how you earn your grade

Nine-week grades are determined by the following categories and percentages:

Projects 30%

Sketchbooks 15%

Classwork 40%

Exams 15%

Projects: Assignments for projects usually contain criteria and problem solving content encompassing the entire range of cognitive abilities. The student will exhibit knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation in almost all assignments completed for a grade. Evaluation is determined by the proper execution of criteria contained in each assignment (Were all the specifications & conditions accurately met? Are minimum standards and competencies exhibited? Is the work professionally prepared and presented? etc.).

Individual student abilities are always a consideration in the determination of art production grades. In other words, the standard, or measure, is each individual, evaluated according to his/her own existing competency level, not that of an arbitrary standard or the abilities of other, more "talented" students. All students are expected to master course standards.

I utilize rubrics or score sheets to determine the numeric grade for most projects.

Portfolios - Portfolios receive a project grade. Students are required to maintain a portfolio of work completed in class. The portfolio may be reviewed and evaluated each grading period according to the following criteria: organization, appearance and presentation of portfolio, growth and development.

Sketchbooks & journals - Students are required to keep a separate sketchbook or journal for ideas. These may be traditional or digital.

Classwork - Some assignments are graded on satisfactory completion of the assignment. This is often a daily grade and is usually recorded as a 100 unless it is incomplete.

Exams - Written or oral exams over vocabulary, processes, computer applications, and material covered in class will be given at least once each grading period.

Employability skills - Employability skills are those work habits valued by employers that increase individual and group productivity. A grade for employability skills is given each day of class. This grade is weighted the same as classwork.

Time Sheet - At the end of each week, you will turn in a time sheet that describes the assigned work you did during class each day. This is a weekly grade and is weighted the same as a classwork grade. The time sheet will be used to determine your employability skills grade.

Note: Deductions may be made for late work. Work turned in more than two days late may not be accepted, resulting in a zero.