[LM_NET] HIT LIST FOR "GRADES FOR LIBRARY CLASS"

[Mariah Prentiss <mfredrica@YAHOO.COM>]

Hello All,
 
Below is my hit list related to assigning report card grades for elementary 
library. Thanks so much to all of you who took the time to respond. Clearly there 
are many ways to approach this question. I have so many good ideas to digest now!!
 
Thanks,
Mariah Prentiss, LMS
Groton Elementary Library Media Center
Groton, New York 13073
mfredrica@yahoo.com
 
 
AND NOW FOR THE HIT LIST…
 
I am required to "grade" every child in 1st-5th grade.  This makes for a
miserable two weeks as a plough through the report cards.  I've attached the
report card that I use, which focuses on both library and tech skills.
These report cards were basically created by my predecessor though I have
adapted them somewhat.


*** Lane included several attachments you may want to contact him for

Lane Young
Lower School Librarian and Technology Coordinator
North Shore Country Day School
Winnetka, IL
lyoung@nscds.org

 
 
Denver Public Schools requires all of the "specials" you mentioned to give student 
grades K-12. I am in a K-5 school and we have to have assessments on what we teach 
for not only grades but our Student Growth Objectives. Each trimester we have to 
have "records of teaching" covering the things outlined. I am attaching the report 
card that is standards based and considered a part of the whole student assessment. 
The table at the beginning is what we grade on. It goes on the regular report card. 
We grade 1-4 1=Unsatisfactory 2=Partially Proficient 3=Proficient 4=Advanced  It is 
cumbersome and time consuming.  Art, Music and PE each have separate grades. They 
are all online so we never really see the actual report card.


**** Maddie included an attachment you might want to contact her for


Maddie Wood
Denver, CO
mediamaddie@comcast.net

 
 
As a former classroom teacher and a current elementary school librarian who does 
not give grades, I would recommend that you plead your case to NOT give a separate 
grade to students. Input to the classroom teacher on behavior would be appropriate, 
but how would you judge a library grade? Number of checkouts? Number of late books? 
Please, say NO to worksheets! Nothing kills the fun faster than a worksheet.
 
Every day I have dozens of children literally run up to me to hug me and skip into 
the library, so happy to be here. Their joy is contagious! I think that at least 
part of the enthusiasm stems from the freedom from judgment in here --- they can 
select any book they want --- or not ---- and although I expect a high level of 
behavioral conformity, they usually are glad to comply.
 
Would it seem strange to hear me say that I think I have the best job in the 
world?????
 
Liz Frame
San Antonio Christian Elementary School

 
­­­My comments below are in response to this e-mail and the later target e-mail 
about grades.

In my K to 8 school, I've been giving library grades for 8 years for grades 5 
through 8. When I first started, my grade was passed to the Language Arts teachers 
who then factored the grade into their grade. Three or four years ago we bought an 
automated grading program and I was told that my Library grade had to be an 
individual subject grade. I was happy that Library was getting the recognition that 
it deserved but on the other hand it has caused a lot more work for me.

My assessments are based upon quizzes, projects, homework, etc and not on behavior, 
or as I reassured the students, overdue library books. I'm on the right hand side 
of the report card with Art, so the grade scale is U (unacceptable - 60-69), I 
(improvement needed - 70-79), M (meets expectations - 80-89) and E (exceeds 
expectations - 90 -100). Music, believe it or not, is on the left side of the 
report card and is factored into their cumulative average. With Library, if they 
have an I they cannot get honors. These sometimes results in phone calls from 
parents but the school is very supportive of the importance of library and library 
skills to the curriculum.

There is much collaboration between the library and the teachers, so many of my 
assessments are connected with work they do in other classes. For example, we are 
currently researching History Day for grades 6-8, and so students receive a library 
grade for their research and sources and Annotated Works Consulted. In addition, we 
blog and they receive a grade for their participation with the blog. For their 
library curriculum, they receive grades for any homework connected with the unit. 
You could probably do similar assessments with younger students.

I assign a numeric grade and the grading program "converts" it to the letter scale. 
Fortunately, I don't need to assess the lower grades. They'd have to clone me for 
that.

Rosanne Zajko - Librarian
Ancillae Assumpta Academy
Wyncote, Pa.
rmzajko@comcast.net

 
 
OK--this comes from a school with only 200 students so keep that in mind. I have 
asked this year to have a library grade included as part of the students Language 
Arts grade. I grade them on participation, attentiveness and listening to 
instructions (or if I am reading to them that day, they have to listen well) plus 
any real "work" that they do.


I have each class for 2 half hour periods per week so it is easy for me to have one 
day where they learn library/research skills and the other day where it is just 
check out and fun reading.


The main reason I asked to be included in the grading system was that I needed 
something to hang over the older kids heads. (4th grade and up) They would come in 
and immediately start talking to their friends and ignoring me or just kind of 
scribble all over anything that I handed them to do and when I pointed out that 
this was still "part of school" their response was "but no grade". Since 80% of our 
kids wanted to come and be good, it was hard to cope with the 20% that wanted to 
ruin it for everyone else.


As far as the grading goes, it isn't an elaborate system. I usually give an A if 
they are good, C if they have to be reminded several times to listen and F if they 
wre totally clueless. I then give an average of those grades to the teacher and she 
makes it part of their language arts grade. Think they just make it another test or 
quiz grade to average in.


Carol Van Brocklin
Faith Academy-Mindanao
Davao City, Philippines

 
 
I am in a K-8 school. I have been giving grades for 8 years. In our county, 
librarians have a curriculum to teach. I have tried teaching and not evaluating and 
giving grades, but it didn't work. Students were of the mind that if there wasn't a 
grade given, it must not be "that important". My curriculum comes out of the LA 
grade level curriculum. In addition, there are those skills that are library 
related: Dewey decimal system, fiction, non-fiction,and easy books, parts of a 
book, and more. This year I have gone to Quia.com. I am able to develop my lessons, 
create activities/quizzes, and have "grounds" for the assessment. I also use 
projects that are technology related. Is it hard, time-consuming, laborious,,,yes. 
Is it worth it? I think so. The students are learning how to use the library, 
reenforcement of skills in preparation for THE TEST, and other important skills 
like organization.I wish they didn't need extrinsic motivation, but such is life and
 the nature of things right now.
 
 
Pat Gunn
Pi Beta Phi Elementary School
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
patgunn@sevier.org

 
 
Although I'm an LMS, I work in an academic library right now.  If I had the 
opportunity to give students a separate grade for their information literacy skills 
I'd go for it.  It places an added emphasis on the library.  The library becomes 
more visible and hopefully recognized for its importance.  Yeah sure it puts you in 
the spotlight, but that can be good, right? :-)

If I had to describe the categories I would grade students on, it would probably be 
something like:

Ability to frame information needs
Ability to identify appropriate sources of information
Ability to critically evaluate sources
Participation
Effort

Michelle Roche-Babbie, MLS
Mohawk Valley Community College

 
 
This came up many years ago in our school and I opted out to give grades for a 
number of reasons.  First and foremost is that I only get the kids for one period a 
week for 40 minutes, 10 of which are used for checkout.  We are on a quarter system 
of approximately 10 weeks per quarter.  Do the math and you will see that I would 
be grading them on approximately 5 hours of class.  Since my class time is divided 
into skills lessons for some of the time and then I read a book or books to them 
the rest of the time. I felt and so did our administration that the grades would 
not be representative of how the child was doing in class as they would only be 
covering one or two written assignments at a time and mostly their behavior.  One 
of my largest units is having our 5th graders do an entire research paper in 
class-from writing the outline to the finished paper with a bibliography.  Due to 
our schedule, this unit spans over two quarters, then what would I
 do?  For some of the classes, I do report a grade on a special project to a 
teacher who rolls it into her/his final grades but that is about all.  I also feel 
that effort and participation grades are extremely subjective and can be 
misleading. How do you grade the student who knows the subject but is shy and 
doesn't like to raise their hand or give answers? Sitting and listening to a story 
is a completely different skill set than working on a project/worksheet.

Mrs. Betty Klein
Avery Coonley School
Downers Grove, Il  60515
bklein@averycoonley.org

 
 
Having just completed report cards, this is fresh in my mind!  We are a k-5 school. 
However, we do not give library grades to Kindergarten.
 
I have 3 areas on the report card.  Skills, Overall, and Conduct/Attitude.  




Skills are graded on this scale: 


4

- Exceeds Standard:


3

- Meets Standard:


2

- Approaching Standard:


1

- Beginning Standard:


NA

- Not Applicable
 
Overall and Conduct/Attitude are graded with :




 


E

- Exceeds Expectations


M

- Meets Expectations


NA

- Not Applicable Currently


I

- Inconsistent


N

- Not Meeting Expectations
 
I used to work where the range was minus, check minus, check, check plus, and 
plus.  Although it all seems the same, I thought the pluses and minuses were easier 
to match to the student.
 
This system is so general I don't think it has much value.  I would prefer a system 
more aligned with library standards - Information Literacy, Independent Learning 
and Social Responsibility.
 
Deb Cherry. librarian
Worcester Elementary
Lansdale, PA
dcherry@methacton.org

 
 
I went through the same thing here. We are a K-8 school, though I am in the K-5 
building and work mainly with grades K-5.  We were going to have all the specials 
grade (there hadn't been any grades for library before.) We were told to come up 
with 3 things to measure the students on and to be consistent with all the 
specials.  The report cards were also going to be revamped to accomodate this and 
other changes. Turns out it hasn't been done yet and so I as librarian still do not 
grade, though that is supposed to change.   What we as the specials finally came up 
with were the following three measures:

Handles Material and Equipment Responsibly-(this is where I would put overdues, 
book care etc.)
Understands and applies concepts 
Follows classroom procedures 

Susanne Sharkey
OWNCS, SLMS
Astoria,NY
pegisuss4@live.com

 
 
New report card this year for our 2nd--4th grades for "specials."
O, S, N for the main library grade.
*, +, - for Participation & Effort
*, +, - for Cooperation (mainly following directions & paying attention--for me)

Myra Gross, Librarian
Logan Twp. Elem.
Logan Twp., NJ

 
 
I am a library "specials" with no grade.  I am in a GT type school, so most of my 
students love coming to the library and practically swarm me the minute I walk into 
the school. However, I really wish I had the ability to give grades.  I have those 
kids, mostly upper elementary, middle and HS, who think the library is a place to 
come and play around.  I have difficulty getting them to pay attention and actually 
USE the library.  As well, the teachers will NOT work with me to allow me to give 
them assignments they can then use as a class grade.  That is such a bad situation, 
in my opinion, because we also have a collaboration issue.  Rarely do the kids get 
to actually practice what I teach them in a timely manner.  Very frustrating!!

 
 
I have never given grades.  I was a long term sub. in a school where library grades 
were given--and it was not a good situation (partially due to the librarian who 
gave the grades). I do write a letter to parents at the end of each quarter 
detailing what we've done in library that quarter.  I often include appropriate 
websites for families to visit.  If you can't get away from "grades" then I'd try 
to move to sort of a rubric or checklist of information skills.  This would vary 
from grade to grade.  It could include things such as returning materials on time, 
selecting appropriate reading level materials, handling materials appropriately, 
locating materials using the online catalog, locating call numbers on the shelves, 
using dictionaries, using online databases or encyclopedias etc.

 
 
No grades for library on report cards.  Any grades for work done are given to 
teachers to be averaged in with their grades.
 
Art, music, PE grades are E, S, N, U.  Effort and conduct are huge factors.
No grades for library on report cards.  Any grades for work done are given to 
teachers to be averaged in with their grades.
 
Art, music, PE grades are E, S, N, U.  Effort and conduct are huge factors.

 
 

We give grades k-6 in our district.  We have just begun the process.  Last year we 
as a group of LMSs game up with our power objectives--those objectives we felt each 
grade level had to achieve before moving on to the next grade.  We give grades of 
AC (area of concern), SD (still developing), and DW (developed well).  Students get 
a grade for information literacy each quarter.  We see each class every 4 days so 
on the average we see each student for one hour a week.  In that hour, we have a 
lesson and check out books and if we are lucky get to read a story.  It has been a 
pain, but I feel it gives the librarian more credibility. Not everyone agrees on 
that, though.  Maybe our job will be a little more secure in these times of 
economic cutbacks.  If you are interested in seeing our objectives let me know and 
I can send it to you electonically.  We are having a snow day today, so I do not 
have access to my computer files from school. 

judy.schwentker@washington.k12.mo.us


 
Unless you have specific criteria set by your state board of education,
you don't have anything to base your grades on.  Here in Texas we do not
have TEKS for library.  Every lesson is based on language arts, math,
science, or social studies TEKS.  Our PE, art, and music all have their
own set of TEKS but here in library land we do not. 

The only grades I am involved in come from rubrics teacher and I
develop to go along with a unit we collaborate on. For the most part,
many of us do not cover planning periods and the kids and teachers come
to the library as a group. I do teach lessons on library skills, but I
try to always incorporate them with what is going on in the classroom.

Even the beginning lessons of the year go along with the classroom
activities, such as orientation lessons, because every teacher from day
one sets up rules and procedures and teaches them to her class.  They do
not necessarily give grades on that, but we still all do the same type
of thing at the beginning of the year.

Colette D. Eason, Librarian
Marsalis ES
Dallas ISD
ceason@dallasisd.org

 
 
I'm the only one on the specialist team of music, library, PE and technology who 
doesn't give a separate grade on the report card.  Instead, I give at least two 
graded assignments per quarter per grade level to the classroom teacher.  I make 
sure that what I'm doing in the library aligns with their indicators so that they 
can plug the grade into the proper content area.  For example, in library, my third 
graders are comparing print and online encyclopedias by researching one of their 
science or social studies indicator topics and then writing a comparison of what 
they find.  In fourth grade, my kids are creating a reference chart for themselves 
of the thirteen text features they'll need to know for their upcoming state 
assessment.  I'm not required to do this by anyone but one of our veteran teachers 
told me I'm the first librarian she's ever had who not only bothered to find out 
what was going on in their classrooms but gave actual support!

Becky Henderson, MLS
Gardner Elementary School LMC
218 E. Shawnee 
Gardner, KS 66030
hendersonb@usd231.com

 
 
It would be easier to incoporate the grade in, I don't really have a
seperate grade for the younger students here, but I feel like if we don't
have a separate grade we end up seeming less important?/serious. I want to
be taken more seriously as a discipline sometimes and I feel like how we
grade can have an impact on that. This wasn't really a solution, but a
thought. It's something that I struggle with in K-8. 

I will be interested in seeing a hit. 

 
 

I'm new at this school, and so far no one has asked for grades, although I have 
some teachers that use my graded activities as an extra SS, SCI or LA grade, 
depending on the lesson.  I believe it should be on the report card and will 
probably lobby for that next year--for grades 2-5.

Joy McCracken
SW Snowden
Aurora, NC
 
 
I have to give grades for the first time this year.  I'm in a K-5 building and I 
have to have a minimum of 10  grades for each student.  K-2 are graded on a scale 
of 1-4, while 3-5 have number grades.  It has been a struggle coming up with graded 
assignments, especially for the K and 1's.  I have a rubric another LMS gave me if 
you'd like it.

Molly Clark, LMS
Hastings-Mallory Elementary School
Central Square, NY
MClark@cssd.org
http://bubblylibrarian.edublogs.org/
 


      

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