Response: Secondary Standards-Based Grading and Reporting Handbook

When I took my classroom management class last quarter, we discussed the very hot topic of "zeros." It seemed like the class was split down the middle between pro giving out zeros and against giving out zeros, so we discussed it and I still am skeptical about the practice. The article also touches on this, showing two sets of scores averaged out into grades, with one set including a zero and one set that took the zero out. Obviously, the score with no zero had a higher grade than the set that factored the zero. However, every time this issue comes up, the question is asked: in the score that factors the zero, is this grade is an accurate reflection of that students progress and success? And my response to this is always, yes (apparently the wrong answer), this is an accurate reflection, and there are two reasons why:
1) How does a student get an actual zero? The only plausible answer to this is that the student literally turned in a completely blank assignment, or just didn't turn in anything at all. This results in a zero. Why? Because that student showed zero work, zero progress, zero comprehension. However, I am a big believe in students who look like failures because I was one myself. If a student doesn't turn something in, or turns in a blank assignment, talk to that student immediately. There is no reason a teacher shouldn't find out why this student is slacking, and there is no reason not to give that student another chance, with help and guidance if they need, to do the assignment and turn it in again.
2) Why are the assignments so heavily weighted? If a student has three grades, and one is a zero, hopefully there are going to be more than three grades in the grade book for that term, and hopefully the teacher is a decent person and allows the student to make up the assignment, or do some extra credit. So actually, if there are zeros being factored in or sneaking out of your students grades, this is a problem with the teacher, not the student. I strongly believe that you get out what you put in. To me, factoring zeros out of a students grade is cheating. However, allowing that student to make up the assignment is not cheating, it's good teaching. Taking out zeros is not a motivational tool, this to me is negative reinforcement, and creates students who know that there are zero (ha) consequences to failing an assignment, or just skipping the ones they don't "feel like" doing.