Both achievement and effort are important characteristics factored within grades for cooperative learning tasks. Teachers use a combination of a group and individual grade most frequently when evaluating tasks completed cooperatively. Analysis of interview data produced several shared practices and beliefs. Grades are viewed as rewards, earned as students complete work assigned by teachers. With cooperative tasks, effort is as important and sometimes more important than achievement in grading.
Effort is measured most often by observing student participation relative to a student's peers.
A combination of an individual and a group grade is often used to assess group work, especially in cases where unequal participation has been observed. Teachers are uncomfortable with their cooperative grading practices and do not have clearly defined methods for measuring group process factors. A discussion of implications for district and classroom practice is included.