H.B. has been using Achieve for years now. We believe that regular practice with informative articles helps students do better on the DCAS. Likewise, with the implementation of the Common Core Standards, students are expected to spend more time studying informative pieces.
Please know that I understand that Achieve is a tool. Giving grades for Achieve has been a hot topic over the years. However, not all students are excited to use the tool just to improve their DCAS scores. There needs to be a little incentive. In school, we use grades. I understand that the scores students receive on the activities are not grades but feedback; therefore, it is unfair to give them those scores as grades.
If you look below, here is what I am going to try. I will be adding two grades to the formative part of the student's grades.
- The first is a grade for meeting the weekly goal of two activities. These can/should be done at home. Whether we get to the lab in school or not, I expect the students to do two per week. These must be valid activity scores.
- The second grade is the average of the activity scores + 25 points. The reason I am giving 25 extra points is because this is a tool. Therefore, a student who has a 75% as the average will get a 100% on HAC. Likewise, a student who is struggling and getting 50% on activities will get 75% on HAC.
- The grades will be changed every week. I am not adding a new assignment to HAC each week.
My goal is to see Achieve counting for about 5-8% of the total grade. (I want vocab is to be around 10-15% of the total grade.) I will adjust the grades before the end of the marking period.
I always want to do what is best for the students. Each year, I am faced with many changes. This year I am teaching the Common Core Standards and using a new grading scale. Achieve is more valuable because of Common Core, yet the technology to use it is not always available. I am also in between text books. Not excuses- just the truth.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
Below is just a sample of scores. I will not give a 107%. That student will receive a 100%.
| Invalid Activities | Met 40 Activity Goal (Year to Date) | activities (Year to Date) | activities (Average % Score) | Met this week's goal (2) | Grade for goal | What I put in the book | Activity AVG |
| 0 | N | 2 | 82 | 2 | 100 | 100 | 107 |
| 0 | N | 1 | 50 | 1 | 50 | 75 | 75 |
| 0 | N | 3 | 79 | 3 | 150 | 100 | 104 |
| 0 | N | 1 | 75 | 1 | 50 | 75 | 100 |
