Grading and Reporting
System
1. K to 12 Grading of Learning
Outcome
• The K to 12 curriculum have specific
assessment requirements and design catering
to the delivery modes of learning. Example,
the formal education and alternative learning
system.
• The K to 12 assessment is learner-centered and carefully
considers its learning environment system.
• 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.
• The K to 12 curriculum prescribes that the
assessment process should utilize the wide
variety of traditional and authentic
assessment tools and techniques for a valid,
reliable, and realistic assessment of learning.
• 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.
These levels are the following:
• KNOWLEDGE
• PROCESS
• UNDERSTANDING
• PRODUCTS/PERFORMANCE
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%
Source: DepEd Order 31, s. 2012
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 performances of students in
various levels of assessments. Each level
is described as follows:
• Beginning
• Developing
• Approaching Proficiency
• Proficient
• Advanced
Translating these proficiency level into its
numerical value is described in the following
table.
LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY EQUIVALENT NUMERICAL VALUE
Beginning 74% and below
Developing 75- 79%
Approaching Proficiency 80- 84%
Proficient 85- 89%
Advanced 90% and above
Source: DepEd Order 31, s. 2012
Comparison of Levels of Proficiency
Indicators Beginning Developing Approaching Proficiency Advanced
Proficiency
Acquisition of Struggling or Minimum Fundamental Fundamental Exceeding
knowledge, skills have not
and acquired
understanding
Transfer of Needs help With little Independent Automatic and
Knowledge/ guidance from flexible
Application of the teacher or
Knowledge some assistance
from peers
Source: Marilyn D. Dimaano’s presentation materials on Assessment and Rating
2. The Effects of Grading on Students
3. 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.
• There are three qualities that contribute to the
goodness of evidence that are gathered on
student learning. These three qualities are
described in the following table:
Quality Description Example
Validity Refers to the appropriateness If an assessment is to be used to
and adequacy of describe students’ reading
interpretations made from comprehension; evidence
that information (Linn & should actually reflect reading
Gronlund, 2000) comprehension and not other
irrelevant factors.
Quality Description Example
Reliability Refers to the consistency of Attain very similar scores when
assessment results 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 Any single source of evidence
evidence on student’s of student learning can be
learning, the better the imperfect, it is essential that
information can be reported. multiple sources of evidence in
grading and reporting students
is utilized.
Major Purposes of Grading and Reporting
The following are the major purposes of grading and
reporting:
• To communicate the achievement status of
students to parents and other
• To provide information that students can use for
self-evaluation
• To select, identify or group students for certain
educational parts 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
Below are possible sources of Grading and Reporting System
• Major Exams or Composition
• Class Quizzes
• Reports or projects
• Students’ Portfolios
• Exhibits of Students’ Work
• Laboratory projects
• Students’ Notebook or Journal
• Attendance
• Class observation
• Oral Presentation
• Effort
• Class behavior or attitude
Grading and Reporting Methods
Letter and 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 not
always clear. What the teachers would like to communicate with particular
letter grade and what parents interpret that grade to mean, often are not
the same (Walthman & Fresbie, 1994)
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.
Disadvantage • Requires abstraction of a great deal of
information into a single symbols
(Stiggins, 2001).
• Despite educators’ best effort, letter
grades tend to be interpreted by parents
in strictly norm-referenced terms.
• Lacks the richness of other more detailed
reporting methods such as standards-
based grading, mastery grading, and
narrative.
Different Interpretation of Letter Grades
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 representatives
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 subjective
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 processes for
diagnostic and perspective purposes.
• Facilitates teaching and learning processes batter than any
other grading method.
Disadvantages • Takes a lot of effort.
• Often too complicated for parents to
understand.
• May not communicate the
appropriateness of students’ progress.
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 reliability 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.
The table below provides a summary of the
different grading methods discussed:
Method Advantages Disadvantages
Letter Grade • Convenient; • Broad, sometimes unclear
Concise; familiar indication of performance;
• Often includes a jumble of factors
including effort and improvement.
Percentage • Easy to calculate, • Broad , sometimes unclears
Grade record, and indication of performance, false
combine; sense of difference between close
• Familiar score;
• High scores not necessarily
signifies mastery.
Method Advantages Disadvantages
Standards- Focus on high May not reflect student learning in
Based standards for all many areas;
students; Does not include effort or
Pre-established improvement
performance levels
Pass/Fail Simple; Little discrimination in
Consistent with performance;
mastery of learning Less emphasis on high
performance
4. Developing Effective Reporting System
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?
c. How would we like that information or
message to be used?
5. Tools for Comprehensive Reporting System
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
8. Personal Letter to Parents
6. Guideline for Better Practice
To ensure better practice of grading and reporting system,
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
7. Planning and Implementing Parent- Teacher
Conference
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
These are conducted to discuss the
Conferences
individual student’s achievement,
progress or difficulties.
McMillan (2007) shared the following checklist in
preparing for parent-teacher conferences.
CHECKLIST FOR CONDUCTING PARENT-
TEACHER CONFERENCE
Plan each conference in advance.
Conduct the conference in a private, quite,
and comfortable setting.
Begin with class discussion of positive
student performance.
Establish an informal, professional tone.
Encourage parent participation in the conference.
Be frank in reviewing student strengths and
weaknesses.
Review languages 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
