Teaching reflection on subjective grading...

I was reading a blog post by Ms. C over at her blog: Cant of Cheating and Judging and it really made me think tonight. She is obviously a gifted teacher and very insightful thinker. One of her comments made me think deeper about what I have been working on over the past two years with Assessment for Learning and my adjustment in my grading practices. Here is what I wrote:

I just wanted to make a comment about something you said,

"one of the goals of those who seek to refine grading systems is that they want to make grades less subjective and more objective-- admirable on the surface, if not a bit unrealistic, but let's leave that aside."

It really interested me. In the past two years I have changed my viewpoint. I tried to be "less subjective" and what it always brought out in my teaching and corresponding student learning was too much rote or simple learning. So I have used the principles of Assessment for Learning and re-assessment to focus on being much more subjective.

I have done so in these ways,
1) Students have multiple avenues for feedback. I have encouraged students to use a window of time to turn work in to me, get feedback and then redo it for a better assessment.
2) Re-assessment of homework, quizzes and tests that do not reach a level of 85 or above. They have one opportunity to come in to reassess and the must come in for tutoring/feedback and extension of learning before this occurs.
3) Constant encouragement of students to use me, their teacher, as a reference to improve their learning. I try to show the learning objective/target, rubric, and what I am asking for them upfront, but I am removing the guessing game by having them work with me to improve their aim.

What I have found is that there is less cheating. Students are seeing that the class is not about a "gotcha" grade, but rather it is focused on improvement. Anyone can improve their grade if it is not up to their satisfaction. It has improved student motivation, effort, and by the end of the year I had some real breakthroughs with students I didn't expect to pass the class at the beginning of the year.

Although I understand these procedures wouldn't be welcome at all schools, I am lucky enough to work at a school where the focus is on the student's learning and what we can do to move them closer to that.

In your discussion of the moral consequences of cheating, I thought I might offer this up as a potential positive alternative.

I wonder if cheating is really something students would do more of if they felt trapped by their situation? For instance, if they know they have an opportunity to re-assess that test for a grade up to an 85, will they cheat less? I don't know the truth behind it, but I know how it feels in my classroom. I have less looks of fear, frustration and resentment about tests, quizzes and homework. Students seem to look at those assessments as less about 'finality' and more about where they are at that point in their learning.

I don't know. It just made me think a little bit tonight.