Grading the Essay:

            Student Grading Made Easy With
                Comprehensive Checklists:
 

Each essay question written by Advanced Placement
is graded by a set of Rubrics.  Sample Rubrics are available
through The Advanced Placement Program: The College Board.
Examining these Rubrics, I discovered that they addressed nine
separate categories.  Designing a checklist with nine items to
arrive at a score out of nine is a result of this discovery.  I use
the checklists in the following ways:

                      1.  New  Learning:
These checklists are designed to help students under-
stand what is expected by AP for each type of question. When
introducing a new type of essay, I provide a copy of the appropriate
           checklist on the School House Books, Inc.
       APE Teacher-Written Table of Contents Page
and discuss its content.  This prepares them for effective writing
by making them familiar with the AP expectations for that
particular essay.  I then have them apply those checklists to writing
an AP essay on that type of question.  Becoming familiar with
what is expected by AP for each type of question helps the student
read  more critically and write more maturely.

                   2.  Student  Grading:
These checklists are also designed to help students grade each
others essays.  These checklists make the grading as  objective
and easy as possible.  After completing any practice essay assigned,
I usually have students from a different AP section grade these
anonymously using the checklist that would apply to that question.
They do this by filling out a generic cover sheet using the proper
checklist previously provided as a guide.  This provides student feedback
that can be used in conferencing.

                 3.  Multiple  Conferencing:
Perhaps the best feature of the checklists is that they demand
dialogue among the learners.  I grade the essays holistically,
placing a penciled mark out of 9 in my grade book. If my mark
varies more than 2 points from the combined results of the two
graders, I conference with them.  Once students  get their results
back, they are required to record their grades  with me.  Here
they are allowed to negotiate for a higher grade if they can
adequately defend their writing.  This kind of activity has proved
to be a great learning experience.

                 4.  Reinforced  Learning:
The checklists can also be used as a question recognition check.
Once all the types of questions are taught in steps one through three,
we still read continuously.  Occasionally I will write an AP question
on the board that addresses this reading.  Then  I have the students
write the essay in one class period.  At the end of the period they
take a "Checklist Cover Sheet."  Placing the correct name of the
type of essay on the top,  they turn this in when it is ready to grade.
Picking the appropriate checklist from those previously provided
helps to recognize the requirements of the question.  For instance,
if they are in the English Language and Composition course and they
use evidence from their observations, personal experience,
or reading to develop a style analysis question, they have not
answered the question.  OR if they are in the English Literature and
Composition course and they recognize the work used in the passage
and site information about the work as a whole, they have not answered
the question either.  In both cases, even though their essay may be maturely
written, they will receive a low score because they did not answer
the question.

Use a form of the Checklist Cover Sheet below in conjunction with
the complete checklists that follow.  This is your cover sheet.
Use the appropriate checklist on the School House Books, Inc.
       APE Teacher-Written Table of Contents Page
                          as a grading guide.
 
 

                    Checklist Cover Sheet

Writer's Name ___________________________

Type of Essay  ___________________________
 

Step One:                                      Step Two:

                Grader Response:                            Grader  Response:

__-__1.                                          __-__1.

__-__2.                                          __-__2.

__-__3.                                          __-__3.

__-__4.                                          __-__4.

__-__5.                                          __-__5.

__-__6.                                          __-__6.

__-__7.                                          __-__7.

__-__8.                                          __-__8.

__-__9.                                          __-__9.

Step One     -        Step Two
Results:                Results:        Two scores divided by two  =

Grader 1 ______ - _______ = _______

Grader 2 ______ - _______ = _______
 

This material can also be found in the School House Books guides:
A Practical Guide to the Advanced Placement (AP*) English Language
and Composition Examination    or

A Practical Guide to the Advanced Placement (AP*) English Literature
and Composition Examination
 

*AP* and Advanced Placement Program* are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the  production of, and does not endorse this site.*