With the state wide shift towards the material, learning targets and style of common core, Integrated Math classes in Pitman are also changing their grading scales and compositions for tests. Despite the implementation of Common Core at Pitman being unanimous, not all systems classes have for grading are.

This shift in grading formats is based off of a brand new method in teaching, learning targets. Learning targets are easy to follow statements of what students need to know based off of new California State standards. Teachers format questions for tests around these concepts.

Free response questions are now the norm in the new configuration as opposed to the past convention of having a majority of the test questions being multiple choice. The reasoning behind the decision is to realign the student mindset into showing the work towards the answer, instead of them worrying only about the final product. If a student uses the correct the method to evaluate an answer, the most likely mistake was simple arithmetic and correcting the problem is straightforward.

Integrated Math 1 and Integrated Math 3 use the same system for evaluating tests based on a 4 point scale.  Each individual question is not graded, so the test score a student receives is a summation of the whole learning target. Each test session a student has, can have multiple learning targets that they provide answers for.

The new grading scale for Integrated Math 1 and Integrated Math 3 is:

4 = A+

3 = A-

2 = C-

1 = D-

0 = F

This approach is changing scores from being right or wrong to levels of correctness. Even though this scale is more generous to students, there is a sharp drop off from an A- to a C-, only one point. If students meet standards, it is easier to earn higher grades than the traditional grading scale from previous years, on the other hand it is also easier to obtain a worse average based on performance. This style of grading creates extremes with little middle ground that can be beneficial or detrimental depending on which side of the divide a student stands on.

Brennan Rodenburg, a Junior currently in Honors Math 3, has experienced both scales first hand. He prefers the Math 2 scale he was graded on in the 2016-2017 school year. In his estimation it was easier to earn a higher grade due to individual questions being graded rather than a summation of the whole test.

Integrated Math 2 uses a somewhat closer to convention 5 point scale. Every question in each learning target section is given a score and the average is taken to receive the final grade. This gives teachers a more insightful way to analyze each test without having to summarize it like in the Math 1 and 3 scale.

The new grading scale for Integrated Math 2 is:

5 = A+

4 = A-

3 = B

2 = C-

1 = D-

0 = F

This scale does have its drawbacks though. It is more difficult to earn a higher grade and far easier to remain in the B level range. The only significant way to vastly improve a semester grade is to perfectly answer a large majority of questions while avoiding anything lower than a 3.

Math 1 teacher Mrs. Mercado and Math 3 teacher Mr. Austin favor their levels’ chosen scales and also have the same stance on the adoption from the old grading range to the new. They believe the 0-4 scale is a fairer interpretation of how well a student can perform with only 17 percent of the scale reserved for failing grades as opposed to 50 percent being dedicated in the previous format.

With this in mind it no longer matters which scale a student is graded on now, they can be provided with largely improved feedback from their instructor, unlike the scoring systems of the past.