Here's the jis of it, some teachers had high overall class averages, some had low. The lower bunch were asked to "adjust" grade book category weights.
Grade inflation? Can I lose my professional licscense as a teacher if, say, an inspector found out that I did this?????
Please respond with what you would do as a professional teacher, in this given example.
Have you ever been asked to change your grade book weighting
Re: Have you ever been asked to change your grade book weigh
it's called grading on a curve. i don't know what subjects you teach, but i would guess high school? the bell curve is supposed to even out those types of inconsistencies between teachers.
i don't like it but i know some of my uni profs did it.
i wouldn't think you'd lose your license over it, but i'm sure it doesn't feel too clean.
professionally i would leave as is unless forced to. they could go in and change them as they see fit. unless you are getting serious heat, i wouldn't do a thing.
but from what little you wrote, your admin sounds pretty shaky OR you have some assessment issues within your grade/subject.
good luck.
v.
i don't like it but i know some of my uni profs did it.
i wouldn't think you'd lose your license over it, but i'm sure it doesn't feel too clean.
professionally i would leave as is unless forced to. they could go in and change them as they see fit. unless you are getting serious heat, i wouldn't do a thing.
but from what little you wrote, your admin sounds pretty shaky OR you have some assessment issues within your grade/subject.
good luck.
v.
Re: Have you ever been asked to change your grade book weigh
Sorry, Man, but if you want to keep your job the best course of action is to obey orders from your boss. It's funny, though, that no head or principal ever seems to mind it when a teacher has A LOT of high average students. Hmm...is that because so may students are wonderful or because high grades keep parents happy?
Seriously, just do what the dummy asks. YOU have maintained your academy integrity and honor while your idiotic and gutless boss keeps losing his.
Keep fighting the good fight.
Seriously, just do what the dummy asks. YOU have maintained your academy integrity and honor while your idiotic and gutless boss keeps losing his.
Keep fighting the good fight.
Response
That is a very complex issue. Yes it is a form of grade inflation, though a slightly more palatable form of one. It is however common, and why many of the international accreditation bodies have some form of external examination.
Can you lose your license, it depends. First, what are the regulations, and jurisdiction of your certifying/licensing body. If they are minimal or only applicable to a restricted jurisdiction, no matter what you do right or wrong, your licensing authority may not be able to do anything. One case involving a teacher who was involved in a "Lays for As" scheme was successful in defending their license because the professional code of conduct was only applicable to "states and territories" (a jurisdictional issue). An issue involving misconduct in grading in this case may not be a violation due to the same definitions of jurisdiction. Your licensing authority may not even have regulations relevant to the issuance of grades and marks.
Second, Are you violating a regulatory authority in doing so? If you work at an IS that is government regulated such as a municipal or regulated school you could be committing a regulatory violation, that could be grounds for sanctions on your license. Its not fair and while many teachers dont have recourse if they fail to comply, but an "admin told me too" is a very poor defense especially if the admin CYAs themselves.
Third, are you violating a policy or guideline of an organizational accrediting body, such as the IBO. The QFA and inspectorate or its equivalent if a report and claim is substantiated could be cause for the IBO to report the infraction to your certifying body and they could potentially proceed with sanctions. Reports can come from many sources including admins, coworkers, parents, students, etc.
Fourth, are you violating a school policy or regulation, and more importantly can you demonstrate that you were instructed by an admin with supervisory authority to do so. You could change grades and then the admin who told you to do so would have leverage on you, if you couldnt produce an instruction or directive that you did so. There was an issue with a teacher in Belgium who had tenure, and ran afoul of an AP who instructed the teacher to modify some of the students grades, at the end of the year they used evidence from the portfolio that the grades were inaccurate and showed a pattern of favoritism. The teacher and no evidence of the directive given to them by the AP, and the individual was not even at the meeting. The teacher was offered the choice of resigning or a more formal investigation. The teacher left.
Generally, ISs being private/independent schools have a great deal of flexibility and discretion in how they assess and report student performance and achievement. There are a significant number of schools that are only accredited and licensed by their host nations MOE, and the regulations typically permit such private schools that issue their own diploma to pretty much do as they please. Even the major accrediting international bodies give a great deal of discretion to schools in assessing student work (they supply BARS scales describing each level of grade/mark, but that sill remains subjective). It is a school that is responsible for the transcript and the assessment of the student not the teacher. Teachers are just the individuals assigned to perform such duties, but ultimately the transcript can say whatever the school admin/ownership wants it to say. There have been ISs were ownership provided education for their own children or friends children and regardless of what the students performance was, the transcript reported the highest marks for the student.
I agree with senator, you have to do what your admin says if you want to keep your job when it comes down to settling the issue. If you refuse your insubordinate and thats good cause to dismiss/terminate you, and doing so will accomplish nothing. The admin will just issue an updated/amended grade report and modify the grade on the students transcript whether youre there or not. The only thing I would do differently is require the the instruction or directive be given in writing (email), then print a PDF of it and upload it to your personal cloud account. I wouldnt even argue or debate the point, since at that point its an institutional issue not an teachers professional one.
Lastly, you need to determine if you have a duty or obligation to report such misconduct, as grading manipulation to a regulatory or accrediting agency or body.
Can you lose your license, it depends. First, what are the regulations, and jurisdiction of your certifying/licensing body. If they are minimal or only applicable to a restricted jurisdiction, no matter what you do right or wrong, your licensing authority may not be able to do anything. One case involving a teacher who was involved in a "Lays for As" scheme was successful in defending their license because the professional code of conduct was only applicable to "states and territories" (a jurisdictional issue). An issue involving misconduct in grading in this case may not be a violation due to the same definitions of jurisdiction. Your licensing authority may not even have regulations relevant to the issuance of grades and marks.
Second, Are you violating a regulatory authority in doing so? If you work at an IS that is government regulated such as a municipal or regulated school you could be committing a regulatory violation, that could be grounds for sanctions on your license. Its not fair and while many teachers dont have recourse if they fail to comply, but an "admin told me too" is a very poor defense especially if the admin CYAs themselves.
Third, are you violating a policy or guideline of an organizational accrediting body, such as the IBO. The QFA and inspectorate or its equivalent if a report and claim is substantiated could be cause for the IBO to report the infraction to your certifying body and they could potentially proceed with sanctions. Reports can come from many sources including admins, coworkers, parents, students, etc.
Fourth, are you violating a school policy or regulation, and more importantly can you demonstrate that you were instructed by an admin with supervisory authority to do so. You could change grades and then the admin who told you to do so would have leverage on you, if you couldnt produce an instruction or directive that you did so. There was an issue with a teacher in Belgium who had tenure, and ran afoul of an AP who instructed the teacher to modify some of the students grades, at the end of the year they used evidence from the portfolio that the grades were inaccurate and showed a pattern of favoritism. The teacher and no evidence of the directive given to them by the AP, and the individual was not even at the meeting. The teacher was offered the choice of resigning or a more formal investigation. The teacher left.
Generally, ISs being private/independent schools have a great deal of flexibility and discretion in how they assess and report student performance and achievement. There are a significant number of schools that are only accredited and licensed by their host nations MOE, and the regulations typically permit such private schools that issue their own diploma to pretty much do as they please. Even the major accrediting international bodies give a great deal of discretion to schools in assessing student work (they supply BARS scales describing each level of grade/mark, but that sill remains subjective). It is a school that is responsible for the transcript and the assessment of the student not the teacher. Teachers are just the individuals assigned to perform such duties, but ultimately the transcript can say whatever the school admin/ownership wants it to say. There have been ISs were ownership provided education for their own children or friends children and regardless of what the students performance was, the transcript reported the highest marks for the student.
I agree with senator, you have to do what your admin says if you want to keep your job when it comes down to settling the issue. If you refuse your insubordinate and thats good cause to dismiss/terminate you, and doing so will accomplish nothing. The admin will just issue an updated/amended grade report and modify the grade on the students transcript whether youre there or not. The only thing I would do differently is require the the instruction or directive be given in writing (email), then print a PDF of it and upload it to your personal cloud account. I wouldnt even argue or debate the point, since at that point its an institutional issue not an teachers professional one.
Lastly, you need to determine if you have a duty or obligation to report such misconduct, as grading manipulation to a regulatory or accrediting agency or body.
Re: Have you ever been asked to change your grade book weigh
I would highly recommend that all schools engage in exercises where they determine how grades are to be determined. Teams should be using the same system,and there should be good pedagogy to back those systems. The school as a whole should have an assessment philosophy and guidance on how teachers should be assessing and grading. After all, in the long run, the student will get a transcript with the school seal on it. Your name will never appear when the student applies for college, for a scholarship, for another school. There will be no distinction between Grade 9 Humanities that Mr. Thomas taught (where everyone knows he gives high grades) and Grade 9 Humanities that Ms. Sinte taught (who we all know is a tough grader). That sort of thing could well mean that you (or any teacher) might have to change the way their gradebook or categories are set up. IN ADVANCE. As in, before the students even enter the classroom for the year.
But if, as you say, changes are being requested when it's time to send home report cards, well... that smells a bit. Perhaps the requests are due to the same sort of philosophical/pedagogical considerations mentioned above, but the admin didn't get their act together and are now trying to get that horse back in the barn, rather too late. Leaves a nasty taste in everyone's mouth. More perniciously, perhaps it is indeed an effort to arrange good grades for students who don't deserve them. We don't approve.
But if, as you say, changes are being requested when it's time to send home report cards, well... that smells a bit. Perhaps the requests are due to the same sort of philosophical/pedagogical considerations mentioned above, but the admin didn't get their act together and are now trying to get that horse back in the barn, rather too late. Leaves a nasty taste in everyone's mouth. More perniciously, perhaps it is indeed an effort to arrange good grades for students who don't deserve them. We don't approve.
Comment
@sid
I would like rainbows and sunshine and a unicorn and peace on earth and good will towards all humankind too. Your preaching to the choir though, we all know how things should be done when discussing them in the lecture halls of academia, but then the reality of ownership, and financial incentives/expectations and customer service (making the parents happy) happens, and then all is not right in fairy land. If all of that happened and everything else that is supposed to happen, the third tier of ISs would be much, much smaller.
I would like rainbows and sunshine and a unicorn and peace on earth and good will towards all humankind too. Your preaching to the choir though, we all know how things should be done when discussing them in the lecture halls of academia, but then the reality of ownership, and financial incentives/expectations and customer service (making the parents happy) happens, and then all is not right in fairy land. If all of that happened and everything else that is supposed to happen, the third tier of ISs would be much, much smaller.
Re: Have you ever been asked to change your grade book weigh
PsyGuy wrote:
> I would like rainbows and sunshine and a unicorn and peace on earth and good will
> towards all humankind too.
Well, that's good to know.
> I would like rainbows and sunshine and a unicorn and peace on earth and good will
> towards all humankind too.
Well, that's good to know.