Did you or do you give bonus points on tests?

[Joan in GE]

I remember talking with someone whose ds was in high school and they would give bonus point possibilities on the tests. I'm not sure if it was all the tests or what.

 

My ds2 had bonus points possibilities in his exams in his high school and jr hi I think...

 

So I'm wondering if homeschoolers do this, how often, if they have guidelines about it, and any other thoughts on the subject...

Edited September 20, 2010 by Joan in Geneva

[Sunshine State Sue]

I don't make up my own tests, so I won't answer. I did, however, take a Statistics class this summer at the local CC. The professor had bonus points on the homework, tests, and final project.

 

HW was worth 33 pts with 3 bonus pts.

Tests were worth 100 pts with 6 bonus pts.

Final project was worth 75 pts with 5 bonus pts.

 

FWIW.

Edited September 20, 2010 by Sue in St Pete

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

That's interesting Sue. I don't remember if any of my college courses gave bonus points.

 

I answered that I haven't thought about it. My reason is the same as Sue's, I don't make up my own tests. None of the curricula I use have bonus points on any of their tests and I never thought about adding them.

[Julie in MN]

I don't do a ton of tests, but some things we've used have bonus points:

 

MCT vocab quizzes suggest using the extra words as bonus points, so we did that.

 

Jacob's Geometry test had bonus points.

 

 

My ds who was public schooled very OFTEN did extra credit for the times he wanted to make something up. He got good grades but often was making up for rules that seemed silly such as being late to school (he insisted on picking up his friend, who had a hard time getting up in the morning) or not writing your name on a paper, so maybe the bonuses made up for that?

 

Julie

[Joan in GE]

Actually, I do not make that many tests myself, except in Geography.

 

But for Biology, in Campbell's Connections test questions in the study guide which I have hidden and am using for the tests, there are so many essay questions that one can pick and choose which to give. And that is what gave me the idea of possibly giving bonus points on tests at home as I have never done it before.

 

But then I started wondering if that is being too easy, lowering us to the ps level, or if there is some good justification for doing it (I should have stated this more clearly in the beginning). Thus the poll and questions.

 

Joan

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

Actually, I do not make that many tests myself, except in Geography.

 

But for Biology, in Campbell's Connections test questions in the study guide which I have hidden and am using for the tests, there are so many essay questions that one can pick and choose which to give. And that is what gave me the idea of possibly giving bonus points on tests at home as I have never done it before.

 

But then I started wondering if that is being too easy, lowering us to the ps level, or if there is some good justification for doing it (I should have stated this more clearly in the beginning). Thus the poll and questions.

 

Joan

I think it would depend on how much bonus points possible and the level of difficulty of the bonus question/s. If I was to add bonus points they wouldn't make up a very large portion of the possible grade (like a test worth 100 points having a max of 5 bonus points, etc) and would be more difficult than the regular test questions (honors level questions). I would see it as giving the child credit for honors level material if the class isn't an labeled as an honors course. When the public schools I'm familiar with do it the bonus questions are usually easy and are there because too many would fail without them.

 

ETA that one could add bonus questions to already made tests but I hadn't thought about it, hence my poll choice :) If I did add bonus questions they would be in the manner that I stated above.

[Sunshine State Sue]

That's interesting Sue. I don't remember if any of my college courses gave bonus points.

Sometimes, when people here comment on how the first 2 years of college are a repeat of high school, I wonder what college they are talking about. My first 2 years at university were so hard for me. Not one class was a repeat of anything I had in high school.

 

But then, there's no comparison between the local CC and the university I attended. I don't remember any bonus points in there, but my memory isn't that great anyway....

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

Sometimes, when people here comment on how the first 2 years of college are a repeat of high school, I wonder what college they are talking about. My first 2 years at university were so hard for me. Not one class was a repeat of anything I had in high school.

 

But then, there's no comparison between the local CC and the university I attended. I don't remember any bonus points in there, but my memory isn't that great anyway....

I didn't mean it as criticism :001_smile: Most of the general ed prerequisites I had to take for the RN program were pretty much repeats but only because I took the minimum course I needed to take. I could have taken Calculus but only had to have Algebra so you can guess which I took ;) None of my my specialized courses (Microbiology, A&P, etc) were repeats.

[Sunshine State Sue]

I didn't mean it as criticism :001_smile:

I didn't see it as a criticism at all. I don't even know that you are the one who mentioned it. It seems to be a common experience, just not mine.

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

I didn't see it as a criticism at all. I don't even know that you are the one who mentioned it. It seems to be a common experience, just not mine.

I thought maybe you thought I was criticizing your college for giving bonus points. I thought that's why you went into what was/wasn't repeated at the college level. Email/posts can be so confusing sometimes:001_huh::lol:

[Sunshine State Sue]

I thought maybe you thought I was criticizing your college for giving bonus points.

Oh, not all. Ds can attend the locall CC in 10th grade for free. Sometimes, when he says he can't believe he can be in college in 10th grade, I tell him that the local CC is like a glorified high school. Lots of hand-holding went on in that class. I don't think the school is the bees knees or anything. Fine for high school or for a nearly 50yo woman exploring other careers (why I was there).

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

Oh, not all. Ds can attend the locall CC in 10th grade for free. Sometimes, when he says he can't believe he can be in college in 10th grade, I tell him that the local CC is like a glorified high school. Lots of hand-holding went on in that class. I don't think the school is the bees knees or anything. Fine for high school or for a nearly 50yo woman exploring other careers (why I was there).

:lol:

 

On a serious note, what other fields are you exploring? After my kids are grown I've thought about going back to college for a more advanced degree but since I still have a 2 year old I think I may be too old by the time they are all grown as I'll be considerably older than 50 :001_huh::lol:

[Jane in NC]

In math courses that I have taught, I usually write tests that have a choice section. I may give three problems and ask the students to choose two. These are usually word problems, graphs, "interesting" questions. My rule has been to allow students to do all three problems and then award the points for the two with the highest scores. Not quite a bonus, but a way of accumulating a few more points...

 

My philosophy on this was that I had students doing more math. Most would attempt all three if they felt there was a point benefit in doing so. If an instructor says "choose two", then most students will only do two.

[Sunshine State Sue]

:lol:

 

On a serious note, what other fields are you exploring? After my kids are grown I've thought about going back to college for a more advanced degree but since I still have a 2 year old I think I may be too old by the time they are all grown as I'll be considerably older than 50 :001_huh::lol:

I've worked as a programmer for 25+ years. I've thought about book keeping/accounting and statistics - something math related. I think I'd like to tutor math, but I don't think there's enough money for health benefits in it. I've earned the health benefits for the family for the last 10 years - dh had a career change back then and has none. :crying:

[AnitaMcC]

I remember talking with someone whose ds was in high school and they would give bonus point possibilities on the tests. I'm not sure if it was all the tests or what.

 

My ds2 had bonus points possibilities in his exams in his high school and jr hi I think...

 

So I'm wondering if homeschoolers do this, how often, if they have guidelines about it, and any other thoughts on the subject...

 

 

I don't offer bonus points or extra credit as a rule. Maybe once or twice in a year.

 

I give my kids plenty of work to do that will allow them to have a few not-so-great scores but that it won't hurt their grades much. I figure that they are human and there are days that they will have a bad day... sick, tired, burnt out, life just gets in the way, etc. So if they get one bad grade... no biggie in the long run.

 

But if they are border line A/B for the course grade... I may allow them do do an extra project that could push them over that edge to earn an A. But it has to be very bordline A/B and they have worked hard throughout the course.

[Miss Marple]

I voted "frequently", but this is only in regards to my co-op classes. I always had some sort of bonus question/essay.

 

At home, I haven't found the need to do that.

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

I've worked as a programmer for 25+ years. I've thought about book keeping/accounting and statistics - something math related. I think I'd like to tutor math, but I don't think there's enough money for health benefits in it. I've earned the health benefits for the family for the last 10 years - dh had a career change back then and has none. :crying:

 

That's too bad :( I hope you can find something you love and meets youe family's needs! I don't know what I'd go to scholl for if I went back. There is so much that I used to dislike but now love since I've been homeschooling that it would be difficult to choose!

[Joan in GE]

First, thanks to all who have answered and voted so far. I'm starting to get the picture.

 

The "honors" level questions does seem like good idea as well as the "project" for borderline grades which seems like it could generate some enthusiasm related to self-motivation for a subject...

 

My philosophy on this was that I had students doing more math. Most would attempt all three if they felt there was a point benefit in doing so. If an instructor says "choose two", then most students will only do two.

 

Yes, somehow when I saw all those interesting essay questions, it seemed like it would encourage a little enthusiasm and more attempts with the "wild card" aspect and that it could be redeeming academically.

 

Joan

[angela in ohio]

I do it when I teach other dc, but not my own. :D

 

The bonus questions are always something that I wouldn't expect the students to be able to get. It gives the fact workers/ better students something to chew on while the rest finish their tests. They are usually more open-ended than the test questions and involve writing a paragraph or two.

[Miss Marple]

In math courses that I have taught, I usually write tests that have a choice section. I may give three problems and ask the students to choose two. These are usually word problems, graphs, "interesting" questions. My rule has been to allow students to do all three problems and then award the points for the two with the highest scores. Not quite a bonus, but a way of accumulating a few more points...

 

My philosophy on this was that I had students doing more math. Most would attempt all three if they felt there was a point benefit in doing so. If an instructor says "choose two", then most students will only do two.

 

I did this in my co-op classes as well. The students always felt a bit more empowered when they had a choice.

[Joan in GE]

The bonus questions are always something that I wouldn't expect the students to be able to get.

 

That looks like a high standard and could be quite motivating if they are a regular part of the exam so that the student would know to study harder.

 

Joan

[distancia]

I give 1/4 or 1/2 bonus points on math/chem tests if the student (my daughter!) corrects her mistakes by reviewing the material and doing the problems over again...not just coming up with the answer, but tracing down where she went wrong in the process and then sitting down and explaining it to me.

 

Because she was previously a student in public high school honors classes, she knew that bonus points was standard operating procedure in classes.

 

Just want to chime in about CC vs. 4 year-unis:

 

Last year my D took English Comp 1 at the local comm coll and she was writing one finished MLA format 4-6 page paper per week as well as reading 2 short stories (total about 100 pp per week) and answering ten questions for each short story every week AND posting weekly on the instructor's blog (discussion) web site about the (British) literature that was read.

 

In comparison, her best friend is a freshman over at UCF (top-tier uni in Florida) and also taking English Comp 1 http://ucfwriting.wordpress.com/enc-1101/. Her friend has only 4 assigned papers for the entire term, each 4-6 pages, and the majority of the class is based upon discussions of blog postings and what the posters define as poor vs. excellent grammar!!! The theme of the English Comp 1 courses is "Technology in Communication" and there is little, if any, focus on literature, British or otherwise.

Edited September 21, 2010 by distancia

[Sunshine State Sue]

Just want to chime in about CC vs. 4 year-unis:

 

Last year my D took English Comp 1 at the local comm coll and she was writing one finished MLA format 4-6 page paper per week as well as reading 2 short stories (total about 100 pp per week) and answering ten questions for each short story every week AND posting weekly on the instructor's blog (discussion) web site about the (British) literature that was read.

 

In comparison, her best friend is a freshman over at UCF (top-tier uni in Florida) and also taking English Comp 1 http://ucfwriting.wordpress.com/enc-1101/. Her friend has only 4 assigned papers for the entire term, each 4-6 pages, and the majority of the class is based upon discussions of blog postings and what the posters define as poor vs. excellent grammar!!! The theme of the English Comp 1 courses is "Technology in Communication" and there is little, if any, focus on literature, British or otherwise.

Interesting. I am a bit of an academic snob. What I have seen of the K-12 public education in FL does not give me any confidence that the higher public education in FL will be any better, though many people seem to think it is just fine. Is there a way to research that?

[distancia]

Interesting. I am a bit of an academic snob. What I have seen of the K-12 public education in FL does not give me any confidence that the higher public education in FL will be any better, though many people seem to think it is just fine. Is there a way to research that?

 

Not meaning to hijack, but answer Sue--since we live in the same state (same area!) we have the same predicament.

 

My answer to the dilemma of the state university system is to send D to a state school, but enroll her in a separate honors college at a specific separate location.

 

I am a graduate of New College of Florida http://ncf.edu/ , which is always voted as one of the top LAC in the nation...despite being a public school. The other Honors college my D is considering is the Wilkes Honors College

http://www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/ in Jupiter, Florida. It is a branch of FAU in Boca but as you can see, it is a whole 'nother entity with its' own separate campus, and it has a wonderful reputation for science programs.

 

Whenever I am looking at a state U website I always go to the Search box and put in the words Honors Program to see what the school offers.

Edited September 21, 2010 by distancia

[angela in ohio]

That looks like a high standard and could be quite motivating if they are a regular part of the exam so that the student would know to study harder.

 

Joan

 

Even more so when extra points come with chocolate. :D

[Sunshine State Sue]

Whenever I am looking at a state U website I always go to the Search box and put in the words Honors Program to see what the school offers.

I think I started the hijack. Thanks for the advice. Now back to your regularly scheduled program....

[LuvingLife]

If there are bonus points on my test my mom will give them to me. Or if we make up our own tests and my mom throws in extra questions then yes I do get graded on bonus points and I have them.