STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS: EVALUATION RUBRICS

STRATEGIES FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT
FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS)

GENERAL POLICIES
The following marks are used to code (grade) your work for in-class and journal assignments:

A checkmark shows that you are generally following the assignment (good).

A checkmark followed by a minus sign indicates that the assignment was not completed correctly (poor).

A checkmark followed by a plus sign indicates that you have done a superior job in applying the concept (very good).

If you have a R on your paper, that means that I consider it good enough to be read to the rest of the class (excellent).

Ask yourself the following questions:

1)
Do I attend class on a regular basis?

Missing class means you are missing necessary instruction, as well as essential in-class assignments. You may also be penalized letter grade (10 points) for excessive absences (see attendance policy on your syllabus).

If you know that you must miss class a specific day, please give a short memo or send me an email. I would strongly recommend that you keep this to a minimum.
If you are experiencing problems and have extended periods of absence, it is YOUR responsibility to speak to your instructors. Any special arrangements must be approved by me.

2)
Do I complete and hand in all in-class assignments?

In-class assignments, for a majority of my classes, serve as a lab or work session in other classes. Assignments may build upon each other to build specific skills. If you miss assignments, over time, it is like missing pieces of a puzzle. You miss out on receiving the full value from the course, as well as learning new skills.

YOU MAY NOT MAKE UP IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS, EXCEPT WITH MY EXPLICIT PERMISSION. In-class assignments are also an essential part of your grade (generally may be up to 15%). Missing assignments are reflected in the grading process.

3)
Do I complete and hand in all other assignments (e.g. journals, research papers, etc.) accurately and completely? Did I fully completed the requirements of the assignment per the instructions?

A great deal of time is spent designing the requirements for each assignment. Generally they are designed to build a variety of skills (writing, research, critical thinking, note-taking). Even if it may not make sense to you as a student, it has a basis in educational theory and practice. Incomplete assignments DIRECTLY affect your grade.

Even if you are absent, assignments are due the assigned date, unless I have specifically given permission PREVIOUS to the due date. Learning to complete and hand in assignments in a timely manner is essential part of the educational process. Late assignments may be penalized 10 points (a grade).

NOTE: The greatest factors, which may cause a student with good writing skills to receive poor grades in my class are the three previously mentioned elements. If you do not show up for class, complete journals and pay careful attention to my assignments, it becomes very easy to lose a great deal of points, which then translates into poor grades.

4)
Do I have any of the following:

Checkmarks followed by the minus sign on my papers,

Comments which indicate which I did not complete the assignments correctly, OR

A request that I speak with my instructor?

If you have any concerns about your performance in a class, I would always recommend that you touch base with me. Communication between students and instructors are integral to this process. If you are not available during office hours, I will do my best to accommodate your schedule. It is best to give me a range of times for scheduling purposes.
As indicated above, the check minus indicates that you did not complete the assignment correctly. In itself, this is not necessarily a bad omen.   However, if you have check minuses, I would strongly recommend that you speak to me.

Things to think about, in terms of subsequent assignments:

Have you seen improvement in the feedback which you receive from me (e.g. notes, checkmarks, etc.). If you are not seeing improvement in your work, I would strongly recommend that you speak to me.

5)
Have I followed up on any suggestions, comments or notes given to me by the instructor? Have I incorporated these changes or suggestions into my work?

One of the greatest indicators to me (as your instructor) of progress is that over the course of the semester I should see improvement in the overall quality of your work. Your work should improve on many levels (e.g. organization, clarity, analysis, grammar, spelling, syntax). If I do not see any indication that you are paying attention to my comments, your grade will be directly affected.

7)
Have I followed up with suggestions my instructor has given me, regarding supplemental assistance, (e.g. working with the Writing Lab, etc.), or that you check in with me on a regular basis? Did I actually go to the Writing Lab? Did I bring my assignments and actually work with the someone?

Once again, one of the greatest indicators to me (as your instructor) of progress is that over the course of the should see improvement in the overall quality of your work. Your work should improve on many levels (e.g. organization, clarity, analysis, grammar, spelling, syntax).

If I (as the instructor) have indicated that you require supplementary assistance, it is strongly recommended that you follow up on these suggestions with at least one visit to the Writing Center, as well as follow up with me a short memo. It is certainly your choice not to follow my suggestions.

However, be aware that if I do not see any indication that you have followed up on these suggestions, and you continue to demonstrate that you have not improved on problem areas, your grade will be directly affected.

EVALUATION POLICY The following considerations are applied in the grading process:
NOTE:	THESE MAY VARY FROM CLASS TO CLASS. REVIEW YOUR SYLLABUS.
Letter grades (A-F) will be assigned to students based on their ability to meet the above requirements, which may be weighed according to course emphasis and importance. Did the student follow all of the criteria for each specific assignment? Was all work submitted in a timely manner? Did the student address and apply the concepts discussed in the textbook or class which may apply to this specific assignment? Was the work error free? Did the work have appropriate grammar and language usage, and use the expressive range of the language?

Review requirements and policies for your class, per your syllabus for all other assessment and evaluation policies.


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GENERAL POLICIES The following marks are used to code (grade) your work for in-class and journal assignments:

A checkmark shows that you are generally following the assignment (good). A checkmark followed by a minus sign indicates that the assignment was not completed correctly (poor). A checkmark followed by a plus sign indicates that you have done a superior job in applying the concept (very good). If you have a R on your paper, that means that I consider it good enough to be read to the rest of the class (excellent).
Ask yourself the following questions:
1)	Do I attend class on a regular basis? Missing class means you are missing necessary instruction, as well as essential in-class assignments. You may also be penalized letter grade (10 points) for excessive absences (see attendance policy on your syllabus). If you know that you must miss class a specific day, please give a short memo or send me an email. I would strongly recommend that you keep this to a minimum. If you are experiencing problems and have extended periods of absence, it is YOUR* responsibility to speak to your instructors. Any special arrangements must be approved by me.*
2)	Do I complete and hand in all in-class assignments? In-class assignments, for a majority of my classes, serve as a lab or work session in other classes. Assignments may build upon each other to build specific skills. If you miss assignments, over time, it is like missing pieces of a puzzle. You miss out on receiving the full value from the course, as well as learning new skills. YOU MAY NOT MAKE UP IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS, EXCEPT WITH MY EXPLICIT PERMISSION. In-class assignments are also an essential part of your grade (generally may be up to 15%). Missing assignments are reflected in the grading process.
3)	Do I complete and hand in all other assignments (e.g. journals, research papers, etc.) accurately and completely? Did I fully completed the requirements of the assignment per the instructions? A great deal of time is spent designing the requirements for each assignment. Generally they are designed to build a variety of skills (writing, research, critical thinking, note-taking). Even if it may not make sense to you as a student, it has a basis in educational theory and practice. Incomplete assignments DIRECTLY affect your grade. Even if you are absent, assignments are due the assigned date, unless I have specifically given permission PREVIOUS to the due date. Learning to complete and hand in assignments in a timely manner is essential part of the educational process. Late assignments may be penalized 10 points (a grade).
NOTE:	The greatest factors, which may cause a student with good writing skills to receive poor grades in my class are the three previously mentioned elements. If you do not show up for class, complete journals and pay careful attention to my assignments, it becomes very easy to lose a great deal of points, which then translates into poor grades.
4)	Do I have any of the following: Checkmarks followed by the minus sign on my papers, Comments which indicate which I did not complete the assignments correctly, OR A request that I speak with my instructor? If you have any concerns about your performance in a class, I would always recommend that you touch base with me. Communication between students and instructors are integral to this process. If you are not available during office hours, I will do my best to accommodate your schedule. It is best to give me a range of times for scheduling purposes. As indicated above, the check minus indicates that you did not complete the assignment correctly. In itself, this is not necessarily a bad omen. However, if you have check minuses, I would strongly recommend that you speak to me. Things to think about, in terms of subsequent assignments: Have you seen improvement in the feedback which you receive from me (e.g. notes, checkmarks, etc.). If you are not seeing improvement in your work, I would strongly recommend that you speak to me.
5)	Have I followed up on any suggestions, comments or notes given to me by the instructor? Have I incorporated these changes or suggestions into my work? One of the greatest indicators to me (as your instructor) of progress is that over the course of the semester I should see improvement in the overall quality of your work. Your work should improve on many levels (e.g. organization, clarity, analysis, grammar, spelling, syntax). If I do not see any indication that you are paying attention to my comments, your grade will be directly affected.
7)	Have I followed up with suggestions my instructor has given me, regarding supplemental assistance, (e.g. working with the Writing Lab, etc.), or that you check in with me on a regular basis? Did I actually go to the Writing Lab? Did I bring my assignments and actually work with the someone? Once again, one of the greatest indicators to me (as your instructor) of progress is that over the course of the should see improvement in the overall quality of your work. Your work should improve on many levels (e.g. organization, clarity, analysis, grammar, spelling, syntax). If I (as the instructor) have indicated that you require supplementary assistance, it is strongly recommended that you follow up on these suggestions with at least one visit to the Writing Center, as well as follow up with me a short memo. It is certainly your choice not to follow my suggestions. However, be aware that if I do not see any indication that you have followed up on these suggestions, and you continue to demonstrate that you have not improved on problem areas, your grade will be directly affected.