This year, with a new GT coordinator, the students in the GT pullout in the elementary schools are being graded on their work. This is new to our district. The teacher says it gives the students motivation to work hard and be accountable. But I wonder if it, instead, keeps the students from enjoying and maybe even challenging themselves in the enrichment activities, and whether it just encourages perfectionism. ... Instinctively I don't like it at all and my DS finds it disappointing to get wrapped up in a fun project and do all kinds of work on his own, just to find that he was graded and that his teacher found fault with his efforts.
Sounds to me as though the teacher isn't being thoughtful about formative (feedback-as-you-go) vs. summative (final-see-what-you-learned) assessment.
If your DS is not getting adequate feedback as he goes along, he has no way to know he is supposed to change course. Ideally, a teacher should give that feedback, so by the time the summative assessment comes, the kid knows where he probably stands, and it's just a final check.
This is a part of course design that is often overlooked. I really believe in grades as a form of feedback to the student-- if they are used well. If used poorly, they can feel like punishment and be very off-putting.
DeeDee
