At the end of the quarter, conversation flowed on the B-CC parent listserv regarding the grading process and grading turnaround time. Some parents seemed unsure whether there are specific guidelines for when assignments should appear in the gradebook or when final grades should be posted.
Additionally, retakes and late assignments tend to be added to the grade book closer to the end of the quarter. This leads to students feeling frustrated when seeing a potentially significant shift in their grades after the quarter grades are finalized.
Junior Charlotte Smith shared, “I feel like grading turnaround time varies. Sometimes teachers will have my test back by the end of the day and sometimes it takes way longer. I’m usually stressed when my parents ask to see my grades because I know they will change.”
Sophomore Amy Maguire added, “This period of waiting for grades can be especially stressful when you’re eager to see how you did on an important assignment, and maybe your grade is on the line. I know teachers have so much on their plates, and it’s not their fault, but it can still be hard not knowing.”
Some parents feel a little confused with the grading technology, but just hope that grading turnaround time occurs promptly, B-CC Parent Jessica Lovinger said, “As long as the grades are added in a timely manner and teachers are available to answer questions there is no stress on the grading front.”
English teacher Mr. Arden adds some clarity to the schedule behind grading. “The general rule is that at certain parts of the quarter, we try to check and ensure that we have a certain number of grades in the gradebook.”
For example, by interims, there should be a specific number of practice and preparation assignments and a specific number of all task grades. As a result, students can know where their grades stand.
Mr. Arden added, “Some of the problems regarding grading turnaround time come from the amount of other things teachers are expected to do during their workday, making it so their planning time can’t be used for grading. Frequently, teachers need to do a lot of grading on their own time so it may take longer than it used to.”
