Extra+Credit

=Extra Credit=

**Fix 3: Don’t give points for extra credit or use bonus points; seek only evidence that more work has resulted in a higher level of achievement.** ==== The basic problem with weaving extra credit and bonus points into a grade when they reflect something other than the expected learning is that they distort the record of achievement. Extra credit and bonus points stem from the belief that school is about doing the work, accumulating points, and that quantity is the key -- with more being better -- rather than about achieving higher levels of learning. ====

==== The fix includes communicating clearly to students and parents that better grades come from evidence of higher levels of performance, not just from more points. According to O'Connor, the following is an example: ==== ==== A teacher records scores as poroficiency levels, with 3 as proficient (meets the standard). The scores a student receives are 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, and 3. The mean, median and mode for these scores are 2 so this student would recieive a grade of C. The teacher noted that the two more recent scores are 3s so asks the student to provide extra evidence on specific learning goals to see if this is now her level of achievement. The student receives 3, 4, an 3, which shows she is now proficient, so her final grade is a well-deserved B. ====