Chapter 9

Grading and Reporting System

Section Intended Learning Outcome:

At the end of this section, you should be able to demonstrate skills in in preparing
and interpreting grades. Also, you should be able to assess the effectiveness of
parent-teacher conference as a venue for reporting learners' performance.

Chapter Intended Learning Outcome:

At the end of this chapter, you are expected to demonstrate skills in interpreting test
results and reporting of grades.
1. K to 12 Grading of Learning Outcomes

•The K to 12 curriculum have specific assessment requirements and

design catering to the delivery modes of learning, 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.

•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

(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 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:

Levels of Assessment Percentage Weight

Knowledge 15%
Process of skills 25%
Understanding 30%
Products/Performances 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 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 performance of
authentic tasks..
•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 flexibly through authentic performance tasks.
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 Minimum Fundamental Fundametal Exceeding

Knowledge, or have not
Skills, and acquired
Understanding

Transfer of Need help With little Independent Automatic

Knowledge/ guidance and Flexible
Application of from the
knowledge teacher or
some
assistance
from peers

Source: Marilyn D. Dimaano’s presentation materials on Assessment and Rating

2. The Effects of Grading on Students

•Over the years, studies have also been made on how grades and the
comments of teachers written on students' papers might affect students'
achievement.

•In the said study, 74 school-teachers administered a test to the students in

their classes and scored in the usual way.

•A numerical score was assigned to each students' paper and on the basis of
the scores obtained, a corresponding letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F was
given.
•Next, teachers randomly divided the students' papers into three groups. The
first group received only the numerical score and letter grade.

•The second group aside from the score and grade, received standard
comments: A: Excellent! Keep it up; B: Good work! Keep it up; C: Perhaps try
to do still better. D. Let's bring this up, F: Let's raise this grade.

•For the third group, teachers marked the score, letter grades and then
wrote on each paper a variety of individualized comments.

•Page asked the teachers to write anything they wished on these papers but to be
sure their personal feelings and instructional practices. Papers were then
returned to students in a normal way.
 3. Building a Grading and Reporting System
3.1. 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.

•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).
 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

Refers to the appropriateness & If an assessment is to be used to

Validity adequacy of interpretations made from describe students reading
that information ( Linn & Gronlund, comprehension, evidence should
2000) actually reflect reading comprehension
and not other irrelevant factors.

Refers to the consistency of Attain very similar scores when the

Reliability assessment results. same assessment procedures are used
with the same students at two
different times, results have a high
degree of reliability.

The more sources of evidence on Any single source of evidence of

student’s learning, the better the student learning can be imperfect, It is
Quantity information can be reported essential that multiple sources of
evidence in grading and reporting
students is utilized.
3.2 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 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.

•To provide evidence of students' lack of effort or inappropriate

responsibility.
Below are possible sources of Grading and Reporting
System.

•Class Observation • Attendance Class Quizzes •Oral Presentations

•Punctuality of Assignments •Reports or Projects •Class Behavior or Attitude

•Students' Portfolios •Exhibits of Students' Work •Class Participation

•Work Habits. and Neatness •Students' Notebook or Journals •Effort

 Different Interpretation of Letter Grades

Grade Criterion- Norm-Referenced Combined Norm- Based on

Referenced Referenced and Improvement
(Standard based) Criterion Referenced
A •Outstanding or advanced Outstanding: among Outstanding: very high Outstanding: much
•Complete knowledge of all
content the highest or best level of performace improvement on most
•mastery of all targets performace or all targets
•exceeds standards
B •Very good or proficient Very good: performs Very good: better Very good: some
•Complete knowledge of most
content above the class than average improvement on most
•Mastery of all targets average performance or all targets
•Meets most standards
C •Acceptable or basic command of Average: performs at Average Acceptable: some
only basic concepts or skills
•Mastery of some targets the class average improvement on most
•Meets some standards or all targets
D •Making progress or developing Poor: below the class Below average or Making progress:
•Lacks knowledge of most
content average weak: minimum minimal progress on
•Mastery of only a few targets performance for most targets
•Meets only a few standards passing
F •Unsatisfactory: Lacks knowledge Unsatisfactory: far Unsatisfactory: lacks Unsatisfactory: no
of content.
•No mastery of targets below average; among sufficient knowledge improvement on any
•Does not meet any standards the worst in the class to pass targets
 3.3.2 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 easter 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.
3.3.3 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 Balley (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 relation to the learning goals
and standards.
 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' progress.
3.3.4 Pass/Fail Grading
Simplest alternative grading method available to educators reduces the number of grade categories to
just two: Pass or Fail.
Pass/Fail was popular in most universities and colleges in 1970s. These universities and colleges
utilized this pass/fail grading to various programs.

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/Fall 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 indication

•Concise of performace
•Familiar •Often includes a jumble of factors
including effort and improvement
Percentage Grade •Easy to calculate, record, and •Broad, sometimes unclear indication
combine. of performance, false sense of
•Familiar difference between close scores.
•High scores not necessarily signifies
mastery
Standard- based •Focus on high standards for all •May not reflect student learning in
students. many areas.
•Pre-established performace levels •Does not include effort or
improvement.

•Sample •Little discrimination in performace

Pass/Fail •Consistent with mastery of learning • Less emphasis on high performace
 4.Developing Effective 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.

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
• 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 Assssment Report
4. Phone Calls to Parents
5. Weekly/Monthly Progress Reports
6. School Open-Houses
7. Newsletter to Parents
8. Personal Letter to Parents
9. Evaltuaed 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
6. 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 DONT

•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 •Grade on the curve using the class as the norm group.
standards.
•Keep grading procedures secret
•Clearly inform students and parents of grading procedures at the
beginning of the semester •Use effort, Improvement, attitudes, and motivation for borderline
students.
•Base grades primarily on student performance.
•Penalize poorly performing students early in the semester.
•Rely most on current information.
•Return assessments weeks later with little or no feedback.
•Mark grade and return assessments to students as soon as
possible and with as much feedback as possible. •Be inflexible with borderline cases.

•Review borderline cases carefully, when in doubt, assign the •Use zero scores Indiscriminately when
higher grade averaging grades
7. 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 pho by 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.
McMillan (2007) shared the following checklist in preparing for parent-teacher conferences.

• Checklists for Conducting Parent-Teacher Conferences

✔️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.
Recommendations for Effective Parent-Teacher Conferences
Before the Conference During the Conference After the Conference

• Encourage parents to review • Provide child care, refreshments, • Provide parents with a telephone
student work at home, note and transportations if necessary. number and schedule of specific
concerns or questions, and bring times so they may call you with
those to the conference. • Show multiple samples of student concerns.
work and discuss specific
• Schedule times that are suggestions for Improvement. • Follow up on any questions or
convenient for both working and concerns raised during the
non-working parents. • Actively listen and avoid the use conference.
of educational jargon.
• Notify parents well ahead of • Plan a time to meet again if
scheduled conference times. necessary.
 Prepared by:
Rafael E. Sordilla
Mary Grace Reyes