Grading PoliciesAcademic Year 2013-2014 Charise Hallberg, Instructor The standard grading scale applies to this class: 90-100%:

A 80-89%: B 70-79%: C 60-69%: D 59% or lower: F

In this class, you will be assessed in two ways: 1. Summative Assessments (final draft essays, tests/quizzes, presentations and projects) 2. Formative Assessments (homework, classwork, activities, drafts and workshops) 1. Summative Assessments are the tasks that measure your skills and knowledge after a period of learning has been completed. In these tasks, it is expected that you will do your best to present a final product that is as polished and error-free as possible. These assessments should showcase the best of what you know and are able to do, and they will be graded purely on their own strengths and meritseffort alone will not affect the grade earned by these assessments. There are far fewer of these assessments, and they are worth significantly more points than formative assessments. 2. Formative Assessments are the tasks that allow you to build your skills and knowledge during a period of learning. In these tasks, it is expected that you will do your best to acquire new learning and add to what you know and are able to do, but it is not expected that at this point you will be submitting work that is polished or completely error-free. Essentially, these assignments are considered practice, a place to make mistakes and learn from them. As such, these assignments will not be graded purely on their own strengths and merits, but also on the honest effort put into them. In addition, your active participation in the classroom contributes to scores in formative assessments. Extra Credit will be offered, but only sporadically, and only to the entire classno individualized extra credit will be offered. Keep in mind that extra credit will not have magical powers to save your grade at the end of either semester. It exists to give students additional opportunities to reach the grade they almost earned, not to save students from previous procrastination. Extra credit is not a superhero that will swoop in at the last minute and save you from the burning building of your bad choices. Grading Marks: Ms. Hallberg will use these marks on your formative assessments. Here are their percentage point equivalents.
PLUS: great! CHECK PLUS: good! CHECK: OK CHECK MINUS: yikes! INCOMPLETE:

100%

80-95%

60-75%

Half credit (50%)

0%

Check your grades online periodically, and ask questions about inconsistencies in a timely fashion. Any discussions regarding the grade book should be conducted shortly after the score in question is posted. Whenever possible, bring the assignment to the discussion for expedient resolution.