Having one DS as a HS Soph. and one as a college Soph. right now, I've got really mixed feeling on grading practices and how to best guide GT kids through HS.

While I agree that often HS grading practices are unfair, illogical, and often don't reflect well the students actual understanding of the material......I also have to shrug my shoulders and ask, "Do you think it's going to be better in college?"

Trust me, I've had the same thoughts as all of you when it comes to my boys and their grades in HS. I've been severely frustrated with group projects in particular (I swear, I just felt steam coming off of everyone who just read that about group project grades) I often have been literally pulling at my hair when it comes to HS teachers and their inconsistent and illogical grading practices, however, college professors are as bad if not worse with absolutely zero expectations of compliance to a grading standard or common practice. Worse yet, the majority of college professors have had little or no credit hours in actual educational practice.

We can go all commando on HS grading as parents, however, if we do then we need to push the point just as much with college educators, otherwise, we might just be better off having HS education be just as inconsistent and discombobulated in grading, at least they'll be accustomed to it.

Perhaps as parents of HS students, the best thing we can do when it comes to helping our kiddos is to help them start each class on the right foot by teaching them to ask some key questions about each class and that teacher:
1. How is this class graded? (Weighted grades, behavior, homework, etc.)
2. What is the teaching style of the teacher?
3. How much of the class grade is based on behavior?
4. How is extra credit earned if there is any available?
5. How firm are deadlines? (is late work discounted or simply not taken?)
6. How important are notes? Are they allowed to be used during tests?
7. When is the teacher available outside of class?
8. Is there a class syllabus available?
9. Will feedback be given on homework or is it graded on completion? (Believe it or not, some teachers still do this )
10. Are rubrics available for assignments?
11. What are this teacher's pet peeves?

As much as I HATE to say it, knowing how the game is played is the first part of doing well in it, knowing how any system works is the first step. When your child goes to college, they'll quickly learn for example that the website "Rate my professor" is one they should frequent and can save them serious grief.