Final Salvo, Part 3

The last piece of this puzzle is your final grade abatement justification. This post reviews a few of the changes that have been made. First, there is a rubric now to help you focus your thinking:

• Grade Abatement: EOQ Rubric

You still need to review the guide to grade abatement and then read over everything else I’ve given you, including the more recent additions to the list on the side of this site. This rubric has language for each tier that should help you perform your rhinoceros work, however, and it provides a space for concise writing. More importantly, this rubric sets one number for each tier. You may not suggest a number that is not listed here. If you believe you are a 7, for instance, and I agree, you will receive an 87. Let’s hope this removes the argument over thresholds and the quibbling over points.

The second change is to the justification process itself. You can choose how much you write; in of itself, of course, this will reveal your abilities as a student, but the goal is to put the choice in your hands. You must use the provided space on the rubric to wage a succinct argument about your performance; you can choose, in addition, to write a Google Drive document of considerably greater breadth and depth that lays out exactly what you have been learning, how you’ve been developing, and what makes you one kind of student or another. This is strongly suggested.

Everything is due by June 10, which brings us to the third change, to the review and conferencing process. Hopefully, you have done enough throughout this semester to justify your grade abatement score accurately and insightfully; if so, you will get the score you suggest, and you and I will not need to conference about it. If, however, you aren’t accurate, don’t offer substantial support for your ideas, or just don’t do this at all, you will be required to meet with me.

About that meeting: it must happen in person; it must take place during the two weeks of final exams; and if a meeting is required, you’ll be notified by email, which means you need to be checking your email. If you don’t attend a required meeting, you abdicate your role in determining your final score, and you will have to accept what I decide.

Any of you are able to conference with me about grade abatement during those two weeks—or even earlier—and I think it would be useful for some of you to get more specific feedback. I leave it to your discretion. As always, send me an email or speak to me in person if you have any questions or concerns.