Castle Chemistry Grading Policy
Tests:
The goal of the chemistry department is to have one test per chapter. Our objective is to challenge the most gifted chemistry students without penalizing the grade of students who struggle. Each student's test is individually scored and transferred to a data sheet containing the scores of all first year chemistry students taking the test over that particular unit. The grading scale is then established and letter grades and point values are assigned as follows:
A+ 97A 93
A- 90
B+ 87
B 83
B- 80 / C+ 77
C 73
C- 70
D+ 67
D 63
D- 60 / F+ 57
F 53
F- 0
NOTE that these are point
values, not percentages.
Each test has a particular number of points that correspond to A+, A, A- through F+, F, and F-. Every test is graded and then scaled from A+ to F-, with points being awarded as in the above table. On a particular test, an A+ may be equivalent to 95% of the test points. On some of the most rigorous tests, an A+ may correlate with 80-85% of the test points.
Although Warrick County doesn't distinguish between A+ and A, we choose to award more points to truly excellent scores. It may not show in the gradebook, but an A+ on a test can help pull a student's 9 weeks grade up a notch when points are averaged. By the same token, we choose to distinguish between students who are very close to passing and those who have not prepared at all. An F+ in the gradebook can help a student to raise his/her grade for the grading period.
Quizzes:
The quizzes that we give are also very rigorous, although some are more difficult than others. For each grading period, all of the quizzes are grouped into one or two scaled or curved, grades. We enter each quiz grade in the grade book so that students and parents can keep track of their total points more easily. We do not assign a letter grade to each quiz when it is taken, but use the total points of all quizzes within a grading periodcombined to prepare a distribution which is then curved. Again, it is a sliding scale.
Homework:
Homework is a tool to help students to prepare for tests over the material covered in a particular unit. We do not place grade emphasis on questions or problems dealing with new material. The goal is for students to understand chemical theories and develop problem solving skills.
We have been using the Quest Homework Service from the University of Texas for some of our homework assignments. These online assignments will be graded. As with the quizzes, all assignments are entered into the gradebook so that parents and students can keep track of their points. At the end of each grading period, all homework assignments are averaged into one grade and a scale is assigned.
Nine Weeks and Semester Grades:
The student's points for each test are entered into the gradebook and at the end of the nine week period the points are totaled and averaged. Each nine week grade is a measure of the student's performance during that grading period.
Example:
Test grades/points: B+/87, C+/77, A-/90, B/80, A+/97, B-/80
Total Points divided by six: 511/6
Average: 85.2
Nine Weeks Grade: B
To summarize, for each grading period, students receive one (or perhaps two) grades for quizzes, one grade for homework and one grade for each test taken. The points earned are totaled and are divided by the number of grades. Of course, A+ and A grades appear the same in the gradebook. So does F+, F, F-.
There will be a comprehensive test at the end of each semester, which counts as 15-20% of the semester grade. Averages for the nine weeks and the semester will be rounded up from 0.5.