I taught high school and a small percentage of the final grade was based on "participation"-- in district we were advised to include this because we couldn't grade down for say attendance but this have us leeway if kids were gone alllll the time (like rich kids whose families do whatever), or kids who cut and then parents excuse them so they legally could make up the work. Anyway I ended up using it as a way to reward those who tried very hard, contributed a lot to the class, quietly kept their focus or helped others. If I had to stand over a kid daily and beg him to work, he got dinged. Everyone else got neutral points.
