Chapter 7

This chapter was about the nature of grades and how differentiated instruction directly impacts our grading policies. Problems with grading is becuase of a lack of understanding as to what grades actually mean and why they are so important. Grades not only vary depending upon the teacher, but also upon a student's background, and whether the student is considered gifted or has disabilities. Some questions that this chapter asked were: 1. Why are there grades in the first place? 2. What does a grade really mean? 3. What would school be like if there weren't any grades?

We all agreed that it is ok for some grades to be adjusted for students with extenuating circumstances, but not every assignment for every student. If we adjust grades for every student on every assignment, what is the point of assigning the grade in the first place? After reading this chapter, we have come to realize that letter grades do not reflect much unless the teacher has set out specific standards for each grade and each assignment so that the students are better able to understand their grade in that class. For some students, grades are important not only because they ultimately define our life decisions and possible future choices, but they are also the only part of school that they are able to control. Since they can't control the curriculum, assignments, or professors they end up with, the grade is all that is left for them to decide on their own.