told to read this book, and I got absolutely nothing out of it. Perhaps he is a great public speaker that would have made the book make more sense, but for me he just seems to go around the point with education jargon and incomprehensible analogies. Even if your in education, I wouldn't recommend it.
I read this book during silent reading for my "professional" book club. It was a little like reading a textbook & I'm glad I'm done :) Worthwhile book for teachers who do more grading & assessment then I have to as a library teacher - especially if you have a Standards Based Report Card in your future!
A great book if you are interested in reevaluating the equity, fairness, and differentiation of your grading system. Prepare to have your paradigms rocked! This is my bible in changing to standards-based grading next year.
Although it is dorky to read books on how to teach I really like this book and I don't deny the dorkiness. Good valid ideas that I philosophically agree with and I would like to see implimented at AHS.
Great at posing the inherent ambiguity with attaching a letter grade to a student's progress over a period of time. At times it is very repetitive.
I can't say I loved how this was written, but it has some interesting ideas about how to make grades more meaningful. I recommend it.
May 08, 2013
Allison
marked it as to-read
May 07, 2013
Allison
marked it as to-read
May 07, 2013
Sybil
marked it as to-read
May 06, 2013
Kathy
marked it as to-read
May 05, 2013
Dpfny16
is currently reading it
May 05, 2013
Mary Vetter
added it
Apr 30, 2013
Joe Scozzaro
is currently reading it
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