SOUTHERN LEYTE STATE UNIVERSITY

Main Campus, Sogod, Southern Leyte

LEARNING GUIDE 4
In Educ 304 – Assessment in Learning 1
First Semester, 2020-2021

Prepared by:

GLENN O. AMPOLOQUIO, Ed.D

Faculty
 Lesson 7. Performance – Based Tests
Performance-based assessment, according to the Stanford School Redesign Network, is an
assessment technique that evaluates students’ learning outcomes based on a product or response
that the student creates rather than measuring performance on an assessment tool provided by the
educator.

Performance-based assessment puts both a lot of power and a lot of responsibility into the
hands of the student. It asks students to determine what methods would best demonstrate their
particular skills and strengths, making them think reflectively about what they have learned rather
than simply memorizing and repeating information that someone else deemed important for them.
Performance-based products could come in the form of a presentation, a portfolio, or a
collaborative project. They are often assessed using a variety of measure and evaluated against an
agreed-upon set of standards used to ensure that the assessment is thorough and fair.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson/topics, the students are expected to:

1. Develop performance-based tests to assess selected learning competences from the K to

12 curriculum guide;
2. Formulate tasks based on a given performance-based skill; and
3. Construct appropriate scoring rubrics for given students’ products/performances.

Performance assessment is one alternative to traditional methods of testing student

achievement. While traditional testing requires students to answer questions correctly (often on
a multiple-choice test), performance assessment requires students to demonstrate knowledge and
skills, including the process by which they solve problems. Performance assessments measure skills
such as the ability to integrate knowledge across disciplines, contribute to the work of a group, and
develop a plan of action when confronted with a new situation. Performance assessments are also
appropriate for determining if students are achieving the higher standards set by states for all
students. This brochure explains features of this assessment alternative, suggests ways to evaluate
it, and offers exploratory questions you might ask your child's teacher about this subject.

Performance assessment is a testing that requires a student to create an answer or a

product that demonstrates his or her knowledge or skills. Examples of performance assessments
include:
 
 Group projects enabling a number of students to work together on a complex problem that
requires planning, research, internal discussion, and group presentation.
 Essays assessing students' understanding of a subject through a written description,
analysis, explanation, or summary.
 Experiments testing how well students understand scientific concepts and can carry out
scientific processes.
 Demonstrations giving students opportunities to show their mastery of subject-area
content and procedures.
  Portfolios allowing students to provide a broad portrait of their performance through files
that contain collections of students' work, assembled over time.

One key feature of all performance assessments is that they require students to be active
participants. They also focus attention on how students arrive at their answers and require
students to demonstrate the knowledge or skills needed to obtain a correct answer. To illustrate, if
high school juniors are asked to demonstrate their understanding of interest rates by shopping for
a used-car loan (i.e., comparing the interest rates of banks and other lending agencies and
identifying the best deal), a teacher can easily see if the students understand the concept of interest,
know how it is calculated, and are able to perform mathematical operations accurately.

Traditional assessments of student performance have relied heavily on standardized testing

methods. Performance-based testing is an alternative that is designed to encompass a better overall
representation of student progress including the effectiveness of teacher lesson plans, worksheets
and study skills. The idea with performance-based testing is to gather a demonstration of the scope
of knowledge a student has on a subject rather than simply testing the accuracy of their response
on a selection of questions.

The outcome of performance-based testing has largely been reviewed as a technique that
has the potential to encompass a wider base of learning levels. A success criterion is established for
students being graded with a performance-based method rather than attempting to align with a
normal distribution curve.

How Performance-Based Testing Works

With typical standardized testing, a student is provided multiple choice options or some
other form of question and answer format where they choose the best response from a list.
Performance-based testing methods utilize a variety of techniques depending on the subject being
examined. For example, oral discussions of the subject matter may be a testing method utilized.
This is very similar to how an academic doctoral candidate would perform a thesis defense. The
idea is to challenge not only the student's depth of knowledge on a subject, but how they correlate
multiple concepts taught within the curriculum.

Examining aspects of more expressive subjects such as art, writing and composition may
benefit from a performance-based assessment involving a portfolio assessment. A portfolio
provides a view of a student's progress for an entire course length rather than attempting to
summarize all curriculum components into one final examination, worksheet or project. The
progress and study skills of a student is generally very apparent but more so, the portfolio can
represent many types of techniques and topics learned.

For academic subjects that are more fact based such as science or mathematics, an oral
defense technique is commonly used. The format for the defense can vary, with the required topics
formalized with pre-defined criteria based on lesson plan topics or the defense being more of an
informal discussion. Another option is known as the problem solving method. This technique can be
applicable to both artistic and principle based subjects and utilized a problem example that must be
solved utilizing techniques discussed throughout the curriculum.

Educators can help their students see purpose and relevance by including Impact criteria as
they work on authentic performance tasks.
 Benefits for Teachers

 Scoring Reliability — A rubric constructed around clearly defined performance

criteria assists teachers in reducing subjective judgments when they evaluate student
work. The resulting performance evaluations, including grades, are thus more
defensible to students and parents. When a common rubric is used throughout a
department or grade-level team, school or district (with accompanying anchor
examples), the consistency of judgments (i.e., scoring reliability) by teachers across
classrooms and schools increases.

 Focused Instruction — Clearly developed rubrics help clarify the meaning of

standards and serve as targets for teaching. Indeed, teachers often observe that the
process of evaluating student work against established criteria make them more
attentive to addressing those qualities in their teaching.

Benefits for Students

 Clear Targets — When well-developed rubrics are presented to students at the

beginning, they are not left to guess about what is most important or how their work
will be judged.

 Feedback — Educational research conclusively shows that formative assessment and

feedback can significantly enhance student performance. Clear performance criteria
embedded in analytic rubrics enable teachers to provide the detailed feedback that
learners need to improve their performance.

 Guides for Self Assessment — When teachers share performance criteria and rubrics
with students, learners can use these tools for self-assessment and goal setting.

Through the use of rubrics in these ways, educators can enhance the quality of student
learning and performance, not simply evaluate it.

7.2 Performance-Based Activities/Tasks

Performance-based learning is when students participate in performing tasks or

activities that are meaningful and engaging. The purpose of this kind of learning is to help
students acquire and apply knowledge, practice skills, and develop independent and collaborative
work habits. The culminating activity or product for performance-based learning is one that lets a
student demonstrate evidence of understanding through a transfer of skills.

A performance-based assessment is open-ended and without a single, correct answer, and it

should demonstrate authentic learning, such as the creation of a newspaper or class debate. The
benefit of performance-based assessments is that students who are more actively involved in the
learning process absorb and understand the material at a much deeper level. Other characteristics
of performance-based assessments are that they are complex and time-bound.
Also, there are learning standards in each discipline that set academic expectations and define what
is proficient in meeting that standard. Performance-based activities can integrate two or more
subjects and should also meet 21st Century expectations whenever possible:
  Creativity and Innovation
 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
 Communication and Collaboration

There are also other standards that require performance-based learning.

 Clear Expectations
Performance-based activities can be challenging for students to complete. They need
to understand from the beginning exactly what is being asked of them and how they will be
assessed. Examples and models may help, but it is more important to provide detailed criteria
that will be used to assess the performance-based assessment. All criteria should be
addressed in a scoring rubric.

Observations are an important component and can be used to provide students with
feedback to improve performance. Teachers and students can both use observations. There
may be peer to peer student feedback. There could be a checklist or a tally to record student
achievement. The goal of performance-based learning should be to enhance what the
students have learned, not just have them recall facts. The following six types of activities
provide good starting points for assessments in performance-based learning. 

 Presentations

One easy way to have students complete a performance-based activity is to have them
do a presentation or report of some kind. This activity could be done by students, which takes
time, or in collaborative groups. The basis for the presentation may be one of the following:

 Providing information
 Teaching a skill
 Reporting progress
 Persuading others

 Portfolios

Student portfolios can include items that students have created and collected over a
period. Art portfolios are for students who want to apply to art programs in college. Another
example is when students create a portfolio of their written work that shows how they
have progressed from the beginning to the end of class. The writing in a portfolio can be
from any discipline or a combination of disciplines. Reflections may be included in student
portfolios in which students may make a note of their growth based on the materials in the
portfolio.

 Performances

Dramatic performances are one kind of collaborative activities that can be used as a

performance-based assessment. Students can create, perform, and/or provide a critical
response. Examples include dance, recital, dramatic enactment. There may be prose or
poetry interpretation. This form of performance-based assessment can take time, so there
 must be a clear pacing guide. Developing the criteria and the rubric and sharing these with
students before evaluating a dramatic performance is critical.

 Projects

Projects are commonly used by teachers as performance-based activities. They can

include everything from research papers to artistic representations of information
learned. Projects may require students to apply their knowledge and skills while completing
the assigned task. They can be aligned with the higher levels of creativity, analysis, and
synthesis.

Students might be asked to complete reports, diagrams, and maps. Teachers can also
choose to have students work individually or in groups.  Journals may be part of a
performance-based assessment. Journals can be used to record student reflections.
Teachers may require students to complete journal entries. Some teachers may use journals
as a way to record participation.

 Exhibits and Fairs

Teachers can expand the idea of performance-based activities by creating exhibits or

fairs for students to display their work. Examples include things like history fairs to art
exhibitions. Students work on a product or item that will be exhibited publicly.  Exhibitions
show in-depth learning and may include feedback from viewers.In some cases, students
might be required to explain or defend their work to those attending the exhibition.

 Debates

A debate in the classroom is one form of performance-based learning that teaches

students about varied viewpoints and opinions. Skills associated with debate
include research, media and argument literacy, reading comprehension, evidence
evaluation, public speaking, and civic skills. 

The following links will help you identify many examples of list of specific tasks based on
subject/course:

http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/examples/authentictaskexamples.htm
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/533606255831521149/
https://www.cbd.int/ibd/2008/Resources/teachers/appendix3.shtml
https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/frame_found_sr2/g_blms/g-17.pdf

1.3 Rubrics: Evaluating Student performance on Tasks

Student responses to assignments and assessment items that have a single, correct answer can
be scored using an answer key or a scanning machine. In contrast, performance tasks are typically
open-ended and therefore, teachers must use their judgment when evaluating the resulting
products and performances. By using a set of established criteria aligned with targeted
standards/outcomes, it is possible to fairly, consistently, and defensibly make a judgment-based
evaluation of students’ products and performances. Well-crafted rubrics can address this limitation.
A rubric is based on a set of criteria and includes a description of performance levels according to a
fixed scale.

You can recall the discussion on rubrics in Lesson 4. Kindly revisit said lesson if you need to.

Why are Rubrics so Important?

There’s not one correct answer, there are many! Rubrics have an important place in the
classroom, find out why we think so. To dive deeper and learn more about rubrics, how to use them
and why they are important there is a list of inspiration at the end of this post.

 As an Assessment Tool:

The main purpose of a rubric is its ability to assess student’s performance or work.
Rubrics can be tailored to each assignment or to the course to better assess the learning
objectives. Being able to tailor and customize rubrics means that rubrics can be used for just
about any assignment and any course, basically a rubric can be a one size fits all tool. Learning to
correctly construct and use a rubric will result in a time efficient and consistent grading process
for both teacher and student. The fact that a rubrics basic purpose is to consistently and fairly
assess a student’s work should make it an important enough classroom tool, but there are two
more reasons we love rubrics.

 As a means to Improve Learning

“This reflective ethos on work produced, fosters communication and the learning cycle
to be completed.” — Cox, Morrison, Brathwaite. Using a rubric should be thought of as an active
use the rubric as a way to reflect, analyze and improve their work. When rubrics are used by
both student and teacher alike a rubric creates what Cox calls a “feed forward mechanism”
meaning a rubric should allow the student to reflect on their work and focus on how to improve
in the future. It’s not just about student’s using a rubric as a form of feedback but giving them an
opportunity to use the feedback.

 As a Communication Tool

Rubrics can be seen as a communication tool between student and teacher as it

aligns expectations and outlines learning objectives for the assignment between student and
teacher. One main benefit of aligning and clearly stating expectations is that it
creates transparency in grading; grades will seem less arbitrary if students can see what grades
are based upon especially if rubrics are being used in peer grading.

Another added benefit is when rubrics define clear learning objectives teachers can quickly and
effectively monitor students progress. This allows for monitoring of students that are falling behind,
but it is also a great way to adjust course materials and assignments. Rubrics can point to which
questions or learning objectives that the whole class is struggling with or what may even be too easy.

Rubrics can be an asset in any classroom and at any education level but it needs to be
implemented correctly. Spending time properly integrating rubrics through explanations and
practice will pay off in the long run.
 “A rubric is only as good as its design, support and explanation in its use and conversely the
expectations from the use of the rubric should enhance the learning outcomes for the students.
Without this, a rubric can lead to promotion of shallow learning whilst producing conformity and
standardisation..” -Cox, Morrison, Brathwaite

For a collection of authentic performance tasks and associated rubrics, see Defined

STEM: http://www.definedstem.com

7.4 How to Create a Grading Rubric

1. Define the purpose of the assignment/assessment for which you are creating a rubric.
Consider the following:

 What exactly is the assigned task? Does it break down into a variety of different
tasks? Are these tasks equally important? What are the learning objectives for this
assignment/task? What do you want students to demonstrate in their completed
assignments/performances?

 What might an exemplary student product/performance look like? How might

you describe an acceptable student product/performance? How might you describe
work that falls below expectations?

 What kind of feedback do you want to give students on their

work/performance? Do you want/need to give them a grade? Do you want to give
them a single overall grade? Do you want to give them detailed feedback on a variety
of criteria? Do you want to give them specific feedback that will help them improve
their future work?
2. Decide what kind of rubric you will use: a holistic rubric or an analytic rubric?
Recall again the discussion on this topic in lesson 4.
3. Define the criteria.
Ask yourself: what knowledge and skills are required for the assignment/assessment?
Make a list of these, group and label them, and eliminate any that are not critical. The list
should contain no more than 6-7 criteria, but need not include that many.

Helpful strategies for defining grading criteria:

 Review the learning objectives for the course; use the assignment prompt, existing
grading checklists, peer response sheets, comments on previous work, past
examples of student work, etc.
 Try describing A/B/C work
 Work with co-teachers/TAs
 Talk with colleagues
 Brainstorm and discuss with students

Consider the effectiveness of the criteria:

 Can they be observed and measured?

  Are they important and essential?
 Are they distinct from other criteria?

Revise the criteria as needed. Consider how you will weight them relative to each other.

4. Design the rating scale.

Most rating scales include 3-5 levels. Consider the following:

 Given what students are able to demonstrate in this assignment/assessment, what

are the possible levels of achievement?
 Will you use numbers or descriptive labels for these levels?
 If you choose descriptive labels, what labels are most appropriate? Will you assign a
number to those labels?
 In what order will you list these levels – from lowest to highest or vice versa?
5. Write descriptions for each level of the rating scale.
Create statements of expected performance at each level of the rubric. For an analytic
rubric do this for each particular criterion of the rubric. These descriptions help students
understand your expectations and their performance in regard to those expectations.
Well-written descriptions:

 describe observable and measurable behavior.

 use parallel language across the scale.
 indicate the degree to which the standards are met.
6. Create your rubric.
Develop the criteria, rating scale and descriptions for each level of the rating scale into a
rubric. Space permitting, include the assignment at the top of the rubric. For reading and
grading ease, limit the rubric to a single page, if possible. Consider the effectiveness of
your rubric and revise accordingly.

 Get collegial feedback.

 Ask your TA for feedback.
 Ask your students for feedback.
 Try it out on a sample of student work.

After you use the rubric, analyze the results and consider its effectiveness, then revise
accordingly. Maybe there is no such thing as a perfect rubric but that doesn’t mean we can’t
try. The following links which include two (2) video tutorials will surely assist you on how
to make the best, if not the perfect, personalized rubrics:

https://medium.com/peergrade-io/tips-and-tricks-for-creating-a-perfect-rubric-7b710492b682
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWP-rUe1xy0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwrMTHavx_E
 Learning Resources:
1. Moodle
2. Schoology
3. Google Classroom
4. Messenger

References:

1. De Guzman, Estefania S. and Adamos, Joel L. (2015). Assessment in Learning 1. Adriana

Publishing Co., Inc. Quezon City, Manila.
2. Navarro, Rosita L. et. al. (2017). Assessment of Learning 1, Third Edition. Lorimar
Publishing, Inc. Quezon City, Metro Manila.
3. https://www.projectappleseed.org/assessment
4. https://eduplanet21.com/2018/10/29/understanding-performance-based-assessment-
and-why-it-matters/
5. https://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/alternative_assessment/
performance_based/
6. https://exemplars.com/sample-performance-tasks
7. https://www.thoughtco.com/ideas-for-performance-based-activities-7686
8. http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/examples/authentictaskexamples.htm
9. https://blog.performancetask.com/how-will-we-evaluate-student-performance-on-tasks-
part-6-946c82deee02
10. https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/533606255831521149/
11. https://medium.com/peergrade-io/why-are-rubrics-so-important-299f624b0ed6
12. https://blog.neolms.com/the-role-of-rubrics-in-performance-based-education/
13. https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/333119/pages/why-are-rubrics-important
14. https://www.brown.edu/sheridan/teaching-learning-resources/teaching-resources/
course-design/classroom-assessment/grading-criteria/designing-rubrics
 Lesson 8. Grading Systems and the Grading System of
Department of Education

Over the past few years, there has been a general dissatisfaction over the results of
traditional standardized objective tests. For example, multiple choice tests have been criticized
because they are accordingly unable to measure complex problem solving skills, are hopeless in
measuring processes that occur in daily classroom activities, gauge the processes involved in
accomplishing the task performance and examine learners’ application skills rather than superficial
learning of material. Educators have therefore focused their attention to finding alternative
assessment methods that would hopefully address these difficulties with the traditional methods of
objective assessment. Hence, the development of performance-based assessment.

Performance-based assessment procedures believe that the best way to gauge a student or
pupil competency in a certain task is through an en situ or on site. Such a belief appears consistent
with the constructivist philosophy in education often taught in courses on Philosophy of Education.
A performance-based test is designed to assess students on what they know, what they are able to
do and the learning strategies they employ in the process of demonstrating it.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson/topics, the students are expected to:

1. Distinguish between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced grading; cumulative and

averaging grading system;
2. Formulate and compute grades of students in various grade levels observing DepEd
guidelines.

Discussion
The grading system was invented by William Farish, a teacher in the Cambridge University,
England in 1972. He actually wanted to know that what is going in the mind of the students,
whether they got the topic or not. So grades helped him to find out this thing. Actually, the grading
system originated in the factories to rate up against the production quality whether the product
which was made is of good quality or not.

William Farish
 The main purpose of the grading system is to give clearance to the learners and educators
about the performance of the pupils in the respective subjects and field of study so that both can
able to do work on the weaknesses and achieve good results. It is the important factor through
which teachers determine the efforts of the students in studies. The primary purpose of the grading
system is to determine the achievements of the student achieved in the study. Also, to motivate the
students, grades put into the practice as students make efforts to improve their ranking.
GPA stands for the Grade Point Average. It is a method to find out the student’s average
grade in a specific time period i.e. in one semester/six months. It is calculated by dividing the total
points earned by the total credit attempted where total points find out by multiplying the grade
value to the credit attended and total credit attempted is the sum of all the credits attempted.

CGPA stands for the Cumulative Grade Point Average. It is a method to find out the overall
performance of the candidate throughout the year. It is calculated by adding up the grades of all
subjects and divided it by the total number of the subjects.

Every coin has two faces, so there are some merits of the grading system and some
demerits. For some reasons this system is good for the education sector and for some reasons, it is
unfit. We hope that in the coming days there will be beneficial amendments make in this system so
that it will be helpful for the education sector in all aspects.

8.1 Norm-Referenced Grading

The most commonly used grading system falls under the category of norm-referenced
grading. Norm-referenced grading refers to a grading system wherein a student’s grade is placed in
relation to the performance of a group. Thus, in this system, a grade of 80 means that the student
performed better than or same as 80% of the class (or group). At first glance, there appears to be no
problem with this type of grading system as it simply describes the performance of a student with
reference to a particular group of learners. The following example shows some of the difficulties
associated with norm-referenced grading: 

Example: Consider the following two sets of scores in an English 1 class for two sections of
ten students each:

A = { 30, 40,50, 55, 60, 65,70,75,80, 85 }

B = { 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 90, 95, 100 }
In the first class, the student who got a raw score of 75 would get a grade of 80% while in
the second class, the same grade of 80% would correspond to a raw score of 90. Indeed, if the test
used for the two classes are the same, it would be a rather “unfair” system of grading. A wise
student would opt to enroll in class A since it is easier to get higher grades in that class than in the
other class (class B).

The previous example illustrates one difficulty with using a norm-referenced grading
system. This problem is called the problem of equivalency. Does a grade of 80 in one class represent
the same achievement level as a grade of 80 in another class of the same subject? This problem is
similar to the problem of trying to compare a Valedictorian from some remote rural high school
with a Valedictorian from some very popular University in the urban area. Does one expect the
same level of competence for these two valedictorians?
 As we have seen, norm-referenced grading systems are based on a pre-established formula
regarding the percentage or ratio of students within a whole class who will be assigned each grade
or mark. It is therefore known in advance what percent of the students would pass or fail a given
course. For this reason, many opponents to norm-referenced grading aver that such a grading
system does not advance the cause of education and contradicts the principle of individual
differences.

In norm-referenced grading, the students, while they may work individually, are actually in
competition to achieve a standard of performance that will classify them into the desired grade
range. It essentially promotes competition among students or pupils in the same class. A student or
pupil who happens to enroll in a class of gifted students in Mathematics will find that the norm-
referenced grading system is rather worrisome. For example, a teacher may establish a grading
policy whereby the top 15 percent of students will receive a mark of excellent or outstanding,
which in a class of 100 enrolled students will be 15 persons. Such a grading policy is illustrated
below: 

1.0 (Excellent) = Top 15 % of Class

1.50 (Good) = Next 15 % of Class
2.0 (Average, Fair) = Next 45 % of Class
3.0 (Poor, Pass) = Next 15 % of Class
5.0 (Failure) = Bottom 10 % of Class

The underlying assumption in norm-referenced grading is that the students have abilities
(as reflected in their raw scores) that obey the normal distribution. The objective is to find out the
best performers in this group. Norm-referenced systems are most often used for screening selected
student populations in conditions where it is known that not all students can advance due to
limitations such as available places, jobs, or other controlling factors. For example, in the Philippine
setting, since not all high school students can actually advance to college or university level because
of financial constraints, the norm-referenced grading system can be applied.

I.2 Criterion-Referenced Grading

Criterion-referenced grading systems are based on a fixed criterion measure. There is a

fixed target and the students must achieve that target in order to obtain a passing grade in a course
regardless of how the other students in the class perform. The scale does not change regardless of
the quality, or lack thereof, of the students. For example, in a class of 100 students using the table
below, no one might get a grade of excellent if no one scores 98 above or 85 above depending on
the criterion used. There is no fixed percentage of students who are expected to get the various
grades in the criterion-referenced grading system.

1.0 (Excellent) = 98-100 or 85-100

1.5 (Good) = 88-97 or 80-84
2.0 (Fair) = 75-87 or 70-79
3.0 (Poor/Pass) = 65-74 or 60-69
5.0 (Failure) = below 65 or below 60
 Criterion-referenced systems are often used in situations where the teachers are agreed on
the meaning of a ” standard of performance” in a subject but the quality of the students is unknown
or uneven; where the work involves student collaboration or teamwork; and where there is no
external driving factor such as needing to systematically reduce a pool of eligible students.
Note that in a criterion-referenced grading system, students can help a fellow student in
group work without necessarily worrying about lowering his grade in that course. This is because
the criterion-referenced grading system does not require the mean (of the class) as basis for
distributing grades among the students.

It is therefore an ideal system to use in collaborative group work. When students are
evaluated based on predefined criteria, they are freed to collaborate with one another and with the
instructor. With criterion-referenced grading, a rich learning environment is to everyone’s
advantage, so students are rewarded for finding ways to help each other, and for contributing to
class and small group discussions.

Since the criterion measure used in criterion-referenced grading is a measure that

ultimately rests with the teacher, it is logical to ask: What prevents teachers who use criterion-
referenced grading from setting the performance criteria so low that everyone can pass with ease?
There are a variety of measures used to prevent this situation from ever happening in the grading
system. First, the criterion should not be based on only one teacher’s opinion or standard. It should
be collaboratively arrived at. A group of teachers teaching the same subject must set the criterion
together. Second, once the criterion is established, it must be made public and open to public
scrutiny so that it does not become arbitrary and subject to the whim and caprices of the teacher.

I.3 Cumulative and Averaging Systems of Grading

In the Philippines, there are two types of grading systems used: the averaging and the
cumulative grading systems. In the averaging system, the grade of a student in a particular grading
period equals the average of the grades obtained in the prior grading periods and the current
grading period. In the cumulative grading system, the grade of a student in a grading period equals
his/her current grading period grade which is assumed to have the cumulative effects of the
pervious grading periods.

I.4 DepEd K to 12 Grading System Steps for Computing Grades

The K to 12 Basic Education Program uses a standards- and competency-based grading

system. These are found in the curriculum guides. All grades will be based on the weighted raw
score of the learners’ summative assessments. The minimum grade needed to pass a specific
learning area is 60, which is transmuted to 75 in the report card. The lowest mark that can
appear on the report card is 60 for Quarterly Grades and Final Grades.

For these guidelines, the Department will use a floor grade considered as the lowest
possible grade that will appear in a learner’s report card. Learners from Grades 1 to 12 are
graded on Written Work, Performance Tasks, and Quarterly Assessment every quarter. These
three are given specific percentage weights that vary according to the nature of the learning
area.
 To reinforce your understanding of this guidelines on classroom assessment which are
embodied in DepEd Order No. 8, series of 2015, use the link
https://www.teacherph.com/classroom-assessment/ to have an access of the full copy of the
same.

8.4.1 How is learner progress recorded and computed?

 For Kindergarten

Guidelines specific to the assessment of Kindergarten learners will be issued in a different

memorandum or order. However, for Kindergarten, checklists and anecdotal records are
used instead of numerical grades. These are based on learning standards found in the
Kindergarten curriculum guide. It is important for teachers to keep a portfolio, which is a
record or compilation of the learner’s output, such as writing samples, accomplished
activity sheets, and artwork. The portfolio can provide concrete evidence of how much or
how well the learner is able to accomplish the skills and competencies. Through checklists,
the teacher will be able to indicate whether or not the child is able to demonstrate
knowledge and/or perform the tasks expected of Kindergarten learners. Through anecdotal
records or narrative reports, teachers will be able to describe learners’ behavior, attitude,
and effort in school work.

 For Grades 1 to 12

In a grading period, there is one Quarterly Assessment but there should be instances for
students to produce Written Work and to demonstrate what they know and can do through
Performance Tasks. There is no required number of Written Work and Performance Tasks,
but these must be spread out over the quarter and used to assess learners’ skills after each
unit has been taught.

8.5 How to Compute for Final Grades and General Average in DepEd K to 12 Grading System

The following are the steps in computing for the Final Grades.

Step 1: Grades from all student work are added up.

This results in the total score for each component, namely Written Work, Performance Tasks,
and Quarterly Assessment. Raw scores from each component have to be converted to a
Percentage Score. This is to ensure that values are parallel to each other.

Step 2: The sum for each component is converted to the Percentage Score.
 To compute the Percentage Score (PS), divide the raw score by the highest possible score then
multiply the quotient by 100%. This is shown below:

Step 3: Percentage Scores are then converted to Weighted Scores to show the
importance of each component in promoting learning in the different subjects.

To do this, the Percentage Score is multiplied by the weight of the component found in Table 4
for Grades 1 to 10 and Table 5 for Senior High School. The product is known as the Weighted
Score (WS).

The grading system for Senior High School (SHS) follows a different set of weights for each
component. Table 5 presents the weights for the core and track subjects.
Step 4: The sum of the Weighted Scores in each component is the Initial Grade.

This Initial Grade will be transmuted using the given transmutation table to get the
Quarterly Grade (QG). Read 2019 DepEd Transmutation Table using the link below:
https://www.teacherph.com/transmutation-table/

Step 5: The Quarterly Grade for each learning area is written in the report card of the
student.

For a better understanding of how to record the summative assessments, Table 6 presents a
sample class record showing three learners for the first quarter of Grade 4 English. On the
basis of this class record, Table 7 presents a step-by-step process on how to compute for the
Quarterly Grade.
Steps for Computing Grades

1. Get the total score for each component.

2. Divide the total raw score by the highest possible score then multiply the quotient by 100%.
3. Convert Percentage Scores to Weighted Scores. Multiply the Percentage Score by the weight
of the component indicated in Table 4 and Table 5.
4. Add the Weighted Scores of each component. The result will be the Initial Grade.
5. Transmute the Initial Grade using the Transmutation Table.
For MAPEH, individual grades are given to each area, namely, Music, Arts, Physical Education, and
Health. The quarterly grade for MAPEH is the average of the quarterly grades in the four areas.

How are grades computed at the end of the school year?

 For Kindergarten

There are no numerical grades in Kindergarten. Descriptions of the learners’ progress in the
various learning areas are represented using checklists and student portfolios. These are
presented to the parents at the end of each quarter for discussion. Additional guidelines on
the Kindergarten program will be issued.
  For Grades 1-10

The average of the Quarterly Grades (QG) produces the Final Grade.

The General Average is computed by dividing the sum of all final grades by the total number of
learning areas. Each learning area has equal weight.

The Final Grade in each learning area and the General Average are reported as whole numbers.
Table 8 shows an example of the Final Grades of the different learning areas and General Average of
a Grade 4 student.

For Grades 11 and 12

The two quarters determine the Final Grade in a semester. Table 9 shows an example in Grade 11,
second semester for the Accounting, Business, and Management (ABM) strand.
How is the learner’s progress reported?

The summary of learner progress is shown quarterly to parents and guardians through a parent-
teacher conference, in which the report card is discussed. The grading scale, with its corresponding
descriptors, are in Table 10. Remarks are given at the end of the grade level.

Using the sample class record in Table 6, LEARNER A received an Initial Grade of 84.86 in
English for the First Quarter, which, when transmuted to a grade of 90, is equivalent to Outstanding.
LEARNER B received a transmuted grade of 88, which is equivalent to Very Satisfactory. LEARNER
C received a grade of 71, which means that the learner Did Not Meet Expectations in the First
Quarter of Grade 4 English.

When a learner’s raw scores are consistently below expectations in Written Work and
Performance Tasks, the learner’s parents or guardians must be informed not later than the fifth
week of that quarter. This will enable them to help and guide their child to improve and prepare for
the Quarterly Assessment. A learner who receives a grade below 75 in any subject in a quarter must
be given intervention through remediation and extra lessons from the teacher/s of that subject.
How are learners promoted or retained at the end of the school year?

This section provides the bases for promoting a learner to the next grade level or for
retaining a learner in the same grade level. These decisions must be applied based on evidence and
judiciously.

A Final Grade of 75 or higher in all learning areas allows the student to be promoted to the
next grade level. Table 11 specifies the guidelines to be followed for learner promotion and
retention.

Table 11. Learner Promotion and Retention

 For Grades 1 to 3 Learners Promotion and Retention

Requirements Decision

Final Grade of at least 75 in all

learning areas Promoted to the next grade level

Must pass remedial classes for learning areas with failing mark
Did Not Meet Expectations in not to be promoted to the next grade level. Otherwise the learner is
more than two learning areas retained in the same grade level.

Did Not Meet Expectations in

three or more learning areas Retained in the same grade level

 For Grades 4 to 10 Learners Promotion and Retention

Requirements Decision

Final Grade of at least 75 in all

learning areas Promoted to the next grade level

Did Not Meet Expectations in Must pass remedial classes for learning areas with failing mark
not more than two learning to be promoted to the next grade level. Otherwise the learner is
areas retained in the same grade level.

Did Not Meet Expectations in

three or more learning areas Retained in the same grade level

Earn the Elementary Certificate

Must pass all learning areas in
the Elementary Promoted to Junior High School

Must pass all learning areas in Earn the Junior High School Certificate
 the Junior High School Promoted to Senior High School

 For Grades 11 to 12 Learners Promotion and Retention

Requirements Decision

Final Grade of at least 75 in all

learning areas in a semester Can proceed to the next semester

Did not Meet Expectations in a Must pass remedial classes for failed competencies in the
prerequisite subject in a learning subject before being allowed to enroll in the higher-level
area subject

Must pass remedial classes for failed competencies in the

Did Not Meet Expectations in any subjects or learning areas to be allowed to enroll in the next
subject or learning area at the end semester. Otherwise the learner must retake the subjects
of the semester failed.

Must pass all subjects or learning

areas in Senior High School Earn the Senior High School Certificate

For Grades 1-10, a learner who Did Not Meet Expectations in at most two learning areas
must take remedial classes. Remedial classes are conducted after the Final Grades have been
computed. The learner must pass the remedial classes to be promoted to the next grade level.
However, teachers should ensure that learners receive remediation when they earn raw scores
which are consistently below expectations in Written Work and Performance Tasks by the fifth
week of any quarter. This will prevent a student from failing in any learning area at the end of the
year.
For grades 11 and 12, the two quarters will dictate your final grade in a semester. Your
teacher will show your parent or guardian the summary of your progress quarterly via parent-
teacher meetings. The grading scale, with descriptor and remarks, are given at the end of your
grade level.

For Grade 11-12, learners who fail a unit/set of competencies must be immediately given
remedial classes. They should pass the summative assessments during remediation to avoid a
failing grade in a learning area/subject. This will prevent students from having back subjects in
Senior High School (SHS). However, if the learner still fails remedial classes, s/he must retake the
subject/s failed during the summer or as a back subject. Guidance teachers/career advocates must
provide support to the SHS student for his/her choices in SHS tracks.

Summative Assessments are also given during remedial classes. These are recorded,
computed, weighted, and transmuted in the same way as the Quarterly Grade. The equivalent of the
Final Grade for remedial classes is the Remedial Class Mark (RCM). The Final Grade at the end of the
school year and the Remedial Class Mark are averaged. This results in the Recomputed Final Grade.
If the Recomputed Final Grade is 75 or higher, the student is promoted to the next grade level.
However, students will be retained in the grade level if their Recomputed Final Grade is below 75.

The teacher of the remedial class issues the Certificate of Recomputed Final Grade, which is
noted by the school principal. This is submitted to the division office and must be attached to both
Form 137 and School Form Number 5. Figure 1 below shows a sample certificate.

For further understanding of the discussion above, you can visit the website using the link below:

https://www.teacherph.com/deped-grading-system/#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20DepEd%20K,and
%20competency%2Dbased%20grading%20system.&text=Learners%20from%20Grades%201%20to,and
%20Quarterly%20Assessment%20every%20quarter.

For tutorial videos in the computation of grades for K-12 as guided by DepEd Order No. 8, series of
2015, you can watch them using the links below:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylBOBCGyVsk
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWKp5-8mqos
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eYufUJxb0w

 Learning Resources:
 1. Moodle
2. Google Classroom
3. Schoology
4. Messenger

References:
1. De Guzman, Estefania S. and Adamos, Joel L. (2015). Assessment in Learning 1. Adriana
Publishing Co., Inc. Quezon City, Manila.
2. Navarro, Rosita L. et. al. (2017). Assessment of Learning 1, Third Edition. Lorimar
Publishing, Inc. Quezon City, Metro Manila.
3. https://targetstudy.com/articles/grading-system.html
4. https://taylorwilson.atavist.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-schools-grading-system
5. https://www.renaissance.com/2018/07/11/blog-criterion-referenced-tests-norm-
referenced-tests/
6. https://elcomblus.com/criterion-referenced-grading/
7. https://elcomblus.com/norm-referenced-grading/
8. https://study.com/academy/lesson/norm-vs-criterion-referenced-scoring-advantages-
disadvantages.html
9. http://files.hbe.com.au/flyerlibrary/Brigance/Criterion-referenced%20vs.%20Norm-
referenced%20Assessment.pdf
10. https://www.teacherph.com/deped-grading-system/#:~:text=What%20is%20the
%20DepEd%20K,and%20competency%2Dbased%20grading%20system.&text=Learners
%20from%20Grades%201%20to,and%20Quarterly%20Assessment%20every%20quarter.
11. https://www.depedtambayan.ph/deped-new-grading-assessment-system-k-12-education-
program/
12. https://sites.google.com/site/httpssitesk12comsite/products-services
13. https://www.ciit.edu.ph/k-to-12-grading-system/
14. https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/DM_s2020_042-
20200315_Guidelines-for-Remainder-of-SY-2019-2020-COVID-19.pdf