CLASSROOM GRADING - A NATIONAL SURVEY OF POLICIES

A CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN TO TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, STUDENTS, AND PARENTS IS THE EVALUATION AND GRADING OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE. THE TOPI C OF GRADING TAKES ON ADDED SIGNIFICANCE WHEN CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN T O THE GRADING OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND TO THE RELATED EFFECTS ON COLLABORATION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL. A NATIONAL SURVEY WAS CONDU CTED, WITH THE PURPOSE BEING TO DETERMINE THE POLICIES OF LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS CONCERNING GRADING. SPECIFIC FOCI INCLUDED WHETHER A POLICY WAS IN EFFECT, IF MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILIT IES, THE NATURE OF GRADING SYSTEMS USED, AND COMMUNICATION MECHANISMS BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL. A TOTAL OF 550 SURVEYS WERE MAILED TO SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS, WITH A RESPONSE RATE OF OVER 40%. THE RESULT S INDICATED THAT A MAJORITY OF SCHOOL DIVISIONS HAD A POLICY ON GRADIN G IN EFFECT AND THAT THE POLICIES IN EFFECT INCLUDED MODIFICATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. TRENDS IN TERMS OF GRADING SYSTEMS USED A ND COMMUNICATION MECHANISMS EMPLOYED ARE HIGHLIGHTED. THE RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO HOME-SCHOOL COLLABORATION AND IN THE CONTEXT OF INTEGRATING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES INTO GENE RAL EDUCATION.