GRADING AND REPORTING SYSTEM

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Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter the students should be able to:
1. Define the different concepts reporting system;
2. Determine different types of grading system;

3. Formulate checklist in grading and reporting system:

 OVERVIEW
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The past chapters of this book discussed the different methods
and tools that measure student achievement in the context of the
different learning targets. In this chapter, the assigning of grades
to student and how it should be done in relation to the intended
learning outcomes have been achieved and that grading policies
of schools must also be taken into consideration in developing a
grading system.
 K to 12 Grading of learning Outcome
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The K to 12 assessment is learner-centered and carefully toitsadd
considers picture
learning environment system. The 21st
century skills such as research, analytical/critical, practical and creative are part of the indicators included in the
K to 12 assessment. Both cognitive and non-cognitive skills which includes values, motivation, attitude, behavior
traits, and interpersonal relations are part of the assessment.
Formative assessment (assessment FOR learning) is given importance to ensure learning. Learners are
encouraged to take part in the process of self-assessment (assessment AS learning). Summative forms of
assessment (assessment OF learning) are also part of the curriculum assessment under the K to 12.
In K to 12 curriculum, assessment will be standards-based to ensure that there is standardization in teaching
and learning. Department of Education (DepEd) issued an order (DepEd Order No. 31, s. 2012) stating that
assessment will be done in four levels and will be weighted accordingly.
 K to 12 Grading of learning Outcome

These levels are the following: Click icon to add picture

*Knowledge refers to the essential content of the curriculum, the facts and
information that the student acquires. Process refers to cognitive acts that the student does
on facts and information to come up with meanings and understandings.
*Understanding refers to lasting big ideas, principles, and generalizations that
are fundamental to the discipline which may be assessed using the facets of
understanding.
*Products/Performances refers to real-life application of understanding as shown by the
student's performance of authentic tasks.
The assigned weight per level of assessment are shown in the following table:
Level of assessment Percentage Weight

Knowledge 15%

Process of skills 25%

Understanding 30%

Products/Performance 30%

Total 100%
At the end of the quarter, the student's performance
will be described based on the prescribed level of
proficiency which has equivalent numerical values.
Proficiency level is computed from the sum of all the
performances of students in various levels of
assessment. Each level is described as follows:
Beginning. The student at this level struggles with
his/her understanding of prerequisite and fundamental
knowledge skills that have not been acquired or
developed adequately. Developing. The student at this
level possesses the minimum knowledge and skills and
core understanding but needs help throughout the
Approaching Proficiency. The student at this level has
developed the fundamental knowledge and skills and core
understandings, and with little guidance from the teacher
and/or with some assistance from peers, can transfer these
understandings through authentic performance tasks.

Proficient. The student at this level has developed the

fundamental knowledge and skills and core understandings,
and can transfer them independently through authentic
performance tasks.

Advanced. The student at this level exceeds the core

requirements in terms of knowledge, skills and core
understandings, and can transfer them automatically and
Level of Proficiency Equivalent Numerical Value
Beginning 74%and below
Developing 75-79%
Approaching Proficiency 80-84%
Proficient 85-89%
Advance 90%and above
COMPARISON OF LEVELS OF
PROFICIENCY
Indicators Beginning Developing Approaching Proficiency Advanced
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Proficiency picture
T
Acquisition Struggling or MINIMUM Approaching Proficiency Advanced
of have not Proficiency
knowledge, acquired
skills and
Understandi
ng

Transfer of Needs With little Independen Automobic

knowledge/ap guidance from t and flexible
plication of the teacher or
knowledge some
assistance
THE EFFECTS OF GRADING ON STUDENTS
• To communicate the achievement status of
the students to parents and other.
• To provide information that students can use
for self evaluation.
• To select, identify or group students for certain
educational paths or programs.
• To provide incentives for students to learn.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of instructional
programs.
• To provide evidence of students’ lack of effort
or inappropriate responsibility.
BUILDING A GRADING AND REPORTING
SYSTEM
The basis of good reporting is good evidence
Whatever is preferred and required of the teacher when it comes to format,
grading and reporting should provide high-quality information to interested
person by means of any schema they can understand and use. The basis of such
high-quality information is critical evidence on student learning. Evaluation
experts stress that if one is going to make important decisions about students
that have broad implications, such as decisions involved in grading, the more
that good evidence must be ready at hand (Airasian, 1994; Linn & Gronlund,
2000, Stiggins, 2001). In the absence of good evidence, even the most detailed
and hi-tech grading and reporting system is useless. It simply cannot serve the
basic communication functions for which it is intended
Quality Description Example
Validity Refers to the appropriateness &
adequacy of interpretations made
If an assessment is to be used to
describe students' reading
from that information (Linn & comprehension; evidence should
Gronlund, 2000) actually reflect reading
comprehension and not other
irrelevant factors.

Reliability Refers to the consistency of

assessment results
Attain very similar scores when the
same assessment procedures are
used with the same students at two
different times, results have a high
degree of reliability

Quantity The more sources of evidence on

student's learning, the better the
Any single source of evidence of student
learning can be imperfect, it is essential
information can be reported that multiple sources of evidence in
grading and reporting students is
utilized.
MAJOR PURPOSE OF GRADING AND
REPORTING
The following are the major purposes of grading
and reporting:
*To communicate the achievement status of
students to parents and others
*To provide information that students can use
for self-evaluation
*To select, identify or group students for certain
educational paths or programs
*To provide incentives for students to learn
*To evaluate the effectiveness of instructional
programs
Below are possible sources of Grading and
Reporting System
Major Exams or Composition
*Class Observation. *Class Quizzes
*Oral Presentations. *Reports or Projects
*Homework Completion. *Students' Portfolios
*Homework Quality. *Progress Made
*Exhibits of Students' Work. *Class
Participation
*Laboratory Projects. *Work Habits and
Neatness
*Students' Notebook oг Journals
 GRADING AND REPORTING METHODS
Letter Grades
➤ The most common and best known of all
grading methods
➤ Mostly composed of five-level grading scale
➤ Letter Grade Descriptors
Despite their apparent simplicity, the true meaning of letter grades is
n clear. What the teachers would like to communicate with particular
letter g what parents interpret that grade to mean, often are not the
same (Waltman 1994). To give more clarity to the meaning of letter
grade, most schools key or legend on the reporting from in which
each letter grade is pairec explanatory word or phrase. Descriptors
must be carefully chosen, to avoid a complications and
misunderstanding.
GRADING AND REPORTING METHODS
Advantages:
A brief description of students' achievement and level of performance including
students' potentials can be provided to parents and other interested persons.
Based on parents' experience when they were still studying, it is easier for them
to believe and understand what letter grade means.
Disadvantages:
Requires abstraction of a great deal of information into a single symbol (Stiggins,
2001)
Despite educators' best effort, letter grades tend to be interpreted by parents in
strictly norm-referenced terms. The cut-offs between grade categories are always
arbitrary and difficult to justify.
Lacks the richness of other more detailed reporting methods such as standards-
based grading, mastery grading, and narrative.
DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION OF LETTER
GRADES Criterion-Referenced Norm Referenced
Grade [Standards-Based)
Combined Norm Based on
Referenced and Improvement
Criterion Referenced

A Outstanding or Outstanding Outstanding very Outstanding m uch

advanced improvement on most
among the high level of or all targets
complete knowledge
of highest or best performance
all content performance
mastery of all targets
exceeds standards

B Very good or proficient Very good performs Very good better Very good, some
Complete knowledge of above the class
most content than average improvement on
average
Mastery of all targets performance most or all targets
Meets most standards
C Acceptable or basic
command of only
Average performs at
the class average
Average Acceptable: SO m e
improvement on some
basic concepts or targets
skills
Mastery of some
targets
Meets some
standards
D Making progress or
developing
Poor: below the class
average
Below average or
weak: minimum
Making progress:
minimal progress on
Lacks knowledge of performance for most targets
most content passing
Mastery of only a few
targets
Meets only a few
standards
F Unsatisfactory lacks
knowledge of content;
Unsatisfactory:
far below average,
Unsatisfactory lacks Unsatisfactory:
sufficient knowledge to no improvement on
No mastery of targets among the worst in the pass any targets
Does not meet any class
standards
PERCENTAGE GRADES
➤ Are the ultimate multi-category grading method
➤ Can range from 0 to 100
➤ Generally more popular among high school teachers than elementary
teachers

Advantages:
Allows for maximum discriminators in evaluation of students' achievement
and performance
Maximizes the variation among students, making it easier to choose
students for honors or representative for special programs
Disadvantages:
Requires a great deal of abstraction
Interpretation of meaning of a percentage grade extremely difficult
The cut-offs are no less arbitrary but a lot more
Because of a large number of grade categories, it is less reliable and more
subjec tive
STANDARDS-BASED GRADING
In an effort to bring greater clarity and specificity to the grading
process, many
schools initiated standards-based grading procedures and
reporting forms. Guskey and Bailey (2001) identify four steps in
developing standards-based grading. These steps are:
1. Identify the major learning goals or standards that students will
be expected to achieve at each grade level or in each course of
study.
2. Establish performance indicators for the learning goals.
3. Determine graduated level of quality (benchmarks) for
assessing each goal or standard.
4. Develop reporting tools that communicate teachers' judgments
of students' learning progress and culminating achievement in
STANDARDS-BASED GRADING

Advantages:
When clear learning goals or standards are established,
standards-based grading offers meaningful information about
students' achievement and performance to students, parents
and to others.
If information is detailed, it can be useful for diagnostic and
prescriptive pur- poses.
Facilitates teaching and learning processes better than any
other grading meth- od.
Disadvantages:
Takes a lot of effort.
Often too complicated for parents to understand.
• May not communicate the appropriateness of students'
PASS/FAIL GRADING

Simplest alternative grading method available to educators reduces

the number of grade categories to just two: Pass or Fail. In the late
1800s Pass/Fail grading was originally introduced in college-level
courses in the college in order for students to give more importance
to learning and less to grades they attained. By lessening the
emphasis on grades, many educators believed that students would be
encouraged to take more challenging subjects.
Pass/Fail was popular in most universities and colleges in 1970s.
These universities and colleges utilized this pass/fail grading to
various programs.
PASS/FAIL GRADING

Advantages:
Simplifies the grading process for teachers and students.
Use of a single minimal cut-off and only two grade categories improve the
reli- ability of grade assignments.
Pass/Fail grading has the potential to make learning environments more
relaxed by focusing students' attention on learning rather than on grade
(Goldstein & Tilker, 1971).
Pass/Fail grading is what students will face in many real-life situations.
Disadvantages:
Students gain very little prescriptive information.
Students spend less time studying if pass/fail grading is used than when a
wider range of grading system is utilized.
Students only study to attain minimum passing level and show less effort in
striving for excellence.
Method Advantages Disadvantages
Letter Grade Convenient, Broad, sometimes unclear
Concise; indication of performance;
Often includes a jumble of factors
Familiar including effort and improvement

Percentage Grade Convenient, Broad, sometimes unclear indication

Concise; of performance, false sense of
Familiar difference between close
scores;
High scores not necessarily signifies
mastery
Method Advantages Disadvantages
Standards-Based Focus on high standards May not reflect student
for all students; learning in many areas;
Pre-established Does not include effort or
performance levels improvement
Pass/Fail Simple;
Consistent with mastery of
Little discrimination in
performance,
learning Less emphasis on high
performance
DEVELOPING EFFECT REPORTING SYSTEM

The most critical issue to be addressed in selecting the

tools included in reporting system is what purpose or
purposes it is to serve. Why we need to convey this
information and what we need to accomplish.
To determine the purpose or purposes, three aspects of
communication must be considered.
Critical Aspects in Determining Communication
Purposes:
a. What information or messages do we want to
communicate?
b. Who is the primary audience for that message?
 TOOLS FOR COMPREHENSIVE REPORTING
SYSTEM
Reporting systems most highly regarded by parents typically include a mix of traditional
and more modern reporting tools.
Tools that might be included in comprehensive reporting system:
1. Report Cards
2. Notes: Attached to Report Cards
3. Standardized Assessment Report
4. Phone Calls to Parents
5. Weekly/Monthly Progress Reports
6. School Open-Houses
7. Newsletter to Parents
B. Personal Letter to Parents
9. Evaluated Projects or Assignments
10. Portfolios or Exhibits of Students' Work
11. Homework Assignments
12. Homework Hotlines
13. School Web Pages
14. Parent-Teacher Conferences
15. Student-Teacher Conferences
16. Student-Led Conference
GUIDELINES FOR BETTER PRACTICE

To ensure better practice of grading and

reporting systems, the following
statements serve as guide on how to utilize
effectively the grading and reporting
systems:
1. Begin with a clear statement of purpose.
2. Provide accurate and understandable
descriptions of learning.
3. Use grading and reporting to enhance
teaching and learning.
 Do's and Don'ts of Effective Grading
Do Don't
Use well-thought-out professional judgments. Depend entirely on number crunching.
Try everything you can to score and grade fairly. Allow personal bias to affect grades.
Grade according to pre-established learning targets and standards. Grade on the curve using the class as the norm group.
Clearly inform students and parents of grading procedures at the Keep grading procedures secret
beginning of the semester.
Base grades primarily on student performance. Use effort, improvement, attitudes, and motivation for borderline
students.
Rely most on current information.
Penalize poorly performing students early in the semester.
Mark grade and return assessments to students as soon as possible and
with as much feedback as possible. Return assessments weeks later with little or no feedback.

Review borderline cases carefully, when in doubt, assign the higher Be inflexible with borderline cases.
grade.
Use zero scores indiscriminately when averaging grades.
Convert scores to the same scale before combining.
Weight scores before combining. Include extra credit assignments that are not related to the learning
Use a sufficient number of assessments. targets:
Be willing to change grades when warranted Rely on one of two assessments for a semester grade.
Lower grades for cheating, misbehaving, tardiness, or absence.
 Planning and Implementing Parent-teacher conference

The parent-teacher conference is the most common way teachers communicate with
parents about student progress. It is typically a face-to-face discussion, though phone
conferences and calls can also be used. Parent-teacher conferences may be initiated by
either the teacher or the parent, based on purpose.
There are two types of parent-teacher conferences, based on two purposes.
a. Group Conferences
These are conducted in the beginning of the year to communicate school and class
policies, class content, evaluation procedures, expectations, and procedures for getting
in touch with teachers.
b. Individual Conferences
These are conducted to discuss the individual student's achievement, progress or
difficulties.
It is important to plan the conference to be prepared. It means having all the
information well-organized in advance and knowing what to achieve from the
conference. It will include a list of areas pertaining to student that need to be discussed
with parents. The conference is an ideal time to discuss and point out specific areas of
strength and weakness that is not communicated through the report card. Note that
conference is not a lecture type of gathering or meeting, it is a conversation. Listening
is the primary key to understanding. Listening to parents will help the teacher
CHECKLIST FOR CONDUCTING PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE
• Plan each conference in advance.
• Conduct the conference in a private, quiet, and comfortable
setting.
• Begin with class discussion of positive student performances.
• Establish an informal, professional tone.
• Encourage parent participation in the conference.
• Be frank in reviewing student strengths and weaknesses.
• Review language skills.
• Review learning targets with examples of student
performances that show
• progress.
• Avoid discussing other students and teachers.
• Avoid bluffing
• Identify two or three areas to work on in a plan of action.
Recommendations for effective Parent-teacher
Conference
Before the Conference During the conference After the Conference

Encourage parents to review student Provide child care, refreshments, and Provide parents with a telephone
work at home, note concerns or transportations if necessary. number and schedule of specific times
questions, and bring those to the so they may call you with concerns.
conference. Show multiple samples of student work
and discuss specific suggestions for Follow up on any questions or concerns
Schedule times that are convenient for improvement. raised during the conference.
both working and non- working parents.
Actively listen and avoid the use of Plan a time to meet again if necessary.
Notify parents well ahead of scheduled educational jargon.
conference times. Encourage parents to discuss the
Communicate expectations and describe conference with their child.
Provide staff development for new how parents can help.
teachers on the purpose for
conferences, preparation, and
scheduling.
Recommendations for effective Parent-teacher
Conference
Consider alternative Develop a system for on- Ask parents for written
locations, such as church going communication evaluation of the
or community centers for with each parent that conference and
parents' convenience. recognizes parents as encourage them to make
partners. suggestions.
Print conference
schedules and materials Provide resources Debrief with colleagues to
in multiple languages, if materials that parents look for ways to improve
necessary. might use at home to future conferences.
strengthen students'
skills.
References:
Assessment Of Learning 2 page
175 to 198
Ronan M. Cajigal, MA Ed.
Maria Leflor D. Mantuano, MA. Ed.
Published in 2014