The Identifying Grading Methods for Special Education Classrooms - Essay Example

Let’s discuss those grading methods which are turning out to be very successful and are becoming a need for special education classes. “A special education class needs a variety of behavioral systems” (Barrett, n.d.).

1. Individual report writing

In this method, students are allowed to write a report on any given topic. In this way, the teacher will be able to know the mental strength of students and will grade them according to their writing style and knowledge which they have put into the report. For example, students are asked to write a report on their hobbies. Now, this will be an opportunity for the special students to write it according to their senses and get graded by the teacher accordingly.

2. Percentage grading

In this method, students will be graded according to the number or percentage of correct and relative answers to the assignments or questions given to them to be solved. For example, a class of special students is given a questionnaire to be solved by the students. Now, the student who will give the most correct answers to the questions will get more percentage of marks and will be graded as the best student. This is a very useful technique to enhance the answering skills of special students.

3. Shared grading system

In this method, the authority of final grading is given to both; class teacher and the resource center teacher. “In addition to the regular teacher, there will ideally be a special-education teacher whose job it is to adjust the curriculum to your child's abilities” (Mauro, n.d.). Both of them work mutually in cooperation with each other to finalize the grades of any special student by analyzing their skills and abilities in various conditions. This is a useful technique as the efficiency of any student is judged by two authorities rather than one.

4. Point grading system

In the point grading system, the performance of any student is based on various factors which include class tests, written and oral tests, attendance, class participation, and their daily homework. An amount of fixed percentage is allocated to all factors which determine the performance of any specific student of the special education class. For example, 10% of marks are of attendance, 20% are of homework and 50% are related to the tests given to them by their respective teachers.

5. The regular class teacher-controlled mechanism for grading

In this system of grading for special education classrooms, a class teacher from regular students’ class controls the grading system of a special education class by applying no different measures on special students. It will result in the encouragement of special students as they will be treated as regular students which will result in an increased level of self-confidence and self-assurance in them.