When I first started teaching, I offered all kinds of random extra credit. If students brought me supplies, like tissues. If students saw a movie related to the novel we were studying in class. If students finished their work early, and I had them do random tasks around the classroom. I also had enrichment tasks ready for extra credit too. It took me a long time to realize that my extra credit opportunities were inequitable, and let me to get rid of extra credit. Let me explain why.
WHY DO STUDENTS ASK FOR EXTRA CREDIT?
What I came to realize, though was that the opportunities I was giving were unfair for a LOT of reasons.
First, I thought about WHY students asked for extra credit:
- They wanted to change their B- to an A
- Their parents want them to take extra work home
- They did not do enough of the regular assignments throughout the quarter to earn a passing grade
- They failed ( or did not get the score they wanted) on major assessments
- They were bored
In all of these cases, it’s rarely about truly learning the material or strengthening skills or going above and beyond for the sake of knowledge – it’s simply about scraping together a few extra points for the sake of a grade.
If we want to transform our classrooms into places of learning versus places of point collecting, and we want to do so in a way that EVERY student has equitable access to learning, we have to get rid of the extra credit.
HERE’S WHY IT’S INEQUITABLE
- Many teachers have the requirement that students must complete all original work or have zero missing assignments in order to access extra credit – but they also have policies that limit student’s ability to complete those missing assignments (i.e., no late work accepted after one week).
- The students who most often actually complete extra credit are usually the ones who don’t really need it. Our most academically inclined students ( who, let’s be honest, we’d probably bump their score at the end of the quarter anyway) are the ones who benefit the most.
- Often ( though not always), extra credit assignments are busy work and only related tenuously to what we’re teaching which weakens the validity of a grade as a measure of learning.
- It undermines the purpose of a grade – as a summary of content learned compared to classmates – when some students had the opportunity to complete MORE activities than other students.
- Often, extra credit access is related to a student’s ability to finish work quickly or attend outside of school activities – something outside of our students’ control.
WHAT CAN WE DO INSTEAD?
If you really value extra credit assignments:
Make them accessible to every student, and align them with the same standards as the lessons you are teaching. they should be rigorous and enriching, not just time- fillers.
If you have early- finishers:
Let them revise a previous assignment or work on something for another class.
Give them opportunities to support their classmates ( or you!). They can help another student who needs assistance, serving as peer tutors. One of my favorite things to do is to give students a mini research task (for example, create a short slide deck explaining the 4 Humors as they apply to Shakespeare) , explaining that I need their help to get it ready for a future class. They’ll learn a little extra about the subject and feel empowered because they are helping you out – kids love that!
In return, I’ll offer candy, a sticker, or some other non- academic reward.
If you have students in danger of failing without extra credit:
Let students complete missing work or redo low- scored assignments. Take a moment to check the gradebook with them and let them know what they are missing or show them an assignment they can demonstrate further mastery on. I occasionally have the opportunity to buddy this student with someone who did well on the task who has some extra time to help.
If a student is advocating for themselves and is really asking how they can pass the marking period, I believe it our duty as teachers to respect and honor that. If a student cares enough to ask, that shows a level of initiative that many students don’t show. Working WITH students who are willing can be very rewarding, but when we refuse to work with students who ask for it because “it’s too late” we initiate or perpetuate a cycle of hopelessness that will shut our students off from learning anything further.
If you’re interested in learning more about outdated and biased grading practices, check out this blog post.
If you’re interested in some extra reading, I HIGHLY recommend this book: Grading for Equity, by Joe Feldman ( not an affiliate link, I just love this book!).
