I practice Quality Assessment, in which the students are assessed in a triangular manner of product, conversation, and observation. This enables them to express their learning in a variety of different ways, and for me to check for understanding. There will be several projects over the year during which the students will get ample amount of class time to work on; however, if they are not using thier time wisely they will have a lot of homework! Work Ethic is just as important, if not more than letter grades, which I instill in my students. For more information on this type of assessment, please take a look at the following site http://annedavies.com/
Grades
I don't assign letter grades based on percentages, rather I use performance standards that are almost always based on a five-point scale as seen below. As you can see, I don't have a "1" in my chart, as I will not accept work at that level. The students will be required to redo their work until it meets expectations.
Work Ethic As previously stated, I place a huge emphasis on this, as I believe a strong work ethic will bring them success in all endeavors of life.
G -"Good" Exceptional effort and quality put into assignments. Regularly contributes to class discussions, asks meaningful questions, and uses time wisely.
S -"Satisfactory" Decent effort put forth, however time-on-task isn't consistent and therefore quality of work is not at potential. Doesn't always participate in discussions.
N -"Needs Improvement" Level of participation is not acceptable. Time-on-task is very poor, assignments tend to be rushed and lacking quality. Drastic improvement is needed.