Avoiding Grade Disputes
“Potential employers don’t want to see your grades; they want to see your portfolio.”
Many teachers at the AAU have said this. Most would agree. But while grades are only shorthand indicators of students’ skills and progress, they can have a huge bearing on students’ ability to stay in school and actually complete a competitive portfolio. While teachers need to provide students with constructive, qualitative feedback, we also have the responsibility to maintain integrity in our grading systems and sensitivity to the importance of grades in students’ lives. Consider the following grade guidelines:
- Freshmen & sophomores with grade point averages (GPAs) under 1.7 (C-) are put on academic probation, then academically dismissed after two semesters if their GPA does not improve.
- Upperclassmen and graduate students need to maintain a 2.0 (C) GPA.
- Student athletes must maintain a C average in order to participate in sports.
- Most scholarships have specific GPA requirements.
- Students receiving grades below C- in classes in their major have to retake them (and pay again).
None of these guidelines are reasons for changing grades for specific students, but they are reminders of the importance of an accurate and consistent grading system. A few strategies to help you maintain grading integrity and ultimately avoid disputes:
- Share printed, clear rubrics or lists of criteria, as well as samples of work with students to help them see the same qualities that you see.
- Use Easy Grade Pro or similar grading software to avoid math errors, to make notes on students, and to print out on-demand report cards with exact breakdowns.
- Periodically share student work, your grades and rationale (or rubric) with your director or teachers of other sections of your class so that you know you are all looking for a similar level of achievement for a specific level. This is “norming.”
If a student does dispute a grade:
- Listen and remain calm. Ask the student to give his or her reasons for requesting a grade change using the rubric.
- You do not need to agree or disagree on the spot. It is fine to take time to reassess the work or to check in with a colleague or director.
Keep all of your records for at least one semester. Students have one semester to dispute final grades through the grievance process. If a student does officially dispute a grade, you will be asked for any records you have pertaining to that student, and your director will also be brought in on the conversation. Keeping good records and maintaining good communication with your director can prevent the anxiety that a grade dispute can bring up.
Resources
Faculty Developers are available to assist with rubric development, setting up Easy Grade Pro, and facilitating norming sessions for you or your department. Contact us at facultydevelopment@academyart.edu.
Rubric development
Easy Grade Pro tutorial, level 1
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