This is from my Category A book:
The approach described herein involves no planning. This involves no planning of instruction and no planning of assessment as well – no preparation of tests and no grading of tests, or almost none.
First, we have students writing the quizzes during class. Our use of the Interpersonal Skill rubric, as well, involves almost no effort on our part, since we are grading what we see our students doing in class in real time rather than taking tests.
The age of teachers working their fingers to the bone grading papers is over. Rather than do that, teachers are just quitting. It does nothing for the kids, who simply do not care, and the era of placating administrators – bless their ignorant hearts – is quickly coming to an end as well.
In this way of grading, most of the responsibility is on the student to earn their grade in class via that big Communication Rubric 65% of their grade. It is their responsibility to earn a good grade by how they attend to the Communication Standard in class.
If they do that, their grade of A or at least B is at assured. It is so easy for students to guarantee their A with the good work they do on the 35% formative grade comprised of the four formative grades collected in Phase 2 and Phase 5 of journeys taken around the Star.