Any suggestions for how to handle grading for Resource kids? My regular ed. teachers want me to give them grades for reading and math…replacing or supplementing their classroom grades. Any thoughts on this? Thanks.
Re: Grades for Resource students
I am the resource teacher in my school which has a pull-out program for reading, language, and math. If the student receives instruction from me, then I give the grade. If the class is taught by the general ed. teacher and I provide support, then she gives the grade. This fall some of the resource math students I have taught in the past will be doing modified math assignments in the general ed. classroom. The students are on my roster, will be taught by the general ed. teacher for the most part, but I will be giving the grade. Hope this helps!
Re: Grades for Resource students
It depends on what is being done in the resource room. I am at a high school level. I have two “types” of classes that are listed on the student schedule which are IEP driven. One is Resource - where the students bring in work from their other classes. The para and I provide assistance. Sometimes it is direct work on their mainstream assignments - sometimes they need to use the computer - sometimes they need to read their textbook on tape. It is really a supported study hall idea. The other is Remediation. They are scheduled in and I work on their skill defiicits though the use of mulitsensory materials (Orton Gillingham, Project Read, Megawords, Kansas Strategies, etc.) Credit is given for that because it is additional work. This has been a Pass/No credit. This is not substitute for the regular Lang. Arts. Because we have a 7 period day, all this works. It has worked in that it is understandable to parents and students. I think they are relieved to know that as long as they are making progress on the IEP short term objectives in the remediation, they achieve credit. Well good luck! It is a struggle for all of us.
What’s in the best interest of the students? What will best serve their needs and their family’s needs?
Grading is a fuzzy thing at best. In the regular classroom will their work be compared to students without learning differences? Is that fair to them?
What do you want the grades to reflect? Their innate abilities or their progress despite their impairments?
Who knows these kids best and who cares about them most? That’s the person who should do the grading.