I am enjoying your transcript e-book and am looking for clarification on recording grades (for the college transcript.) Can the student really take an exam, or do any other assignment, over again to earn an A/100% even if they scored lower the first time (from bottom of page 58) – (confused with what you did on pg. 57 – sounds as if you didn’t always give them a second chance?
Hi Teresa,
I’m so glad you are liking the book – thanks for your question! This might be a great question to talk about on the phone. Since you are a Gold Care Club member, remember that we can talk on the phone every Wednesday for 20 minutes, OK? So if I don’t answer your question completely here, or you feel like I have misunderstood, please call me!
Now that I have 20/20 hindsight, I can tell you with certainty that you can do it any way you want to! Now that I’m working, I have seen high school teacher’s grading criteria, and syllabi from community college and university courses. Frankly, they all do it their own unique way. So, while I can’t tell you the one “right way” to grade, I can at least assure you that whatever you choose is a great way to do it!
On page 57 in my book, I talk about grading science labs. I described situations when their science lab write-ups didn’t meet my expectations, and that if I got annoyed I would sometimes give them a grade of 90% – or an 80% when I was truly frustrated that they didn’t do what I asked.
Just to be clear, they had done the science experiment, nobody died, and nothing exploded. They did deserve *some* credit. But they hadn’t written up the work with a full paragraph (perhaps just wrote a sentence) or they hadn’t provided a graph or drawing (or they did the drawing in yellow pencil – I am NOT making this up!)
When they would turn in a poorly done piece of work, I would FIRST give them a lower grade (in this case 80-90%) and then I would insist that they fix the problem, complete the assignment, or somehow make the correction.
I didn’t have my kids retake a test unless they needed to retake a whole chapter. Again, your goal is mastery, not perfection. For my children, they didn’t have to retake a test unless they didn’t understand the concepts. If they did understand the concepts, and we ready to move on, then we would not repeat the tests.
In college, some professors in the honors program will allow students to correct their English paper, with the possibility of raising their score by one whole grade. Second chances are also very helpful! That was an opportunity for them to learn better writing, and so allowing them to correct their paper, and incorporate the professors comments, was a way to improve their mastery.
Keep the goal in mind: learning. Mastery, not perfection. However you can best reflect learning in your grades is the best way to grade in your family. You most certainly don’t have to do it *my* way, just the way that makes sense for you.
My son is an electrical engineering student at Seattle Pacific University – a junior – and he LOVES it! Here is a photo, Kevin is on the right. Kevin is my engineering son who loves math, chess and solving problems. Alex, on the left, is my younger son, who loves economics, politics, and the piano.
Thanks for the question!
That free month on the Gold Care Club that you get with the purchase of my e-book transcript can be your time to get some great homeschool high school parent training! You even get 20 minutes of free phone consultation each week! It is a great deal for parents who want to homeschool high school with excellence! If you want the Gold Care Club without the e-book you can get it here!
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- Where Credit is Due....
- Homeschool High School: Semester or Yearly Grades
- Homeschool Grading: What is an "A"?
- "Be Still"
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