Rookie Q on grades & GPA

[Renaissance Mom]

Do you list grades with + or -? If so, how do you factor them into GPA, if at all? I was planning on just awarding a letter grade, no + or - and giving it the standard weight on a 4-pt scale. But when looking at dd's 9th grade grades, there seems to be a big difference between her geometry grade (barely squeaking into an A-) and her over-the-top solid A+ in lit. On the other hand, all grading scales are somewhat arbitrary and my A- might be someone else's B+ or even a regular A.

 

Bleary-eyed from spending the last few days wrestling with 9th grade course descriptions, grades, and other things that I thought I had had a better grasp on earlier in the year ...

[Jane in NC]

I have taught at colleges that used an honor point scale assigning a fractional credit for a plus and deducting it for a minus. The college I attended did not do this--an A and an A- were both worth 4 points.

 

That said, I am not sure how pluses and minuses enter homeschool grading. Many of us teach to mastery. We often have a single student working on the subject--not anyone else to whom we can compare our student.

 

Since mommy grades may not mean much in the scheme of the universe anyway, I would not stress over this one. Do what you think is best. For us that meant no pluses or minuses.

 

Shrug.

[Renaissance Mom]

I'm shrugging, too. I just wanted to check to be sure I wasn't inflating a grade -- truth in advertising, you know. :)

 

As long as I define my grading scale on her transcript, we should be good.

 

Thanks,

[Pegasus]

We just list a straight grade, no + or -. I agree with Jane in NC that homeschool grades don't really mean much. I'm not sweating the grades we assign but will rely on test scores and dual enrollment courses to demonstrate DD's academic abilities.

[regentrude]

I'm shrugging, too. I just wanted to check to be sure I wasn't inflating a grade -- truth in advertising, you know. :)

As long as I define my grading scale on her transcript, we should be good.

 

No + or - here.

Actually,defining the grading scale on the transcript, even though required, is utterly meaningless. Whether I give an A for 90% of for 93% means absolutely nothing if the person does not also see the actual exam on which the grade is based. I can give a ridiculously easy test with a "hard" grading scale - or I can give a tough test with an "easy" grading scale.

[Jen in NY]

We just list a straight grade, no + or -. I agree with Jane in NC that homeschool grades don't really mean much. I'm not sweating the grades we assign but will rely on test scores and dual enrollment courses to demonstrate DD's academic abilities.

 

This is what it came down to for us. I don't give tests... we talk, they write (albeit sparingly). *shrug* I almost went with Pass/Fail, but chickened out in the end... and just gave dd all 'As' She is a hard worker, has done virtually everything I asked of her and has gotten an "a" in every outside class or a high percentile score on every standardized test she took. I don't think the colleges she applied to had any problem interpreting her application - they were most interested in test scores, recommendations, her resume, and essays. I did include comprehensive course descriptions and a representative reading list.

 

I wonder if anyone has ever gotten any pushback about mommy grades?

[Kareni]

I also skipped the pluses and minuses on the transcript. My daughter did take classes at the local community college which gave grades with pluses and minuses; I simply dropped them to give A, etc. Since we had transcripts sent from the community college, I felt that all of the colleges were getting the complete picture.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[AngieW in Texas]

I just put letter grades without a plus or minus. That's all that was ever on my report card in school as well.

[Jane in NC]

This is what it came down to for us. I don't give tests... we talk, they write (albeit sparingly). *shrug* I almost went with Pass/Fail, but chickened out in the end... and just gave dd all 'As' She is a hard worker, has done virtually everything I asked of her and has gotten an "a" in every outside class or a high percentile score on every standardized test she took. I don't think the colleges she applied to had any problem interpreting her application - they were most interested in test scores, recommendations, her resume, and essays. I did include comprehensive course descriptions and a representative reading list.

 

I wonder if anyone has ever gotten any pushback about mommy grades?

 

While I did give letter grades to my son in most classes, there were a couple of Ps for pass as well. This included health and French. (My son had five semesters of French on his transcript--something I learned with him. Additionally he had four years of Latin with letter grades.)

 

Those of us who have students submitting the Common App are giving a more full picture with its counselor letter and school profile, that is, more than what is provided by a single transcript page. I also submitted class descriptions and a book list along with his dual enrollment transcript, test scores,etc.

 

So. in the big picture, pluses and minuses are a small thing. I would not worry about them.

[teachermom2834]

Our umbrella school uses (+) and (-) but their grading scale is 95 and up is an A. 90-94 is an A-. I'd rather have straight letter grades. DS has grades in the low 90s that I'd like to be straight As. But, I figure at some point he will have a high B and I'll like that he can get a B+. It really isn't my preference but I don't think it is a big deal.

[Renaissance Mom]

 

 

So. in the big picture, pluses and minuses are a small thing. I would not worry about them.

 

Excellent advice. I've been feeling like a hamster on a wheel this week while trying to capture that first year of high school work fairly -- too much squeaking (on my part) and not enough forward progress (also on my part).

 

 

No + or - here.

Actually,defining the grading scale on the transcript, even though required, is utterly meaningless. Whether I give an A for 90% of for 93% means absolutely nothing if the person does not also see the actual exam on which the grade is based. I can give a ridiculously easy test with a "hard" grading scale - or I can give a tough test with an "easy" grading scale.

 

Yeah, I'd thought of that, too. But that's the same way it was when I was in college. I had one quantitative chem class where I earned a 39% average, had the highest score in the class, and received the only A. So that prof obviously graded on a curve, his tests were wicked difficult, and his grading scale constantly shifted from test to test as the bell curve shifted. I also had fall-off-the-boat easy classes with easy tests and very liberal grading scale ranges. Thanks for the reminder not to take some of this too seriously because it's so subjective!

[Jane in NC]

Renaissance Mom, may I just give you one other piece of advice? Keep running book lists. Jot down workshops attended and have your high schooler log community service projects. This is the stuff that you may need for college apps--again depending on the kinds of schools to which your kiddo applies. You don't have to do this daily, but try to update a general notebook or word document once a month.

 

You'll read lots of advice that college applicants don't need more than a transcript and a test score. This is true for certain schools. Teens change--a lot. The kid whom you thought was destined for your state Rah-rah U suddenly develops an interest and wants to apply to one of Loren Pope's Colleges that Change Lives. Or you'll find that the application to Rah-rah U is straightforward but the Honors College there requires more information. I found myself doing a lot of backtracking when I donned the counselor hat senior year.

 

That said, I hope you are enjoying homeschooling high school! We had a blast!

[Renaissance Mom]

Jane in NC,

 

I'll take ALL the advice you want to give! I am enjoying teaching high school. The rich discussions we have are like dessert for all the years of slogging through the basics. I am also delighted by the glimpses I'm getting of the young woman dd is becoming.

 

I do have a list of resources used for each course thanks to the PA state requirements. I also have a log and photos of field trips and community service stuff. (We all volunteer at a local living history museum from 1719 by dressing up in early PA colonial costumes and demonstrating colonial crafts to visitors. Talk about fun!). Since we have to submit a portfolio every year to an evaluator, I compile course descriptions, textbook tocs, work samples, and photos of activities, extracurriculars, and labs. What I don't have is a list of the books she reads in her free time I hear differing accounts on if such a list is is needed. I know it depends on the college or the program within the college.

 

I'm so glad I have two more kids ... I'd hate to think all this hard-earned experience would only be used once! Thanks so much for the encouragement and advice.

 

 

[tarahillmom]

I am required to use just percentages for my umbrella eliminating the need for letter grades.