Here are some basic questions you need to answer for yourself as part of the process of managing your grading records. How many grades should be in the records? You should have several grades each week for students, including quizzes, homework, group or class work, discussion participation, and other activities related to your particular class. Decide in advance how you will evaluate and grade all work and how much weight each activity will carry. For example, homework may be worth 20% of a student's final grade. When you establish a percentage, you can average all homework grades for the grading period and then factor that into the final grade at 20%. How should I inform students about grades? It is critical that students, (and their parents and caregivers), understand your grading system. You can post your grading policy/system or provide students with copies to keep in their notebooks. Some teachers even put weight or point values next to test questions. Whatever information you can provide students about the importance of school-work and tests on their final grade is worth sharing. Remember, your goal is not to surprise students with their grades, but to help them understand and monitor their progress. You might also assist students in keeping track of their own progress by providing them with a grade sheet they can keep in their desks or notebooks and then remind them periodically to record grades from returned papers and assessments. A sample copy is of a Student Grade Sheet is included here. Also, most students beyond first grade can keep a portfolio folder of their work. You can decide which papers students keep and which ones you will keep to share with parents or for your files. At the beginning of each grading period, review your grading policy with students and ask them to write a short paragraph explaining what grade they would like to earn and how they plan to achieve it. At the end of each grading term you can return this paragraph for students to consider in evaluating their progress. How do I decide the weight of different grades, such as assignments, homework, tests, etc.? Your school or district may have policies regarding grades and weights for assessment and assignments. Find out what your school or district requirements are, if any, before setting your class policy. During the beginning of the year and each grading period, review with students your expectations, how you will assess certain items and tell students about the upcoming year or term. For example, you may tell students that there will be two major tests and six quizzes during this grading period, along with a research report worth 15% of their final grade. Tell students what your policy is on make-up work, incomplete assignments, absences during tests, and other important information. Also explain to students that their individual grades are private information and can only be shared with the personnel at the school, the individual student and his or her parents. How can I improve my grade management skills? Again, organization is the key to managing your grades. Keeping current in grading and recording grades is essential if you are to use evaluation effectively for both learning and instruction. Label each entry by student, date, grade and brief description of activity (homework, quiz, chapter test, review sheet, etc.). If you decide to use an electronic grading system, create a backup by either printing your data frequently or also keeping a paper grade book. If you only keep a paper grade book, establish a place and routine for keeping it safe and private.