The Zero Effect (2024)

Article

As teachers, it isour job to set kids up to succeed, not to fail. Changing some of our grading practicesis a good place to start.

“Despite evidence that grading as punishment does not work and themathematical flaw in the use of the zero on a 100-point scale, many teachersroutinely maintain this policy in the mistaken belief that it will lead toimproved student performance.” ~Douglas B. Reeves*

Withall of the emphasis on change in education, it makes sense to look at ourgrading practices for some possible answers. The use of zeroes for missing workis a good place to start.

Theaverage of 0 and 100 is 50. On most grading scales, 50 percent is still an F.The average of 50 and 100 is 75. On most grading scales, 75 percent is a C. Inboth cases, the student has an F and an A, yet the final outcome of each caseis strikingly different. Why?

Mostteachers give zeroes for missing work. The hole created by the zero grade islarger than the hole created by any other grade designation on the mostcommonly used scales across the country. If a student receives multiple zeroesin any given term, he or she is likely going to want to give up. And who canblame her?

Inmany cases, a student who’s accumulating all those zeroes might be one of manymiddle schoolers who struggle with organization, and it’s not necessarily for alack of trying. In a Psychology Todaypiece, Professor Nancy Darling of Oberlin College explains how theorganizational demands of middle school can “outstrip” the cognitive gains ofearly adolescents. Having five or six teachers in five or six classes—each withbooks, schedules, notes and assignments that need to make it from school to“home” and back to school—is overwhelming and, for some middle schoolers,nearly impossible.

Studentswho have less adult support or supervision at home may have even more difficultycompleting homework in a timely manner or on a consistent basis—increasing therisk of being adversely disadvantaged by the zero grade. Students living inpoverty may be responsible for caring for younger siblings. In high school, theymay need to work in order to help with expenses.

Whilehosting a Saturday homework session at my school just a few months ago, I triedbrainstorming with a student’s mother about how the student might get some ofher work done at home. The mother immediately cut me off with, “There are sixof us in an 800-square-foot apartment. It isn’t going to happen.”

Now,imagine that my student has five recorded scores: three missing assignments,one B and one A. In many classes, her grades look as follows: 0, 0, 0, 17/20, 19/20, bringing her totalgrade to 36/100, a daunting F.

Now,imagine there is a way for her to prove partial completion for her threemissing assignments despite not turning in the hard copies.

Rememberthe old spy movies where the secret agent breaks into a dark office in themiddle of the night, pulls folders from a file cabinet, yanks out classifieddocuments and hurriedly starts snapping pictures with a miniature camera? Timeis ticking and the agent rushes to finish the photos, get the documents backinto their proper folders and escape before he is discovered. The documents arethe key. The agent knows he cannot take the originals, so he settles forpictures. Pictures offer proof.

Thesame is true for our students. Most cell phones now have digital camerasinstalled. To clarify, this is not a substitute for turning in work. As long asthe evidence is captured and saved, it is a backup plan for avoiding thedamaging impact of zeroes on a student’s grade. Parents can be educated and encouragedto join in, too. A cultural shift might occur. Students can begin to see theirphones as tools for success rather than toys for social media and games.

Asa teacher, I am willing to give up to60 percent for digital proof of completion, not an automatic 60 percent. I canthink of no good argument against this. Such grading practices advocate for students rather than working asadversaries against them.

Anothersolution is to make homework represent a smaller percentage of the overallgrade for the class. If homework fell into a 10 to 20 percent category, forexample, the impact on the course grade is less severe. Couple this withawarding partial credit based on observational assessment, and studentsactually stand a chance of coming back from multiple failures.

Asteachers, it is our job to set kids up to succeed, not to fail. Changing someof our grading practices and homework policies is a good place to start, andour guiding question must be: “Am I grading in a way that makes sense?” There are multiple ways for students todemonstrate understanding, show proof of effort and earn partial credit;handing in a hard copy should not be the only thing that counts.

*Reeves, Douglas B. "Leading to Change / Effective Grading Practices," Educational Leadership (February 2008),85-87.

Donohue is amiddle school English and social studies teacher in Monroe, Washington. He alsoteaches college courses in English, public speaking and education.

Bookmark This PageSave