In previous posts, I've discussed my newfound obsession with many of Google's convenient applications, including Google Reader. I found that Reader was a very convenient way to read and share posts from other blogs, but last week I found a new use - reading rss feeds from news and other sites. I now receive instant updates from DESE, the US Department of Education, the MO House, the DN, the Southeast Missourian, and the Post-Dispatch. I'm amazed at the amount of information that is available in one location. I no longer have to surf through ten different websites to catch up on news - I open Reader, and all of my updates are on one page!

I've read the Southeast Missourian a few times over the last couple of decades, but I've never been a regular reader. Last month, when the Rod Jetton/Scott Lipke story was the talk of Southeast Missouri, I did read a few items in the Speak Out section. This section, devoted to providing a forum for readers to speak their minds, allows anyone to share opinions without being identified. When I was in high school, a local backroom newspaper publisher decided to try this approach to improve readership of his paper. The administrator of the local hospital was practically burned at the stake by the community, and the publication didn't survive long after that.

One of my personal philosophies is that if you are going to share your opinion, you should step up and take responsibility for it. I don't have much respect for anyone who remains anonymous because they are ashamed of being associated with their beliefs. It's a shame that our society produces people with such a lack of courage. I am willing to listen to anyone's opinion, and I believe you are entitled to your own opinion even if it conflicts with mine . . . as long as you can backup what you say, and as long as you are willing to stand behind it.

As I scan through my Google Reader items, I always stop and read the Southeast Missourian's Speak Out section. Saturday's Speak Out contained the following comment about inflating grades:

AN ITEM receiving lots of attention in the news is the fact that a study shows that grades are up but test scores are down. Somebody had the bright idea to do a study. It isn't needed. As a substitute teacher for various schools in the area with 10-plus years of experience, I can assure you that teachers give enough extra credit to float a barge. Many students are allowed to redo assignments or tests they do poorly on, and some teachers flat-out inflate grades. Why? To keep administrators and parents from complaining. I know some outraged teachers are going to call in and deny this vigorously, but remember what Shakespeare said, "The lady doth protest too much."

Any outraged teachers? Anyone? Where to start . . . .

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards talks of "two Americas," a concept that receives praise from the liberal media and scoffs from the conservatives. While I tend to agree that there is one United States and the idea of pandering to those who believe otherwise is way overused by certain politicians, I do believe that there is more than one education system. Whether there are two, three or four, I don't know. I do believe that when the topic is addressed, reality emerges from the viewpoint of the participants.

What are these systems of public education? Teachers, parents, the community, legislators, DESE and the court system all have different views of the school system, its policies, and its practice. Each group sees education, and therefore judges its performance, from its own perspective. As with any topic in education, the views of these groups are often as different as snowflakes, and when they are all thrown out in a discussion, the ensuing blizzard can become very dangerous.

The validity of grades is something that educators have been dealing with for some time. It's a very complicated concept to address - mostly a product of tradition - and one that becomes more complicated as reform movements come and go and as the latest craze for school and teacher accountability moves through our society. To begin fully understanding the concept, we must peel back some of the layers of the issue and ask some fundamental questions: What is the purpose of grades? What are they intended to measure? What is the meaning of an A, B or C? Why do we assign the work? What is the public perception of grades? What is the teacher's perception of grades?

What is the purpose of grades? What are grades intended to measure? Grades are usually assigned for correct answers on homework and test papers. Students usually get points for each correct answer. Does this adequately measure the education the student is receiving? Does it assess a student's progress? If we are measuring knowledge, then shouldn't a student deserve a second chance, if his or her knowledge has increased, to prove what is known? The part that I have a problem with is allowing students with mountains of late assignments to turn in those assignments days, weeks, or even a month or two late.

Two students are in a social studies class. One student already knows the information (from reading outside of class, watching the news, etc.) and the other is learning it for the first time. The first student breezes through a worksheet and receives the 50 possible points; the other struggles to get 35 points. By the time the chapter test is given, the second student has retained the knowledge enough to earn all 100 points on the test, and the first student also earns the 100 points. The student who had the advantage now has a 100% in the class, while the student who did not have prior knowledge only has a 90%. Does this adequately reflect the learning that took place in the class? I am not arguing that all classes operate this way, or that the philosophy behind grading this way is flawed - I'm simply posing a question that should be considered. Is there a better way to assess the students' progress? Perhaps the second student lacks research skills and was unable to find information in his or her text as easily as the first. Is that adequate justification of the grade? Maybe it's time we started a discussion on the purpose of grades and what they should measure. Maybe the way we do it now is the right way; maybe there's a better way. Either way, reflection and evaluation would definitely benefit today's educators.

What does an "A" mean? The typical, accepted definition is that an "A" is for above-average work. It means that the student is performing above expectations and in the top percentile in the class. A "C" is supposed to be average. In writing curriculum, we often say that 75% is acceptable work. If students achieve 75%, then they have adequate understanding of the material and we can progress. I believe we have created a society in which parents believe "B" is average and their child is not average. Many parents that I have conferenced with are concerned about the letter on the report card and not what is being measured. They ask for extra credit for their child, or they expect missing assignments can be made up, and they show no concern for what their child may or may not be learning. By no means are all parents concerned about the grade alone. There are many parents who take active roles in their child's learning. They understand the many facets of learning, not just the letter on the report card. What can we do to change the notion that grades matter more than knowledge?

So now we have a substitute teacher who is an expert on grade inflation and has first-hand knowledge of the subject . . . how??? Yes, grades are up and test scores are down. But there is a lot more involved in this discussion than extra credit, redoing assignments, and "flat-out" inflating grades. Tests are necessary evils that the education community deals with. Real-life assessment would be a better measurement tool, but no one has come up with a way to implement that and convince the public that it is acceptable. Students are not held accountable for their effort on the MAP, so their best performance is not guaranteed. Most importantly, some students are not good test-takers. We make accommodations for students' individual educational needs and modify our teaching methods to reach all sorts of learning styles, yet the test is given in a prescribed format with no variation whatsoever.

To argue that teachers inflate grades "to keep administrators and parents form complaining" is absurd. When will we get over playing the blame game - pointing accusing fingers at educators - and work together to find meaningful answers to the problems that we face? It may be argued that I inflate the grades of my eighth grade English class, but I believe that my policy is fair for everyone. On every assignment (including tests), I set the maximum possible points at the highest score received. If the highest score on a 100-point test is only 85, then it becomes an 85-point test. I believe that is an adequate way of gauging all students' progress because it considers any shortfall in my teaching of the material or the ability of the students to learn it. I'm definitely open to suggestions, but until I find a better way to judge my students' progress, I will continue to use what I believe is the most fair and adequate way to assign grades.