The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-05
Kansas Uniform Grading Plan
Worked Out for Teachers.
To Do Away With Hit or Miss
Methods IN Work.
APPROVED BY TEACHERS ASSN
Five Fundamental Qualities
Selected as Basis.
Scholarship, Initiative, Attitude,
Cooperation and Individuality.

Hit or miss methods of grading pu-
pills work in high schools of the state
Twill be- eliminated and a more scitn-
ttific method adopted If the kansas
Uniform Grading Plan." endorsed by
the council of administration of the
Kansas State Teachers association, is
accepted.
"Disregarding the manuscript and
considering human qualities as basis
lof grading, it is our belief that we
have a scientific foundation for a very
valuable educational Device" declared
wv. W. Mcconnell, principal of the
Neodesha high school. who is chair
man of the committee of educators
(which formulated the plan. The other
two members are E. j. knight. super
intendent of Girard schools, and ]. L.
Hutchinson. principal Pittsburg high
jschool.
| Five Fundamental Qualities.
Five fundamental qualities have
been selected as a basis for Judging
lship, initiative, attitude. cooperation
land individual improvement. Five
lletters-A, B, c, D and F-have been
!chosen to designate grades which are
tdefineo in terms of the five funda-
mental qualities as follows:
| Grade OF A: Scholarship-exceedi g
Expectations of instructor; initiative
contributions exceeding the assign
tment; attitude-pesitive benefit to the
lclass cooperation - forwarding all
tgroup activities; individual improve
kment-actual and noticeable.
Grage of B: acknowledgements
land complete; Observation-Disclosures
} lsome desirable aehievements;. attitude
t-proper and beneficial; cooperation
defective in group work: individual
Iress.
! Grade C: Work in general of me-
ldium quality, or work quite strong in
lone or more items but weak in others.
i Grade of d: This grade might be
Iproduced by any variety of combina-
ftion of weaknesses as the definition
suggests. Scholarship = barely meet
, ling assignments; NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
mot Usually manifest; attitude-not OBJ
ljectionable, usually neutral; co-opera-
Ition-not positive nor very effective;
individual improvement-sligh not
positive.
Grade of F: This is s. failing grade
and since it may result from any num-
Der of weaknesses is not defined.
should Grade Carefully.
with this code teacher should
grade carefully and be able to defend
every grade given" says a pamphlet
prepared by the committee. "I'
should be pointed out TO the student
with a low grade that he Is falling
short of the standard in some one OF
these valuable qualities. Teachers
have long felt the need of definite
points of defense when questioned
about a grade but these five bic
qualities need emphasis and should be
used in conferences with students. II
| is essential that students understand
this sytem as thoroly as do the teach
erS.
an this grading system teachers
should bear in mind that grades are
given on comparative basis only,
every students work is to be compared
with that of every other student with
whom he works, and grades are to be
arranged according to his ranking II
the class. In no case is any grade &c
be translated or thought OF IN term,
of percentages. but students are to
learn that if they make A or Is grades
they are considered to belong to ap-
proximately the upper one-third oil
the class: If they are c students, they
belong to approximately the middle
third: and If they rank below @ they
are among approximately the lower
+, third"
of w. C. Bagley and research reports
, of the department of the interior ano
is in accord with the most recent
$ philosophy of education, according tc
(; | Mr.. Mcconnell. He reports that q
very similar plan has been in use al
: Neodesha high school for the last two
years and that it has been found
highly satisfactory.
e REQUESTS for information concern
II ing this grading scheme have come
Z to Mr.. Mcconnell from n number OF
: Kansas high schools and colleges. Sew
| eral inquiries have also come IRON
out the state including schools OF edu'
A alton of the universities of Nebraska
2 Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, Colorado
and California, and Leland Stanford