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valley_girl · Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 3:31 pm Post subject: Can they get 100%?

Is a perfect mark possible in your classes? Or do you make it virtually impossible for students to achieve 100%?

I know that some teachers believe that if your students are getting high marks, the work is too easy for them. Isn't it also possible, however, that they worked hard and earned their high averages? How do we know when we've challenged them enough but at the same time, we haven't expected the impossible from them?

Some questions I've been pondering... Wink

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

You decide the mark scheme when you write out the test.

Now, except at beginners and elementary level students that are getting marks in the region of 90-100% are probably in the wrong set, and should be promoted. However this applies more to mid or end of course assessments than to tests on a particular topic given during the course.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Talking about grades makes me think you are not thinking of conversation schools. I don't know of any that give exams.

So, if you mean high schools and such, then yes, some kids get 100 on exams (although it is usually more like quizzes or homework, not major exams where I live). The bell curve is pretty lopsided, though.

Did you get a perfect score on the language exams you took?

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

It depends on the purpose of the test. if your goal is to build confidence, then it should be designed so that the students will be getting around 100%. If your goal is to diagnose where they are weak and/or differentiate between students for streaming purposes, then it would be a waste of time and energy for all of them to get around 100%.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

On tests, yes. On overall class grades, I give an A+ to students who get As on everything, and I usually give them a 98 or 99. It's the letter grade that matters here on transcripts.

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kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Last year, I had oral exams for all of my students in Senior One and Two. I gave the kids a written assignment in class and then called students out to the hall one by one. Each student had the same four questions. Two of the questions I had already written on the board in the previous class and then two were surprise questions. Each question had something to do with the 4 units we had just completed. Each question was worth up to 5 points and the answer they gave wasn't graded, rather HOW they answered it: diction, pronunciation, word choices, complete sentences used. Then I circled the number below each question:

0 = no answer at all
1 = diction was very poor or pronunciation was very poor, etc.
2 = better than poor, but less than good
3 = good
4 = very good
5 = excellent

Then I added the scores, divided by 20 and that was their percentage. Some students did quite well, others barely spoke a word, and some really surprised me. Where is this good English in class? Only a couple of 100%, really, but many pleasing scores never-the-less. This year I have too many students to do this again, unless the school devises some sort of schedule that will allow it.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

In a truly professional school your students will have to pass an exam under a teacher they don't know. So, whatever "good" grades they may have got from you will be worthless, indeed may prove to shatter the conceit of a student who had been treated too generously by her or his class teacher!

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

My grades are completely arbitrary. I give A's to the students that show effort and participate in class. I give the lowest possible mark for students that give nothing. The ones in between, the quiet ones, get C's.

valley_girl · Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:31 am Post subject:

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

I have never taken an exam from a professor that I didn't know, and I certainly like to think that my degrees and qualifications come from professional, reputable institutions. In a truly professional school, teachers should be capable of giving out appropriate grades even to students that they know and interact with regularly.

d

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

valley girl wrote:

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

alot of places I have worked has a 'pass' mark of say 60%. I dislike this system as it means they can pass without 'knowing' 40% of the material

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

The pass mark at my school is 30%. And they can pass if they don't get that as well. Basically, they can't fail.

When I have a student that gives 100% 100% of the time I give them a 100% for their final grade. I get a few every year!

merlin · Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:09 am Post subject:

I don't give grades, per se, but when I give exams/tests/quizzes, for my private clients, yes, it's quite easy to get 100%. Why not? The Devil with the idea that you have to bugger a certain percentage of students to be a respectable teacher. In a classroom environment the test should reflect what you taught.

separate issue:
I also write and conduct exams for a national/multinational exam. Here I use the council of europe standards as my guide. Quite simply, candidates are either at a level or not - no curve. 100% can get the highest level or 100% can get the lowest in a given month, depending on their ability, not some pre-ordained ratio/formula. Anything else would be dishonest IMHO.