A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades [With CDROM]

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A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades [With CDROM]

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 72 ratings · 22 reviews

Communicating about student achievement requires accurate, consistent and meaningful grades. Educators interested in examining and improving grading practices should ask the following questions: - Am I confident that students in my classroom receive consistent, accurate and meaningful grades that support learning? - Am I confident that the grades I assign students accurate...more

Paperback, 162 pages

Published November 29th 2010 by Allyn & Bacon (first published January 2007)

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Aug 10, 2011 Gary Anderson rated it 2 of 5 stars

The ideas in Ken O’Connor’s A Repair Kit for Grading would work a lot better if students were all identical and self-motivated, and if we only want curricula to be morsels of accomplishment that once digested remain firmly in place.

O’Connor’s premise is that grading in most schools is a “broken” practice, including irrelevant, unfair components that present inaccurate pictures of students’ academic performance. He’s not completely wrong about that in many cases, but his suggestions for how to “r...more The ideas in Ken O’Connor’s A Repair Kit for Grading would work a lot better if students were all identical and self-motivated, and if we only want curricula to be morsels of accomplishment that once digested remain firmly in place.

O’Connor’s premise is that grading in most schools is a “broken” practice, including irrelevant, unfair components that present inaccurate pictures of students’ academic performance. He’s not completely wrong about that in many cases, but his suggestions for how to “repair” those grades are not in touch with reality, especially in large high schools.

For example, O’Connor advocates a no-zero policy in determining grades. If a student does not complete a required benchmark for determining her learning on a specific standard, the student does not receive a grade-crushing zero but instead is marked as Incomplete. That’s OK with me. An “Incomplete” is a more accurate reflection of the student’s learning than a zero. (The zero tells us about her level of compliance but not her level of learning.) But O’Connor goes on to say that the student should have 75 school days from the end of the marking period to complete the required benchmark without penalty.

Whoa, Nelly. 75 days? That means a student who does not complete a benchmark assessment due in February is Incomplete at the end of second semester, approximately June 1. O’Connor says that student should have until approximately January 1 to complete the assessment. This kind of impracticality borders on silliness. What are we saying to students, parents, and anyone who looks at transcripts produced by our schools when we say that grades produced by students on time and in sequence are equally as valid as grades produced by students according to their own whims and schedules, sometimes over vastly different periods of time?

O’Connor’s philosophy is rooted in the standards movement which says that each school should narrow its curriculum to a set number of standards, and then report grades based on summative assessments of those standards. Translation: O’Connor also believes that most homework should not be included in grades. A kernel of wisdom is embedded in this belief. Most student learning happens in class, while homework grades comprise significant portions of report grades.

But schools adopting O’Connor’s approach to homework grades should be prepared to deal with students who lack the intrinsic motivation to do homework. These schools need to answer the question “Is homework a behavioral issue or an academic issue?” If students do not complete assignments, is that cause for disciplinary action or academic action? O’Connor seems to suggest that it is a cause for neither type of action, but my experience says that some students won’t do work if they are not being rewarded for it, either intrinsically or extrinsically. Different students are motivated by different strategies, but O’Connor says that we should adopt policies that rely on specifically intrinsic motivation because students will do academic work because it help them prepare for summative assessments. Again, this indicates a certain naivety on O’Connor’s part. Many students will not do work unless they are getting a grade for it. Sad but true.

O’Connor says that grading practices should “support learning.” Amen to that. Everything in a school should “support learning,” right? But what if it doesn’t? Most educators can probably look around their school environments and identify situations that do not “support learning” but instead are entrenched because of traditions or practical considerations. For example, at my school, first period begins at 7:30 a.m. A lot of research exists that shows this early starting time is not conducive to learning, but changing that starting time has enormous pragmatic (and financial) implications. If schools commit to grading practices that “support learning” but do not conduct thorough examinations of other practices that do not “support learning,” the message sent to the community is that learning is only important sometimes.

O’Connor’s book provides several testimonials from schools and teachers who use elements of his plan. With due respect to those educators, these didn’t really prove anything other than that they were being implemented. Without some meaningful comparisons, the anecdotal narratives were interesting but not particularly compelling.

Maybe these ideas will work in elementary and middle schools. In fact, most of O’Connor’s examples seem to come from those levels. As students mature and become even more complex and adult-like, I have my doubts about whether these narrow approaches can be successful. O’Connor suggests that schools should not report “single-subject grades except for grades 11-12.” This means that report cards for 9th and 10th grade should look more like elementary school report cards that focus on specific skills. I actually see some merit in that, but will that kind of reporting be acceptable to all interested parties—parents, colleges, schools that students may be transferring into?

The biggest question raised by A Repair Kit for Grading is this: Should a grade be a reflection of where students end up academically, or should it also reflect their learning journey, including how they approached their learning behaviorally, and the relative ease or struggles they experienced? Any school considering adoption of Ken O’Connor’s “repair kit” should first thoroughly discuss the community’s beliefs about the relationship between grades, learning, and behavior.

Cross-posted on http://whatsnotwrong.wordpress.com (less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Jen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I read this book in preparation for the introduction of standard-based grading at my school. (We're not implementing for a couple of years.) Were there some good points made? Yes. Were there times that I wanted to throw the book across the room? ABSOLUTLEY yes. As a book for the rest of the faculty to read, it would certainly create conversation--probably not of the positive or helpful kind.

I had a hard time with the tone of the book. It seemed like the author kept pointing out that everything I...more I read this book in preparation for the introduction of standard-based grading at my school. (We're not implementing for a couple of years.) Were there some good points made? Yes. Were there times that I wanted to throw the book across the room? ABSOLUTLEY yes. As a book for the rest of the faculty to read, it would certainly create conversation--probably not of the positive or helpful kind.

I had a hard time with the tone of the book. It seemed like the author kept pointing out that everything I did was wrong. My own grading policies have changed over the ten years that I've been a teacher. It seems like I moved in the opposite direction on most of what the author suggested. Why do I include homework on the grades? If I don't, students won't do it; parents will complain; and I get in trouble with the administration.

I also had an issue with how the author had a conflict between only including summative assessments on a grade, but students should be learning the entire time. Either the journey to the end is important, or it isn't. Make up your mind! I believe that the journey is just as important, if not more so, than the destination. It's important to grow--and know that you're growing and improving. Grades that reflect that growth are what I want to see.

I think that another reason that I had difficutly with this book is that my school's school test scores and growth scores are dramatically higher than either of the schools in our district that currently use standard-based grading. Why would I want to change to something that doesn't appear to be successful as what I'm already doing?

I believe that in order for ALL of the fixes presented in the book to be accepted, a HUGE cultural shift would have to occur. This shift would have to occur not only with teachers, but with students, their parents, school administrators, district personel, and state representatives. The list of complaints that would arise possibly might be enough to drop the whole program before it's even fully implemented. Hopefully, there's a better book out there to introduce standard-based grading to our faculty.(less)

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Mar 10, 2012 Bob Wood rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been a High School Social Studies teacher for over twenty-five years in five separate school districts located in four different states. I've been a facilitator at many state and regional social studies conference. I was chosen to participate in seminars with the National Endowment for the Humanities and Gilder Lehrman Institute on various occasions. I was selected as a Fulbright Hay participant to travel and study for six weeks in Africa in 2006. In 2009 I was chosen as Michigan's James Ma...more I've been a High School Social Studies teacher for over twenty-five years in five separate school districts located in four different states. I've been a facilitator at many state and regional social studies conference. I was chosen to participate in seminars with the National Endowment for the Humanities and Gilder Lehrman Institute on various occasions. I was selected as a Fulbright Hay participant to travel and study for six weeks in Africa in 2006. In 2009 I was chosen as Michigan's James Madison scholar, which goes to one social studies teacher per state per year. The Madison Fellowship comes with a $26,000 scholarship towards a MA in Education, Political Science, or History. In 2011 I graduated with a MA in Political Science from Western Michigan University where I received a "Teaching Excellence Award" for my work with WMU undergraduate students. I feel competent and qualified to comment on Fifteen Fixes for Broken Grades by Ken O’Connor.

I find this book to be simplistic and an in a way dangerous. Mr. O’Connor has proposed fixes that instead of repairing public schools will, if adhered to, add more problems to an already broken society. In the state of Michigan he has cashed in on the state by convincing Republican lawmakers to use it for changing grading procedures around the state. Consequently, many districts have been designated to adjust their grading policies to follow the fixes. Mr. O’Conner is a member of the consortium hired to create a computer-grading program that has been purchased by many of the districts following his program. Mr. O’Connor is making a lot of money re-writing grading policies around the state of Michigan, despite not having been in the classroom since 1996, never having taught in the United States, and completing his own studies without ever earning his doctorate.

I currently teach in a low-income school district in Muskegon, Michigan. 73% of our students are on free and reduced lunch. Many of them live in broken homes, with parents who are struggling in a very tight economy. The unemployment rate in Muskegon is far higher than in the state. A majority of students come from homes where neither parent has a four-year college degree. Never the less our students are increasingly finding their way to two and four year colleges. I feel we have been successful in providing them the structure that is sometimes lacking in the home, which has led to success following high school graduation.

Mr. O’Connor’s book undercuts accountability in the school, in the classroom, and in the community. This book offers fifteen major changes to the American grading system that he says will make grades more meaningful. Instead these changes undermine basic life lessons and the accountability necessary to learn responsible habits that result in success in later life. Below, I take issue with four of Mr. O’Connor’s “fixes.”

#2 – Late Work. #4 – Cheating. #5 – Attendance. #12 – Zeros.

Fix #2 – “Don’t reduce marks on “work” submitted late...” Mr. O’Connor believes it detrimental to effective grading for teachers to subtract credit for work submitted late, and instead provide extra time to make it up and receive full credit. This behavior undermines societal accountability dealing with deadlines. As a teacher and a contributing member of society I have deadlines that I must meet on a daily basis. April 15 is one. Contractual time for me to be in my classroom is another. If I promise a friend or a family member I will meet them at a particular time I have a responsibility to be there at that time. Life is filled with deadlines…if we are to re-enforce young people in our classrooms, that this is not the case we will be enabling them to practice habits detrimental to their future success. I disagree with Fix #2.

Fix #4 – “Don’t punish academic dishonesty with reduced grades...” If a child cheats…do not fail him. Give him another chance to do the work so that you can measure his real academic progress. And if he cheats again – do the same. How can this possibly be a guideline for healthy behavior and future success? I disagree with Fix #4.

Fix #5 – “Don’t consider attendance in grade determination...” According to Mr. O’Connor absences should not count in grade evaluations. According to Mr. O’Connor being late doesn’t matter. According to Mr. O’Connor cheating isn’t relevant to learning. How can a student who is being evaluated by the above criteria learn accountability in the classroom, in the workplace, in life? I disagree with Fix #5.

Fix #12 – “Don’t include zeros in grade determination when evidence is missing…” Mr. O’Connor claims that the use of zeros for work that has not been turned in is counter-productive to measuring that child’s grade. He believes that a score for doing nothing should be inserted into the student’s grade. And as he has noted above in Fix #2 the student should be allowed as much time as needed to complete the assignment. I disagree with Fix #12.

Fifteen Fixes for Broken Grades by Ken O’Connor encourages students to be less accountable, less reliable, less honest, and lazy. Even so he awards them with an open-ended invitation, to turn in your school work when you get around to it. In the meantime, he has convinced the State of Michigan to give him an awful lot of money to circulate his theories throughout the state.

O’Connor cites the following quote in the introduction of Fix Number 2, “Teachers turn things in late all the time, as do working in every profession. The idea that “You can’t get away with turning work in late in the real world, mister” isn’t true.

I have no idea what real world Mr. O’Connor is referring to.
(less)

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Mar 19, 2011 Miste rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Our building principal is asking all our teachers to read this book. I think it has some really great ideas about "fixing" grading. There are some things in there that have bugged me as a parent for a long time such as giving all kids in a group project the same grade. We all know that not everyone participates equally in a group project most of the time. Often there are a couple that end up doing all the work. That's just one practice the book addresses there are many others. The basic premise...more

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Oct 08, 2010 Jeff rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: education

We live in a culture where grades are an entrenched part of schooling. However, what they communicate is often counterproductive to the very purpose of schooling. That is to say, that the point of schooling is to aid students in learning. However, grades often function not just as communication of what students have learned but as external motivators, and they often can damage intrinsic motivation for learning. In addition, grades are often distorted by practices that consider behaviors that hav...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: professional-development

I really liked some of the book. A lot of it connects with my own teaching philosophy and other parts made me rethink issues that I had taken from granted (such as assigning zeros for academic dishonesty) though I can't say I agree with O'Connor on everything he wrote.

I definitely agree with the idea of assessment for learning and removing behaviour from achievement.

In terms of not marking things like homework, I think that's ok. Although some students may not have the intrinsic motivation to d...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Alecia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: work-related

3.5/5

I read this book as part of a learning team comprised of school psychologists, special education consultants, and professional learning providers. We felt this would be a good introduction to standards-based grading for school teams looking to make a transition from traditional grades and would generate a lot of discussion. Some of the information that I found interesting related to giving extra credit (don't), assigning zeroes (assign an incomplete instead), and involving students (do). Co...more

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Aug 04, 2010 Carri Heitz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lots of pretty radical ideas on grades for American teachers. No homework grades, no group grades, no extra credit. No late work penalties, no zeroes. The ideas are presented logically and leave you questioning your own practices.

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May 05, 2010 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4-2-10: I'm about halfway. Very quick reading. Very good ideas about grading, but we are expected to include all those "bad" things in our grades. We need to change the whole system before an individual teacher can make many changes.
5-2-10: Finally picked it up and finished it before my interview tomorrow! Lots of good ideas--we should be grading on achievement, and what students know and can do, but are the parents really ready for that, and will the stuents really take responsibility? Apparent...more

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Aug 18, 2009 Kerry added it · review of another edition

Shelves: to-re-read

...because sometimes to helps to have a shared vision for things...

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Nov 11, 2012 Tamara rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am excited to read this book and that doesn't happen often when I have been required to read a book for work. I went to a workshop on this subject today and love what I have heard. I hope that book will help me move towards implementing better standards based grading.

It has changed how I look at grading and now when my students see their grades they know that it is a direct reflection of their mastery of state standards. Loved it!

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Aug 17, 2011 Mark Ballinger rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teaching

Dry reading, but with at least two fixes I know would be great to work towards, among many others that I either already do or know I should.

The two are redesigning the grade book to match standards for the subject and grade level, and separating formative grades out of the final marking. These two will take some retraining of family expectations in addition to my changing how things are tracking in our software.

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Oct 21, 2011 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, three-stars, nonfiction-education

Has some good ideas, and others that I don't personally care for. However, almost none of them will work in a real high school setting. I know that he has "Teacher Vingettes" at the end of each chapter, in which teachers state how these practices have helped learning in their classroom, but personally I think some of these will only work in a perfect world - not in a real school.

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Mar 06, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the second O'Connor book I've read on grading and I found it as interesting as the first. I read this for a book study at work and we had great discussions about the 15 fixes. There are things I'm definitely going to try and others I will need to do more investigating with, as they are "hot topics"---zero grades, not giving late work deductions, etc.

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Aug 21, 2012 Stacia rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: professional-development

I should say, "supposed to be reading" or more accurately: "supposed to have read this last summer." Damn.

Okay, that was not this summer, but the one before. It is boring and lame. I know all of this already (how long does it take this stuff to travel to Seattle, anyway?!). I'm done; not going to read it.

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Nov 27, 2009 Christine Boyer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: education

I recommend for teachers who need/want some new ideas for assessing students. The author presents 15 "fixes" on grading. Short and easy to read. Some of the fixes were helpful, such as not including student behavior in grades. Other fixes were not practical and even seemed a little dishonest.

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Feb 28, 2013 Adam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: staff-read, professional-development, read-in-2013

My grades are only a little broken. But it's hard to fix them within the constraints of our current system!

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Apr 06, 2010 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

So great. I can implement some of these things on a teacher level, but we need district-level change.

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Nov 20, 2009 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Interesting so far. We are doing a book discussion as a team. I'm hoping to get some good ideas.

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Feb 16, 2012 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely essential resource for thinking about practical grading procedures.

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Mar 21, 2011 Jane Van Hof rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mandatory PD reading. Formative vs. Summative assesment.

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Apr 27, 2012 Larc added it

Shelves: adult-nonfiction, professional-books, feb-2012-tar-picks

Recommended by Sue Boegel.

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May 16, 2013 Tara Czerwinski rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

May 15, 2013 Don rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apr 19, 2013 Kristi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

May 03, 2013 Julieann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: school

Feb 06, 2013 Kgm marked it as to-read

Jan 03, 2013 Jessica Magaha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dec 13, 2012 Connie Greiner marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Dec 10, 2012 Amanda added it

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